The hike to Seealpsee from Ebenalp turned out to be much more than just “a beautiful walk” for us. The original plan was to hike to Schäfler Ridge, but when we were there, the cable car was closed for maintenance. So we went for Ebenalp instead and wow, what a beautiful hike this is! Schäfler Ridge is undoubtedly stunning as well, but Seealpsee deserves a spot on your bucket list too, and in this blog I’ll tell you exactly why.
This is one of those hikes that just feels perfectly balanced. Not extremely difficult, not overly touristy and also not the kind of route where you simply follow other hikers to one single viewpoint. It’s exactly the combination of forests, water, elevation changes and the moment when the landscape slowly opens up that makes this hike so enjoyable.
We hiked this route at the end of April, on a clear day with temperatures around 15 degrees Celsius. Honestly, perfect hiking weather. The sky was bright blue, the mountain peaks were still covered in snow and lower down everything was slowly turning green again. Looking back, it may actually be one of the best times to hike here, precisely because of that contrast between winter and spring and because it’s still relatively quiet.
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Starting at Ebenalp: everything is simply well organized
The hike starts at the cable car station toward Ebenalp. What immediately stood out to us was how relaxed the start here feels.
No complicated parking chaos, no long approach trail or hassle trying to figure out where to begin. You park fairly close by, walk a few minutes and you’re basically already at the start of the hike.
And yes, maybe it’s a small detail… but even the free toilets at the start were simply clean and well maintained. Those kinds of things make the beginning of a hiking day just a little nicer.
One downside for me as a tourist though: paying for parking wasn’t very smooth. Mainly because none of the parking apps worked for me. The only alternative was cash coins. Luckily, we had some with us so we were able to pay properly. But it’s definitely useful as a tourist to always carry some coins in Switzerland. We exchanged some money at a local supermarket.
The first part of the hike still feels very peaceful. In the distance you hear cowbells, occasionally another hiker and mostly just a lot of silence. That typical Alpine atmosphere Switzerland does so well.
The split in the trail: this is where you decide how enjoyable the hike becomes
After a few minutes of hiking, you reach a split in the trail. And honestly, this may be the most important point of the entire route.
Here you can choose between:
- the asphalt road
- the forest trail
Our Airbnb host advised us to take the forest trail. The elevation gain is distributed more evenly and the surroundings are much more enjoyable.
On paper, the asphalt road looks tempting. Shorter, straightforward and clearly visible. But it climbs steeply almost immediately and feels more like “getting elevation done” than actually hiking. On our way back down, we genuinely saw people struggling to make it uphill.
That’s why we chose the forest trail on the left. Looking back, absolutely the right decision. The atmosphere changes almost instantly. The trail winds uphill between the trees and consists of a mix of gravel, tree roots, stones and occasionally some narrower sections.
It’s not technically difficult, but it’s engaging enough to keep things interesting. Every now and then you need to pay attention to where you step, without it ever becoming truly challenging.
What stood out most to us was how naturally comfortable the pace felt here. You’re constantly climbing uphill, but nowhere so steep that you need to stop every few minutes to catch your breath.
Small details are exactly what make this hike (via the forest trail) so good
What made this route stronger for us than some other hikes in Switzerland were mainly the small moments along the way.
You’re constantly hiking alongside flowing water. Small streams, snowmelt running down from the mountains and occasionally sections where the water literally rushes down right next to the trail.
Halfway through, you pass a waterfall cascading down in multiple layers. Not huge or world-famous, but still a fun surprise before reaching the final destination you came for. And another nice thing:
it never felt overwhelmingly crowded. Of course we encountered other hikers, but this felt completely different from some popular hikes around Grindelwald or Lauterbrunnen, where you sometimes end up walking in a line.
The moment when the view suddenly opens up
After a while, the atmosphere of the hike slowly changes. You leave the forest behind, walk between beautiful mountains and gradually approach Seealpsee, which you’ve probably already seen countless photos of online.
Suddenly you’re looking at snow-covered peaks while green valleys become visible below. When we were there, some shaded parts of the trail still had snow, while at the same time you could comfortably hike in just a T-shirt. And personally, that’s exactly what I love about spring hiking in Switzerland.
Seealpsee: not gigantic, but exactly right
And eventually you reach Seealpsee. The lake lies beautifully between steep mountain walls, with wooden mountain huts along the water and snow-covered peaks rising behind them. When the wind is calm, you can even see the mountains reflected in the lake. Absolutely stunning for photos and of course for simply enjoying the view. And by this point, you’ve already completed the hardest part of the hike!
You also notice that this is the endpoint of the hike for many people. Some continue a little further, but most eventually turn around here or stop at one of the hotels/restaurants by the lake.
As you approach the lake, you can either continue through the forest toward the hotels/restaurants, or first walk around the left side of the lake and then return via the other side using the asphalt road route. That way, you can still sit down on a terrace afterward, or of course continue hiking further. We stopped at the restaurant for a soft drink, a bottle for our 6-month-old daughter and a clean diaper.
How difficult is this hike really?
In our opinion, this hike sits perfectly in the ideal middle category. You’re definitely active:
- around 7.5 to 8 kilometers
- roughly 2.5 to 3 hours on the trail
- including a solid climb
But nowhere does it become extremely difficult or technical. You don’t need to be an experienced mountain hiker, as long as you have a decent fitness level and proper hiking shoes.
The way back: very happy we didn’t hike this uphill
For the return route, we chose the asphalt road. And honestly: we were very glad we hadn’t taken that route uphill.
The road is actually quite steep. Not technically difficult, but while descending you really notice how much work your knees are doing. Automatically, you start zigzagging a little to make it more comfortable. Besides that, this route is simply less atmospheric.
There’s less variation, less nature feeling and you’re mostly focused on descending. Perfectly fine for the return, but we would absolutely recommend taking the forest trail uphill. The road is also used to supply the hotels/restaurants.
Hiking to Seealpsee with a baby: very doable with a baby carrier
We actually did this hike with our 6-month-old daughter in a baby carrier and it went surprisingly well. Precisely because the forest trail climbs gradually, the hike remained comfortable and we never had to scramble anywhere. Along the route, about halfway, there’s also a hotel/restaurant where you can easily stop for a drink, a bathroom break or simply a short rest. That also made it easy to keep the pace relaxed. We would absolutely not recommend bringing a stroller here though. Especially on the asphalt road, it’s very steep and you’ll spend most of your energy either pushing uphill or constantly braking downhill. With a baby carrier, this was honestly a much more relaxed experience for us.
Where to stay near Seealpsee
If you want to do this hike at a relaxed pace, staying in Appenzell or around Ebenalp is definitely recommended.
That way, you can start early and often have the trail relatively quiet. And if you stay near the end point of the hike, you’ll also spend the night in a truly unique location.
Activities in the area
There are many more hikes and activities around Appenzell and Ebenalp. Especially if you enjoy nature, cable cars and traditional Swiss villages, you can easily spend multiple days here. The most famous hike is probably Schäfler Ridge.
For us, the Seealpsee hike felt like exactly what Switzerland does best. Not overly spectacular. Not extremely difficult. Just a genuinely enjoyable hike with a beautiful final destination as a reward and everything well organized along the way. And of course, you can perfectly combine this day with the cable car to Schäfler Ridge, which departs from the same parking area.
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