This fantastic panorama trail has big mountain views and a lot of variety in the terrain, with ridges, lakes, grassy marshes, cliffs and dramatic peaks. It has just enough climbing to make it feel like a proper hike, but not so much that our kids complained.

This one way trail starts in one mountain resort and ends in another, with a scenic bus and train ride back to your starting point.

There are beautiful alpine lakes at along the way, where there are picnic areas with fire pits and tables and also nearby restaurants.

It's a full day outing that requires a little planning, so you don't miss your bus, which needs to be reserved.

Trail info

You start at the Meiringen cable car. Parking is at Steinmühlestrasse 40, 6072 Meiringen. The nearest train station is Meiringen, Bahnhof, then a 10 min walk through the village to the cable car station.

Ride the cable car up to the Alpen Tower viewpoint. Hike across to Engstlenalp, where you’ll find the bus stop. The bus takes you to Innerkirchen, where you transfer to a train that takes to Meiringen, your starting point.

Trail: Moderate • 3.5 h • 10.2 k • 150m up, 490m down
See trail map

The path is a red/white mountain trail, mostly a narrow dirt footpath with rocky sections and lots of uneven terrain. There are often steep slopes on the side, but no cliff drop-offs. I found it to be a relatively safe trail and would bring children from about 7+ with hiking experience.

• Learn more about the Hasliberg Skyline trail.

Tickets

Buy the “Horizontweg” ticket, which includes transport for the entire journey: mountain transport from Meiringen to Alpen tower, the bus from Engstlenalp to Innertkirchen, and the train from Innertkirchen back to Meiringen.

Bus reservations

You'll need to reserve a spot on the special bus that runs from Engstlenalp to Innertkirchen. It has limited spots and only runs a few times a day, even less on weekdays.

See the schedule and make an online reservation here: engstlenalp-bus.ch

Make sure to plan your day so you reach the bus in time. We started hiking about 11:00 and arrived in Engstlenalp at about 14:30.