Vorderthal offers different ways to experience the Wägital: a lakeside walk at Lake Wägital, high-altitude trails with views of the Alps, and the Wägital ski lift. The village lies at the foot of Grossen Aubrig and at the starting point of the Sattelegg Pass. If you are planning a trip, you can choose between scenery, outdoor activities and a visit to the parish church.
Landscape and village character
The municipality stretches from 602 to 1,695 metres above sea level. Vorderthal itself lies in a gentle hollow surrounded by wooded hills. The distribution of land also gives the area its rural character: 35 percent of the municipal area is farmland, and 60 percent is covered by woodland and forest. The Wägital remains strongly shaped by agriculture.
Hikes between the lake and high-altitude trails
At Lake Wägital, you can take a hike around the lake. The lakeside trail has no major climbs and is suitable for families with young children. The high-altitude hike to Brüschstockbügel offers a different focus: it leads from Vorderthal via Rötstock and Salbügel to Brüschstockbügel, at 1,488 metres, and then descends towards Innerthal. In the Wägital, it opens up magnificent views of the Glarus and Uri High Alps.
The hike up Grossen Aubrig also has panoramic views as its goal: it promises views of seven lakes—Lake Wägital, Lake Zurich, Lake Greifensee, Lake Pfäffikersee, Lake Lucerne, Lake Walen and Lake Sempach. Vorderthal describes Grossen Aubrig as its landmark. For a different view, a hike leads to Pfiffegg; from there, the view stretches across the Zurich Oberland and the surrounding mountains.
The Gusöteli–Siebnen hike is suitable for walkers, families and older hikers. The options therefore differ in landscape and target group: the lakeside route and gentle slopes shape the choice at the lake, while the focus on the Brüschstockbügel hike is on altitude, Alpine views and the descent to Innerthal. In the wider Wägital, you can explore the landscape on foot along hiking trails or by boat on Lake Wägital. The area around Vorderthal also offers opportunities for touring by bike, mountain biking and road cycling.
Winter days at the Wägital ski lift
The base station of the Wägital ski lift is on the right-hand side of the valley in Vorderthal, at an altitude of 750 metres. The ride to the top station at Dorlaui takes around seven minutes. The station is at an altitude of 1,260 metres and offers views of the March region and the mountain peaks of the Wägital. The ski lift offers varied downhill runs with different sections. The pistes are groomed with a modern piste basher; there are also avalanche-safe off-piste powder runs along the ski lift. As operating conditions may vary by season, it is advisable to check them before planning a ski day.
Church and getting there
The parish church stands in the heart of Vorderthal. It was founded in 1785 as a curacy or chaplaincy of Innerthal and has been an independent parish since 1816. Its heraldic symbols, a key and a sword, refer to Saints Peter and Paul, the patron saints of the village church.
From Zurich, the route follows the Lachen motorway exit, continues towards Siebnen and then takes the Wägitalstrasse. This makes it easy to plan your trip around a clear choice: a walk along the lakeshore, a route with high-altitude trails and Alpine views, cycling in the area around Vorderthal, or a winter day at the ski lift. You can decide which of these options will shape your stay based on the activities you have in mind.
Discover more destinations
Discover more destinations: Wangen, Reichenburg, Lachen, Innerthal, Tuggen.
Back to the main travel overview: March.
