Habergschwänd Talalpsee Hike: Everything You Need to Know

The Habergschwänd Talalpsee Hike is one of the best short loop trails in eastern Switzerland. During this hike, you'll visit Talalpsee, a majestic lake beautifully set in an Alpine valley.

In this guide, we'll tell you everything you need to know about the Habergschwänd Talalpsee Hike.

Habergschwänd to Talalpsee Circular Hike

To visit the gorgeous Talalpsee, you'll need to walk there! Indeed, the Alpine lake isn't directly accessible by car or public transport.

Although you can walk to Talalpsee from the village of Filzbach, most people take the chair lift to Habergschwänd and walk from there, as it's much shorter and easier.

The hike between Habergschwänd and Talalpsee can be completed as an out and back walk. However, by using alternative trails near Habergschwänd and walking around the lake, the route becomes a pseudo-circular walk.

Beck and I (and our little boy) did this circular walk to explore as much trail in the area as possible. We highly recommend doing the same!

Trail Specs

• Type: Loop
• Distance: 4.7km
• Time: 1.5–2 hours
• Accumulated elevation gain/loss: 195m
• Trailhead: Habergschwänd Mountain Chair Lift Station
• Difficulty: Easy
• Map: AllTrails

Given the relatively short distance, fairly minimal elevation gain, easy trail terrain and simple navigation, we've rated the hike easy. As far as Switzerland mountain hikes go, this is a fairly simple, leisurely trail.

Habergschwänd Talalpsee Hike Map

We used this AllTrails map to help us navigate. Truth be told, it's a fairly self-explanatory, well-signposted route. But it's always wise to have a map to hand, just in case.

How to Do the Habergschwänd Talalpsee Hike

Follow these straightforward steps to complete the Habergschwänd Talalpsee Hike.

1. Arrive at the Filzbach Valley Chair Lift Station.
2. Catch the Sportsbahnen Kerenzerberg (chair lift) from the Filzbach Valley Chair Lift Station to the Habergschwänd Mountain Chair Lift Station.
3. Complete the Habergschwänd Talalpsee Hike.
4. Catch the chair lift back down to the Filzbach Valley Chair Lift Station.

How to Get to Filzbach

You can drive or catch a bus to Filzbach.

Drive There

We hired a car from Zurich Airport for our hiking trip in Glarnerland. So we simply drove there.

Parking

You'll park at the Filzbach Valley Chair Lift Station Car Park. The car park is large, with around 50 parking spots. But it can fill up quickly during peak times, such as weekends and summer school holidays. We recommend going earlier or later in the day to guarantee a spot.

If this car park is full, as it was when we visited, you'll be directed to park at the nearby Sportzentrum Kerenzerberg Car Park. This car park is located next to Hotel · Restaurant Kerenzerberg. It's another large car park. From there, it's a 600 metre walk to the chair lift station.

Both parking options are free.

Public Transport

There's no train station in Filzbach. You'll need to catch a bus there from either Mühlehorn or Näfels-Mollis.

Without direct train access to Filzbach, public transport can take a long time. For that reason, we recommend driving there if possible.

Sportbahnen Kerenzerberg (Chair Lift)

The Sportbahnen Kerenzerberg, AKA Kerenzerbergbahn, is well known as Switzerland's slowest chair lift! It takes 20 minutes, to be precise!

From the chair lift, with good visibility, you'll enjoy spectacular views of Walensee (Lake Walen) and the Churfirsten Mountain. Sure, the chair lift serves a functional purpose to get to Habergschwänd for the Habergschwänd Talalpsee Hike. But the chair lift ride itself is a fantastic part of the experience.

FYI – the chair lift runs continuously during operating hours.

What Are the Opening Hours?

Check the official Sportbahnen Kerenzerberg website for the most up-to-date opening hours.

Generally, it's open daily when it's operating. Monday to Friday, it's usually open from 9am to 4:30pm. During weekends in summer, the hours are usually extended.

What Time of Year Does it Operate?

Again, check the official website for the latest operating hours. Depending on the weather, it's usually open between April/May and October/November.

How Much Does a Ticket Cost?

For the most up-to-date prices, check the official website. Personally, we visited during the summer period and paid CHF 22.50 each for a return ticket.

Can You Use the Glarnerland Pass?

If you have a Glarnerland Pass, you can get a discount, but this only applies Monday to Friday. We visited on the weekend, so we sadly didn't get any discount!

The discount amount depends on how many nights you're staying in Glarnerland. For the latest information, check the Glarnerland Pass app or website.

FYI – you qualify for this pass by staying at a commercial accommodation in the canton of Glarus for at least one night.

Habergschwänd Talalpsee Hike: Our Experience

After hiking the Holzlfue Rundweg in the morning, Beck and I took our eight-month-old boy on the Habergschwänd Talalpsee Hike in the afternoon.

Admittedly, carrying our boy on our backs made this relatively easy walk much more challenging! Particularly as we were already fatigued from nearly a week of hiking in Glarus. But it was all worth it to enjoy the gorgeous scenery along the Habergschwänd Talalpsee Hike together.

Instead of a tedious trail description below, we'll share the walk's highlights.

The Hike From Habergschwänd to Talalpsee

From Habergschwänd, we took the mountain road trail toward Talalpsee. By doing so, we enjoyed spectacular views of Walensee almost immediately after starting the Habergschwänd Talalpsee Hike.

The mountain road soon veers southward, heading to the northern tip of Talalpsee. After passing Restaurant Talalpsee, you'll arrive at the stunning lake.

Talalpsee (Talsee)

Blessed with sunny weather, we enjoyed breathtaking views of a sparkling Talalpsee (AKA Talsee) in a picturesque mountain valley. We hope you have great weather during this adventure, too!

Especially on a warm weekend day, expect to see people swimming at the lake's northern end.

At this point of the hike, you have two options. You can simply turn around and complete the return leg of the walk. Alternately, you can do a fairly short loop around Talalpsee. That is what we did, and we highly recommend it.

Talalpsee Circular Walk

Walking around Talalpsee lets you enjoy the lake from every angle. Most of the circular route runs right alongside the lake, offering excellent views along the way.

After exploring Talalpsee, we then headed back to Habergschwänd. We retraced our steps along the mountain road until we reached the woodland nature trail. To see a new trail, we followed it back to Habergschwänd.

The trail runs through a serene wooded area, but bare sections open up to fantastic views of the surrounding mountain ranges.

Berggasthaus Habergschwänd

Right next to the Habergschwänd, you'll find Berggasthaus Habergschwänd. From this restaurant, you'll take in splendid views of Walensee.

We highly recommend finishing the Habergschwänd Talalpsee Hike with a drink or meal (or both) at Berggasthaus Habergschwänd. Personally, Beck and I enjoyed a beer in the sun and fed our baby in the lovely outdoor seating area.

A couple of days later, we finished our Glarus hiking trip on the Schabziger Höhenweg (guide coming soon) at this restaurant. So we certainly have fond memories of this place.

Mountain Scooter (Trottinett) Option

For those interested, you can take the cable car up and ride a mountain scooter down the mountain road. With having a baby, that option was off the cards for us. But we saw plenty of people doing it. It's certainly a popular option.

Where to Stay Nearby

We actually stayed in the village of Filzbach during our Glarus hiking trip. Filzbach is undoubtedly the most convenient place to do the Habergschwänd Talalpsee Hike. Best of all, it's a quaint and peaceful village to stay in.