Hiking the Alpine Panorama Trail – Stage 7 Siebnen to Einsiedeln

Stage 7 of the Alpine Panorama Trail (Route 3) is a 23 km long trail with 1100 m ascent and 680 m descent that goes from Siebnen to Einsiedlen. This is a long section and like the last stage, for scheduling reasons, we did this hike over two days. The first day (July 14), we did a short hike (mostly forgettable) from Siebnen to Lachen, just under 5 km. We then did the rest of the hike a week later (mostly wonderful). This is a challenging stage (even more so on a hot day like when we went), but it has stunning lake views (Zürich and Sihl) with striking mountain panoramas making the climbs worthwhile. We took our time on this hike and even stopped at two different restaurants, both of which were terrific!

Detail Summary

Where:	Siebnen to Einsideln Schwyz, Switzerland
Train/Bus:	Zürich HB -> Siebnen, Aabrücke – 1 hrs 13 min Einsiedeln -> Zürich HB – 50 min
What:	Alpine Panorama Trail – Stage 7 Siebnen to Einsiedeln Yellow trail markers – Alpine Panorama Trail Route 3
Skill:	Difficult – About 6 hrs 50 min Length 23 km, Ascent 1100 m, Descent 680 m

Additional Info

Alpine Panorama Trail – Stage 7 Siebnen to Einsiedeln

Photo Stories for Other Stages

Stage 1 – Rorschach to Trogen
Stage 2 – Trogen to Appenzell
Stage 3 – Appenzell to Schwägalp
Stage 4 – Schwägalp to Stein, SG
Stage 5 – Stein, SG to Amden
Stage 6 – Amden to Siebnen
Stage 7 – Siebnen to Einsiedeln

Getting There

The Alpine Panorama Trail is best done with public transportation as each stage starts and ends at different points.

We had originally planned to do the entire stage in one day, but, on the day we went to do this hike our older son, who was leading a scout camp near Schmerikon, called and asked if we could bring a few things he had forgotten and so instead we re-hiked Stage 6 of the Zürichsee Rundweg. And then because re-hiking that trail wasn’t very difficult or time consuming, and we had very beautiful weather, we also decided to hike the first little bit (about 4.5 k or so) of this stage, which starts at the Siebnen, Aabrücke bus stop.

After getting off the bus, we quickly found our trail sign and were on our way.

The Trail – Day 1

The hike from Siebnen to Lachen was basically a short flat walk through some farmland.

Not exciting, but along the way, we did come across those cuties in the second picture above.

Breaking for the Day

Just before we reached Lachen, we came to the point where trail 3 and 4 split from each other.

It was at this point that we also parted with the trail for the day and headed for the Lachen train station.

The Trail – Day 2

A week later, we went back to Lachen and hiked the 1 kilometer or so through town back to the point where we left off the trail at the end of day 1. From there, the trail heads into farmland and begins the steady climb up to the Stöcklichrüz peak.

As we hiked up, there were some really lovely views of Lake Zürich and the valley below.

We were starting to get hungry, so when we came to the Berghaus Waldeggli (german) restaurant, we decided to stop for lunch. We both got the special of the day, caprese salad, and it tasted just as good as it looked!

After lunch, it was the final uphill-push to reach the high-point of the hike, the Stöcklichrüz, where there were sweeping views all-around.

After passing the peak, we still had a long ways to go to the end but it would now be mostly downhill. As we headed along the ridge towards the Etzel Pass, we had a fantastic views of lake Zürich. I love that just about all the cows were facing me when I took their picture.

At Etzel Pass, is the chapel of Saint Meinrad of Einsiedel, who is known as the “Martyr of Hospitality.” Although Saint Meinrad died in 861, the first mention of the chapel is from the 13th century. The chapel and the nearby inn are part of the pilgrimage route of Camino de Santiago. We visited this chapel when we hiked Stage 4 of Trail 84 – The Zürichsee Rundweg. This time instead of going into the chapel, we stopped at the inn (Gasthaus St. Meinrad) for dessert and a spritz. The desserts were fantastic but a little pricey.

After dessert, we got back on the trail. After dipping down into a valley to cross the Sihl river, we made our way back up to wide open farmland.

The views here with mountain panorama background, made hiking this section a pleasure despite the hot direct sun.

As we approached Einsiedeln, the views of the Sihl lake were fantastic. When we reached the point in the trail where I took the second picture above, I realized we had been here before when we hiked the Sihlsee-Winterwanderweg trail. What a difference the seasons make!

Just a short bit more and we came to the town of Einsiedeln and the famous Abbey.

We did not go inside this time, but have gone before and it is interesting. If you have time, we recommend checking it out (public tours – guided (german) and self-guided – are available).

Getting Back

From the abbey, it is just a short walk through town to the train station and the end of the hike.

This was a challenging but beautiful hike. If you aren’t set on hiking the entire trail, I recommend skipping the bit between Siebnen and Lachen, and starting the trail in Lachen. It only shortens the hike by 3 km or so, but as they are boring 3 km and it is an otherwise long hike, I think it is a good idea.