The “5 Lake Hike Pizol” is a very spectacular hike and we give you some insider tips. But there are three other 5 lake hikes in Switzerland that you will love.

Text and pictures by Marc Gottwald

Switzerland is the country of the lakes. There are 1500 “Lakes in Switzerland”, many of them have been created by glaciers. It is even more spectacular to discover several lakes at once on a hike. Have you ever done a “5 Lake Hike”? Here I present you four of them!

5 Lake Hike Pizol

The pictures of the light blue and dark blue lakes around Mount Pizol are really nice. So beautiful that a few years ago, in winter, I was already looking forward to the day when I could finally do the ” 5 Lake Hike Pizol “. And let me tell you, the anticipation was worth it.

In the meantime, word has spread about the former insider tip and this “5 lake hike” is visited by many people. That’s why I strongly advise you to go during the week if possible and not in the summer holidays. Then you’ll have far fewer people, which not only offers great moments of relaxation. You can also take much nicer pictures and with a little luck see ibexes or chamoises.

To see wild animals, I would take one of the first cable cars early in the morning. Because afterwards the ibexes and chamoises move further up the mountains and are barely visible in the gray rocks.

Another tip for the “5 lake hike Pizol” is that you have good shoes and take enough food and drinks with you. There are no restaurants only at the start and end of the hike. The trail is very demanding and should only be done by experienced hikers and takes about 4.5 hours.

One of the most beautiful hikes of Switzerland

But this “5 lake hike” is one of the most beautiful hikes in Switzerland for me. After the snow melts, Lake Schottensee is still dark blue, but soon the color changes to light blue or gray. Do you know why?

The answer is that first the snow that melts is surface water. This is usually blue in the case of the lakes in the Pizol area, when the blue color of the sky is reflected. However, as soon as water from the Pizol glacier and permafrost flows into the lakes, it contains many small sediment particles that are scraped off by the glacier’s advance. As soon as this water flows into the lakes, the color changes. A pure spectacle this “5 Lake Hike”!

For me, the two most beautiful lakes on this hike are the Schottensee and the Wildsee. Getting to the “5 Lake Pizol Hike” is very easy. It only takes an hour by car from Zurich to reach the Pizol cable cars. Of course, you can also travel by public transport. Buy your ticket to the stop “Wangs, Pizolbahnen”.

If you don’t want to do the whole hike, I recommend hiking to the Wildsee and enjoying the view of the Schottensee and then back again. However, a certain basic fitness is necessary for this section as well, because the ascent is quite steep.

5 Lakes Walk Zermatt

The “5 Lakes Walk Zermatt “, as this hike is called, is another 5 Lake Hike in Switzerland with a magical character. Because here you can see the reflection of the Matterhorn in the lakes. For me, Zermatt is one of the most beautiful places in Switzerland, even if it has a lot of people in most places. But even in Zermatt there are spots where you will be completely alone.

This is not the case with the “5 Lakes Trail Zermatt”, but the varied nature between moraines, larch forests and the colorful lakes is simply idyllic.

The good thing about the “5 Lakes Trail” is that you can shorten the hike as much as you like. This means that if you don’t want to see all 5 lakes, you can still enjoy these magical moments.

The lakes are called: Stellisee, Grindjesee, Grüensee, Mossjesee and Leisee. For me, the lakes “Stellisee” and “Leisee” are my two favorites. An advantage is that they are relatively close to the cable car station. The disadvantage is that there are also the most people enjoying moments. So if you want to have the lakes for yourself, I recommend doing the “5 Lakes Trail” during the week in the early mornings and not during the summer holidays.

5 Lake Hike Gotthard

The “5 Lakes Hike Gotthard ” is a contrast to the other 5 Lake Hikes in Switzerland. Not because of the beauty, because they are all beautiful. But this “5 Lakes Hike” has almost no people compared to the Pizol and Zermatt, so it’s a real insider tip.

In the heart of the Alps near Gotthard, this lake hike tempts you with breathtaking wetland landscapes, imposing mountains and crystal-clear lakes. You will also see relics of Swiss history, especially from the Second World War. One example is a half-ruined anti-aircraft defense system of the Swiss army or, as they call themselves, the “best army in the world”.

And now I would like to tell you in advance. On the “5 Lake Hike” on the Gotthard, you will pass 5 larger lakes: Lago d’Orsino, Laghi d’Orsirora, Laghi della Valletta, which consists of two lakes, and Lago di Lucendro. In total, you will see at least 12 lakes on the whole hike, because you will enjoy spectacular views. So if you are looking for an insider’s tip regarding “Hikes in Switzerland”, the 5 Lake Hike near Gotthard is definitely a must.

This hike takes around 4.5 hours.

5 Lake Hike Bellwald

Another tip for a 5 Lake Hike in Switzerland is the one near Bellwald in the canton of Valais. If you like the Swiss mountains, you will love this hike. The view is fantastic and the greenish colors of the lakes are magical, as you can see in the pictures. Also great are the traditional irrigation systems, the so-called Suonen, which partly pass right by the path.

As the canton of Valais is the third canton in Switzerland, the farmers developed a system early on to prevent their meadows from drying out. This moderately strict hike leads past Spilsee, Mittelsee, Wirbulsee, Lengsee and the first one at the cable car station is nameless.

If the “5 Lake Hike” is not tough enough for you, you can also hike to the Risihorn (approx. 1.5 hours more). As the last part of the hike to the Risihorn is an alpine trail with climbing units, only experienced hikers can do it. However, the “5 Lakes Hike” itself is suitable for families.

Instead of taking the cable car back to Bellwald, scooters can also be hired. This is a real adventure that I highly recommend.

The “5 Lake Hike” near Bellwald has a little more people than the one near the Gotthard. Nevertheless, you will find peace and quiet here and can enjoy nature to the fullest.

Conclusion

Which “5 Lake Hike in Switzerland” is your favorite? To be honest, for me they are all beautiful and special. The variety of biodiversity and the different colors of the lakes, which can be seen on each hike, is great. Each hike offers a spectacular panorama. The “5 Lake Hike Pizol” and the one in Zermatt have the most visitors, while the lake hikes in Bellwald and near the Gotthard are mostly deserted.