Toggenburger Höhenweg, Stage 3/6

The route on this leg leads from the Oberchäseren to the Tanzboden mountain, skirting around the Speer. At 1,950 metres above sea level, this peak is the highest in Europe to be formed out of Nagelfluh, a type of conglomerate rock. This short leg involves almost no uphill climbing. When you arrive at your destination, you will be rewarded with an Alpine restaurant and a magnificent view over the Obersee lake and Lake Zurich.

The eight-kilometre hike begins at Oberchäseren, right by Alp Oberchäseren. The starting point is not served by public transport; the nearest stop, Niederschlag, is just over two kilometres away. The mountain trail climbs steeply from the outset, reaching the route’s highest point at around 1,770 m.

The trail, marked with white-red-white waymarks, then continues across open pastures in a steady succession of ascents and descents. Later, stretches of woodland provide a change of scenery, while the route loses considerable elevation overall. Towards the end, the trail climbs once more, reaching Tanzboden at around 1,440 m after just under three hours. The Tanzbodenhütte and mountain restaurant are close to the finish. Here too, the hike ends away from public transport: the nearest stop, Rietbach, is around three and a half kilometres away.