Bisistal and Wägital: quiet alpine valleys between Lake Lucerne and Zurich
When the well-known excursion spots are full, many Swiss people move on to quieter country. Two such valleys lie in our canton. The Bisistal is a wild dead-end valley behind Muotathal, where the road simply stops beneath the karst walls. The Wägital is a green hollow with a turquoise reservoir, forty minutes from Zurich and yet to be found in hardly any guidebook. Neither valley has a sight you absolutely must have seen. What both have instead is what the famous places often lack: space, quiet and an unexcited everyday life in the mountains.
The wild Bisistal
The Bisistal branches off south of Muotathal and leads deep into the mountains until rock walls block the way. Here Central Switzerland shows its rough side, with scattered farms, the glass-green Bisisbach and walls that reach up to the karst plateaus.
What you can do here:
- Ride up to the Glattalp. The tiny cable car from Sahli takes you onto the plateau where the Swiss cold record was measured. In summer a very fine walk around the lake awaits you up there. More on this: Glattalp: the coldest place in Switzerland and how to visit it.
- Walk the big routes. The valley is the starting point for demanding classics, such as the traverse from Saliboden through the inner valley to Muotathal and the climb up the local mountain of the Muotatal. The tour pages: From Saliboden over the Pfaffenkreuz to the Pragelpass and From Schwarzenbach over the Wasserbergfirst to Muotathal. After rain, impressive waterfalls plunge over the rocks throughout the valley.
- Simply have nothing particular planned. A picnic by the stream, watching the alpine summer, stopping at a mountain inn: in the Bisistal that is enough. The appeal of the valley lies precisely in the fact that there are no great attractions here.
Getting there: by bus from Schwyz via Muotathal into the valley; do check the seasonal timetable. By car you drive to the end of the road at Sahli.
The gentle Wägital
To the north-east behind the mountains, above Siebnen on the upper Lake Zurich, lies the Wägital with the Wägitalersee. You hardly notice the engineering behind the reservoir. Its water shimmers green as in a fjord and the meadows reach down to the shore. On quiet mornings the Fluebrig and the Bockmattli are mirrored in the lake.
What you can do here:
- Walk round the lake. The circuit of small roads and paths around the Wägitalersee is about 9 km long and flat. It is the classic of the valley and can be done on foot or by bike. In summer you can swim on the way from the quiet meadow shores.
- Climb to the rim of the valley. From the lake, paths lead to the ridge of the Fluebrig and towards the Bockmattli towers. Among Zurich mountaineers these are popular fitness tours, with a view of Lake Zurich on one side and the Glarus Alps on the other.
- Fish and eat well. The lake is a valued fishing water; permits are available locally. In the lakeside inns of Innerthal its trout come to the table.
Getting there: by train to Siebnen-Wangen on the Zurich–Chur line, then by bus up to Innerthal. From Zurich HB you are on the way for about an hour. Few alpine lakes are likely to lie so quietly and at the same time so close to a big city.
Which valley suits you?
| You would like... | Then |
|---|---|
| A wild, remote mood and big tours | Bisistal |
| A quiet day by the lake near Zurich | Wägital |
| The story of the cold record and a high plateau | Bisistal → Glattalp |
| Swimming, cycling, easy walks with the family | Wägital |
Neither valley is geared to visitors. The inns set their opening hours by the work on the farms and the buses run to a rural rhythm. Anyone prepared to change down a gear is rewarded with a quiet that is becoming ever rarer in the Alps.
Frequently asked questions
Are the Bisistal and the Wägital worth it? Anyone looking for the unbuilt, quiet alpine Switzerland and able to do without major sights is in the right place. Locals are glad to switch to these two valleys when other places are overrun.
Can you swim in the Wägitalersee? Yes, in summer it is a popular, quiet bathing lake. From the meadow shores along the lake circuit you get into the water easily.
Do you need a car? No, both valleys have a bus connection: Schwyz–Muotathal–Bisistal and Siebnen–Innerthal. Because rural buses run less often, it is best to check departure times and return journeys in advance.
When is the best time? June to October suits walking and swimming. The circuit of the Wägitalersee can be walked well into late autumn.
