Seealpsee & Berghaus Aescher
This daytrip brings you a nice hike to the famous Seealpsee and Berghaus Aescher in a first winter decor. After the good fresh mountain air, you drive further to Zürich to immerse yourself in the Christmas market vibes. The smell of glühwein, magical lights and a cozy atmosphere, check! We recommend this trip in November & December if you want the Winter vibes and Christmas Market. The Seealpsee and Aescher hut is on the other hand also very beautiful in Summer and Spring.
Hike to the Seealpsee
One of the most beautiful mountain lakes in the Swiss canton of Appenzell is the Seealpsee. This makes the lake a real tourist attraction, mainly in spring and summer. We took a hike in November and enjoyed a first winter setting over the Seealpsee. This is just as magical as in summer, we promise! Just be aware of the amount of snow, some trails are no longer safe when snow falls heavily. Our route (GPX via link) was 13 km and 1020 altimeters. This is because we took the route that first runs along a panoramic path overlooking the Seealpsee. Of course, there are also possibilities to walk immediately around the lake upon arrival, thus saving a lot of altimeters.
Hike to the most impressive hut of Switzerland
Before ending our hike to Seealpsee, we did an additional loop. This is already included in the GPX. If you'd rather hike right back, that's also possible. We were only a few kilometers and altimeters from the Seealpsee to Berggasthaus Aescher. This is a mountain hotel at 1640 meters and is special as it is built along an impressive mountain wall. In winter it is unfortunately closed, but still worth admiring once. Through this mountain hotel you walk in a brisk descent back down to the starting point.
There is also a train stop at the start of the hike, so by train is also an option!
End the day at the Christmas market in Zürich
To end the day in style, we drove to Zurich. This is around a good hour's drive from the Seealpsee hike. Since we were in this region in late November, we were able to experience the start of the Christmas markets in Zurich. The entire city center of Zurich is fantastically lit up and there are several Christmas markets scattered throughout the city. Enjoy the smell of glühwein, the warm lights and the cozy atmosphere! Tip: be sure to check out the Singing Christmas Tree and enjoy a real fondue in one of the fondue chalets.