Zürichsee-Rundweg, Stage 7/10

Passing the castle, the hiking trail takes you from Rapperswil, «town of roses», up high and further alongside nature reserves and vineyards. From up here, you can enjoy spectacular views over the lake and to the Alps of Glarus and Central Switzerland. Your destination for this stage is the lakeside town of Stäfa.

Lake Zurich is just a few steps from Rapperswil railway station. The hiking trail soon passes through the old town, by the parish church of St. Johann and Rapperswil Castle. Perched on a rocky spur above the lake, the castle dominates the opening section of the roughly 15-kilometre route.

After the urban start, the surroundings become more open. The trail crosses the Frohberg and continues in gentle undulations through meadows, fields and sparsely built-up settlements. Feldbach lies about halfway along the route. The hike takes just under four hours and involves around 380 metres of ascent in total.

Towards the end, the route briefly follows the Rhynerbach before entering the wooded Risitobel. At the Unterer Risitobelfall, the stream burbles right beside the trail. Shortly afterwards, the highest point is reached at around 560 metres. From the nearby Panorama Risi viewpoint, the landscape opens up once more before the trail descends to Stäfa. The railway station is close to the finish.