Menzingen combines village history with a landscape shaped by the Ice Age. Different themes help you find your bearings: walking tours lead to educational buildings, the water supply and the village’s development; viewpoints and erratic boulders draw your attention to the surrounding area. There are also routes with different focuses, from the approximately 40-minute Climate Trail to hikes with expansive views.
Moraine Landscape and Viewpoints
Wilersee is a small lake with a surface area of three hectares. It lies in Menzingen’s moraine landscape and formed after the last Ice Age as a dead-ice lake in a hollow with no outlet. The nearby catchment area was designated a nature reserve in 1993. Today, Wilersee is mesotrophic again—that is, a body of water with a moderate nutrient content—and meets water protection objectives. Menzingen’s varied hilly landscape is also of national importance and has been placed under federal protection.
Erratic boulders in the garden on Gubel offer another trace of the Ice Age. They were deposited around 20,000 years ago, when the Muota/Reuss and Linth glaciers converged between Menzingen and Neuheim. The erratic boulder garden is in front of the Gubel restaurant. From Gubel, the panoramic view stretches across the Zug region, from the moraine landscape and Lake Zug to Rigi. The Capuchin convent of Maria Hilf, founded in 1851, is also located there.
Another viewpoint is Bellevue on Gottschalkenberg. From there, the view extends towards the Lake Zurich area on one side and the panorama of the Glarus Alps on the other. The hike from Raten to Menzingen also offers far-reaching views: along the way, you can see the Alps, large and small lakes, and the cities of Zurich and Zug.
Routes with Different Themes
The Menzingen Educational Trail, opened in 2020, is a circular route in the village. It provides basic information about the educational buildings that are still standing. The Menzingen Water Trail, by contrast, focuses on the local water supply: it explains the stages water passes through from collection to the tap.
A village walk uses old photographs to show how the village—and trade in particular—has developed. Selected stops also cover old customs and local characteristics, inns that have disappeared, the period of French occupation, and local tales and legends. This offers a way to explore village history not only through buildings, but also through past ways of life and stories.
The Climate Trail on Gottschalkenberg is a two-kilometre circular route with ten stops and takes about 40 minutes. A specific time frame is therefore given for this route. The Moränenstürmer hike starts at the Menzingen, Institut/Bernardaplatz bus stop. Another themed route, the Menzingen Gschichtli Trail, is an audio-play walk for children aged four to ten. The routes therefore differ both in theme and in their expressly stated intended audience.
In Menzingen, hiking and walking are complemented by opportunities for horse riding, mountain biking and winter sports. For a longer hike, consider the route from Raten to Menzingen, with its views of the Alps, lakes and cities; for a circular walk with a specified duration, the Climate Trail offers a useful comparison. The two routes are described in different ways: the Climate Trail has a stated length and approximate duration, while the route from Raten to Menzingen is described in terms of its landscape and views.
Village History and Contemporary History
The present-day Church of St John the Baptist was built between 1620 and 1637. Its high altar painting is considered one of the most significant works by a Zug painter. It was probably created in Croatia by the Menzingen painter Seraphin Schön. The building’s history and the painting thus offer two distinct historical points of reference for a visit to the church: the construction period of the present-day building and the possible origins of the artwork.
The Gubel Bloodhound site offers a different kind of history. It is the only surviving one of six British-type Bloodhound Mark II missile sites in the Swiss Plateau; the sites remained on standby without interruption until 1999. Exhibits include the target illumination radar, missile launchers with loaded missiles, a command bunker with an operations centre, diesel generators for the power supply, missile magazines, a cutaway missile and an operations simulator.
Winter Activities and Places to Eat
In winter, Menzingen has groomed cross-country ski trails and ski touring routes. The Schurtannen trail is groomed for both classic cross-country skiing and skating. The Lindenberg ski lift area is divided into sections for downhill skiing, fun activities and sledging. As these activities are seasonal and conditions can vary, it is advisable to check the latest conditions before your visit.
There are various restaurants both in Menzingen village and at worthwhile excursion destinations within the municipality. This can be a factor when planning your day, whether you are focusing on a village walk, a hike or a destination in the surrounding landscape.
Discover More Destinations
Discover more destinations: Finstersee, Steinhausen, Unterägeri, Oberägeri, Zug, Baar, Neuheim, Risch.
Go to the main travel overview: Zug.
