The five lakes hike in Switzerland: welcome to the Pizol

When we were still living in Zurich, we both had a GA, a pass that allows unlimited travel in Switzerland (by train, bus and boat). In short, almost every weekend, we were looking for little ideas of escapades in Switzerland and we went to discover a new canton. This weekend, we decided to go to Bad Ragaz in order to follow the magnificent itinerary of the five lakes near the Pizol.

Our idea for this weekend was to discover a nice part of Switzerland but at the same time to be careful with our budget (we had just come back from our round the world trip, so clearly we were in savings mode) 😉 The words "cheap" and Switzerland are not often seen as compatible, but believe me if you like walking (and you like camping) then it becomes possible 😉

Bad Ragaz: ideal base for hiking and relaxing

Presentation of Bad Ragaz

This small village is only 1 hour by train from the city of Zürich. It is an ideal base for hiking in the surroundings (there is a camping site and some small hotels). But the small bonus of Bad Ragaz is its thermal spring. So when you come back from hiking you can enjoy the thermal baths or the beautiful outdoor swimming pool of the municipality.

And if you want to stroll around town, Bad Ragaz is known for its open air exhibition of sculptures and statues. Some of them are exhibited temporarily (every year a new collection) and others have now a permanent place in the village. The exhibition is called Bad RagARTz.

Camping in Bad Ragaz

For this stay, we decided to spend the weekend at the campsite in Bad Ragaz, the most economical option in the area 😉

About the camping Bad Ragaz, there is not much to complain about. A fully equipped kitchen is available. The sanitary facilities are immaculate and the entrance to the swimming pool is free for the people of the campsite. There is even a wifi which really works. We feel well that we are in Switzerland (for the price too unfortunately ahah. I promise you that the free swimming pool after the hike is a really nice added bonus !

Camping info: For tents, it is not necessary to book in advance. The pitch costs 34 CHF for 2 adults (+ the tourist tax of 4.8 CHF /person in addition). The overnight stay at the campsite also gives access to the public swimming pool which is right next door. More info on their website

Note: payment of the tourist tax (whether at the campsite or in a hotel in the region) gives access to the Heidiland Erlebnis-Pass, the tourist card that offers discounts on restaurants and activities in the region (e.g. -20% on the price of ski lifts)

The five lakes hike and its dream landscapes

After a good night of sleep, we set out towards the station to take the bus which will take us to the 1st stage of this day, the cable car of Pizol. (The departure of the cabins is located at 10 min of bus of Bad Ragaz). Yes we know, to take the cabin it is a little of cheating but the trick is that the village of Bad Ragaz is situated at 500m of altitude while the beginning of the hike is at 2200m.

Taking into account that it is necessary to count already 4-5 hours of hiking to complete the hike, we did not feel like hiking up to the trail start. (or at least not on one day ahah).

Start of the five lakes Hike - from Laufböden to the Pizol Hut

After a long ascent with the gondola (or better said with a gondola and a chairlift), we arrive at Laufböden. It will be the point of departure of our hike. We walk about 20 minutes in direction of the Pizol hut which is situated at the edge of the 1st of the 5 lakes of the day: Wangsersee.

Already here we saw that this hike had quite a lot of potential ;)… We take a rather long photo break before continuing on our hike. We could have stayed there much longer to be honest, but we well knew that we had 4 more lakes waiting for us. 😉

View of the Pizol and the glacier - Wildsee and Schottensee

We start then an ascent of approximately 1 hour until the "Wildseeluggen" (it is the name of a pass). Even if we are already in July and that the heat wave is at its peak, there is still snow on the path and we have to cross several névés (snow patches). But nothing dramatic, we made all the hike wearing trail running shoes (no proper mountain boots).

Once at the pass, we are simply amazed! We have a magnificent view on the Pizol, its glacier and the "Wildsee" (understand the wild lake) which is still mostly frozen. Take a look at the pictures below to get a better idea of what we had in front of us at that moment:

After a small contemplative break, we set out again in direction of the "Schottensee", the 3rd of the five lakes of the day. The descent is a little "sketchy" because of the snow… I even try to ski wearing my trail runnning shoes (spoil: this not the best idea ever). And you will have guessed it, I ended up on my butt with pretty much everything wet. Once at the edge of the lake, we feel "obliged" to make a picnic break…

At the same time, right in front of us, the mountains are reflected in the deep blue of the lake. The spectacle is incredible and for me it is one of the most beautiful places I have had the chance to see in Switzerland.

Schwarzsee and Bachalvasee

The next part of the five lakes hike takes us to the "Schwarzsee" (the black lake) and then to the "Baschalvasee", passing by an impressive group of cairns (you know, those little mounds of stones that you often find in the mountains???). By the way, here these piles of stones are rather imposing! Some of them are even much bigger than me ;). The path is really nice and well-marked.

It goes up and down quietly through pretty meadows full of flowers (yes, it's paradise I tell you).

We finish the walk with a good descent to the alpine pasture of Gaffia where we can have a well-deserved drink on the terrace of a small bistro, which also proposes specialities of the alpine pasture (cheese, sausage etc…). Then we only needed to take the chairlift and the cabin to the village of Wangs, located a few minutes by train from Bad Ragaz (there is also a free shuttle bus, ask at the ticket office for more info)

Information and map of the five lakes hike (Pizol)

5 lakes-hike Map:

You can find the map of the five lakes hike below. If you want to download it to have it with you on your smartphone or smartwatch, you can take it in the format of your choice on the AllTrails website (the one we use daily). To do so, you just need to create an account (free) and this will give you access to the different download formats.

Note that if you want to take the AllTrails+ version (offline access to the map for example), you can take advantage of a 30% discount through our link. (i.e. 20,99€ the first year instead of 29.99€)

Summary of our hike to Pizol

You will have noticed it, we LOVED the five lakes hike! The landscapes are absolutely incredible and by clear weather, you will have an impregnable view on the Glarner and even Austrian Alps. On the other hand, we advise you to come during the week because this route is very popular (and we understand why). On weekends, it might get pretty busye on the trails. But it's not unbearable either and for such a spectacle, it's well worth it.

And you, have you ever hiked in Switzerland? If yes, what is your favorite hike?

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