The Aabachtobel gorge shows how profoundly the landscape can shape a hike: layers of sandstone and marl from the Upper Freshwater Molasse are exposed along the trail; later, the hike passes a waterfall on its way to Lake Zurich. In the Horgen district, these natural experiences sit alongside historic routes and museums that tell stories ranging from village history to mining.
Hiking trails with different stories
The official hiking suggestions include a marked, barrier-free route from Horgen railway station via Au (ZH) to Wädenswil railway station. The Saumweg over the Hirzel between Horgen and Sihlbrugg offers another way to experience the landscape. This historic hiking trail follows in the footsteps of the muleteers who transported goods there by mule for around 600 years. The marked trail recalls the trade route between Lake Zurich and Central Switzerland, which was used from 1230 to 1830. The information tells of two time spans: the long history of mule transport and the dated trade route.
The Horgen–Aabachtobel–Au hike combines geological exposures with water and lakeside scenery. It starts in Horgen on Hüttenstrasse, follows the Aabach stream in places via metal stairways, and passes pools and rocky sections. A waterfall lies on a side stream; the route then continues to Lake Zurich and the Au peninsula. Sections of the lakeside path cross wooden walkways through reeds. The hike can end at Au railway station or at the Au peninsula boat stop. Check trail conditions in advance and, if you are planning your finish around them, check current connections too.
The hike from Richterswil to Schönenberg also passes through a succession of waterside landscapes: Mülitobel, Sternenweiher, Itlimoosweiher, Hüttnerseeli and the Sihl Gorge lie along the route. This brings together very different landscape impressions, from ravines and ponds to a gorge.
Forest, moorland and lakeshore
The Hirzel moorland stretches from the municipalities of Hirzel and Schönenberg via Horgen to Wädenswil. It covers 480 hectares and is one of the six moorlands of national importance in the canton of Zurich. In contrast, a protected forest reserve shapes the nature experience in the Sihlwald: no trees have been felled there since 2000. Centuries-old beech trees and deadwood are part of the forest; the deadwood provides a habitat for rare insects and fungi.
The Sihl adventure trail also runs through the Zurich Sihlwald Wilderness Park. Its seven stages lead from the Sihl in the direction of Zurich. For a break, the visitor centre in the Sihlwald has a playground, fire pits and covered picnic areas. For a different kind of wildlife watching, visit Zurich Langenberg Wilderness Park: from woodland paths, you can observe wolves, brown bears, moose, wild boar and other wild animals in spacious, naturalistic enclosures.
The Au peninsula lies between Horgen and Wädenswil on Lake Zurich. Its landscape includes meadows, forests and vineyards, the small Ausee lake and the lakeshore. Hiking trails, swimming areas and historic buildings bring together nature and culture on the peninsula. An exhibition in a historic barn explores viticulture, past and present, and its influence on the region. It is open seasonally.
Museums and traces of the past
At the Sust Museum Horgen, history is brought to life in a building with a past of its own: it is housed in the oldest known building in the municipality, which is more than 500 years old. Until 1835, it served as a goods transshipment point and customs post. Since 2022, the museum has presented changing exhibitions on the history of the village and on life and people in Horgen.
On the Hirzel, the Johanna Spyri Museum is housed in the former village schoolhouse, where Spyri attended school in the 1830s. The exhibition is devoted to her life. A different period is the focus of the museum in the church tower of the Catholic parish of St. Joseph: over three floors, it tells the story of the Horgen Catholic parish from 1872 to 1978.
Mining is also part of the region’s history. The Käpfnach Mining Museum is housed in a former coal bunker and explains local coal mining with films, diagrams, lamps, tools and fossils. The experience at the Käpfnach mine also includes a 1.4-kilometre journey through a railway tunnel.
A much older history is linked to Horgen-Scheller: the archaeological site gave its name to the Horgen culture, dated to the period from 3300 to 2800 BC. Horgen-Scheller is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the pile dwellings around the Alps. The pile-dwelling sites on the shores of Lake Zurich are considered extensive archaeological archives from the Stone and Bronze Ages.
Discover more destinations: Thalwil, Rüschlikon, Horgen, Hirzel, Adliswil, Schönenberg, Kilchberg, Wädenswil, Richterswil, Langnau am Albis.
For the main travel overview: Zurich.
