“Mom, what’s so special about this hike?” I guess my daughter was expecting me to say that there would be at least some marble run or alpine coaster track. Instead, I could only tell her that I just wanted to see the place where I skied in winter during the summer. To my surprise, however, something truly magical awaited us along the way. Alpine Magic. That’s the name of the themed trail between Rinderberg and Horneggli in the Gstaad region – with views that will take your breath away. The six-kilometer trail, with its beautiful views, was made even more special by eight stations where you can learn interesting and informative facts about life on alpine pastures. And that’s quite special, isn’t it?
How to get there
By car: Enter Lenkstrasse 28 or Zweisimmen (Talst. Rinderberg) into your navigation system. The car park is located directly at the cable car station. All-day parking costs CHF 5.
By train: Take the BLS train to Zweisimmen station, from which it is a less than five-minute walk to the cable car station.
Rinderberg Cable Car
The cable cars operate in summer from mid-June to mid-October, daily from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.. Current times for the different seasons can be found on the Bergbahnen Gstaad website.
This ridge trail leads from Rinderberg to Horneggli. First, you need to get to the lower station of the cable car in Rinderberg and take the gondola lift up. After completing the trail, take the chairlift from Horneggli to Schönried, and then take the train to Zweisimmen. I didn’t know exactly what fare we needed, so I explained our plans to the lady at the ticket office, and she issued me a ticket that included two one-way trips on these cable cars.
The ticket for Zweisimmen-Rinderberg & Horneggli-Schönried costs CHF 53, or CHF 26.50 with a Halb-fare card. Children with a Junior Card travel free when accompanied by a paying parent. The return train fare is not included in the ticket price. The train ticket costs CHF 8.60, CHF 4.30 with Halb-tax.
If you have a Magic Pass, the fare with Bergbahnen Gstaad is included!
The ride on the iconic red cable car takes quite a long time (I didn’t time it exactly, but it was at least 20 minutes). Younger children may start to get bored after a few minutes, but Bergbahnen Gstaad has thought of them too. Inside the cable car, you will find a picture and a QR code that will direct you to a website where you can play an audio fairy tale for your children, featuring animals as the main characters: Saani the goat, Giselle the hen, and Olga the cow. You can listen to it in German, English, and French.
Rinderberg
If you are active on social media, you will definitely appreciate the “Instagram spot” with the hashtag “Gstaad.” Otherwise, there is a lovely playground at the top with slides and playhouses built into the outer wall of the restaurant, which you can see in the photo.
Before starting the hike, I recommend taking a short detour to a small viewpoint on the left. You will see a small path leading up the hill.
Rinderberg – Horneggli
Then you can set off on the route in the direction of the sign for Horneggli. According to the sign, it should take you 1 hour and 50 minutes, but allow for around 2–2.5 hours due to stops at the Alpenzauber stations.
But first, you will be rewarded with a panoramic view.
Alpine Magic Trail
The first stop on the Alpin Magic Trail (Alpenzauberweg in German) is located here. Technically speaking, it is the last stop, as the trail actually begins at Hornberg. But the order doesn’t matter. What’s important is that you will learn interesting facts about life on the Alpine pastures at each stop.
Continue along the ridge. There are steps and winding paths that require agility and sure footing. But don’t worry, although the trail is narrow, it is safe and designed for families with children, as well as senior citizens and beginner hikers. Along the way, you will come across plenty of wooden benches where you can rest.
From the chairlift station, where there is another stop on the Alpenzauberweg trail, the narrow path turns into a wide gravel road.
Along the route, you will enjoy beautiful panoramic views in all directions, and you may even come across a herd of grazing cows.
Parwengen
About halfway along the route, you will come across a mountain farm where you can buy cheese and other snacks in a self-service honesty shop. Just beyond the farm is a beautiful barbecue spot.
Hornberg
On a pleasant June afternoon, we were approaching the end of our route. But before that, you will come across two mountain restaurants with a children’s playground, another stop on the Alpenzauberweg trail, and you can also pet a goat.
Horneggli
Unfortunately, we were in a hurry to catch the cable car down, so we didn’t make the detour to the Horneggli viewpoint, which is reached by a narrow, steep path. So we stayed on the route and were able to admire the alpine flora on the Blumenweg Hornflue.
At the end of the route, near the Horneggli chairlift station, you will find another very nice picnic spot with tables, a barbecue, and firewood.
Down by the chairlift
At the end of our hike, we enjoyed an adventurous ride down to Schönried by chairlift.
By train to Zweisimmen
As I mentioned, you will need to purchase a separate ticket for the train. It’s less than a five-minute walk from the cable car station to the train station.
MOB Panoramic
At the end of our trip, we were treated to an incredible cherry on top: the famous MOB Panoramic train runs between Schönried and Zweisimmen. Several times a day, its stylish Belle Époque carriages, reminiscent of the Orient Express, set off on the tracks. We were incredibly lucky – just when we needed to get back to Zweisimmen, one of these elegant carriages arrived. And even luckier? A school class was getting off in Schönried, so we had almost the entire carriage to ourselves. And the best part? There is no extra fare – you pay the standard fare. However, if you are planning a trip during the high season or traveling a longer route (e.g., to or from Montreux), I recommend booking in advance.
At the station in Zweisimmen, you can also see other, more modern cars of the MOB Panoramic.
Summary
- The route is 6 km long and is not suitable for strollers.
- The route takes about 2–2.5 hours (or longer if you stop to have a picnic or eat at a restaurant).
- I recommend wearing sturdy shoes.
- There are four restaurants along the route: Rinderberg, Berghotel Hornberg, Restaurant Hornfluh, and Berghaus Horneggli.
- You can listen to the audio fairy tale in your car or on the train on the way home to preserve the memories of this beautiful hike.
