Switzerland Guide
Zürich
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Uetliberg
One of the best short trips out of Zürich is to the hill of Uetliberg, a twenty-minute train ride away and a favoured getaway for the locals to do a spot of sledding (winter) or picnicking (summer). Uetliberg – popularly known in dialect as "Üezgi" – is also one end of a popular hiking route, running about two hours south along a forested ridge overlooking the lake to Felsenegg, from where a cable car can deliver you 300m down to Adliswil village to catch a train back to Zürich. Swiss Pass and ZürichCARD holders travel free; otherwise, press *131 on the ticket machine for an all-inclusive day-pass ("AlbisTageskarte") or 8138 for a ticket to Uetliberg only.
From Zürich HB, S-Bahn trains depart at least every half-hour to Uetliberg. At the tiny end station, an information hut stocks a free hiking map of the area identifying plenty of trails. The trail which begins at Uetliberg station is dubbed the Planetenweg (Planet Path), and features models of the planets on a scale of 1:1 billion, with the distances between them also to scale. From the station, it's about a ten-minute walk uphill to the summit.
From the top of the summit's 30m viewing tower, which boosts your altitude to 900m, there are terrific 360-degree views over Zürich, the whole curve of the lake and, on a clear day, east into Austria and as far southwest as the Jungfrau. Also on the summit is the Uto Kulm hotel and restaurant, a handy spot for refreshment. The panoramic walking route from Uto Kulm to Felsenegg and beyond passes another couple of restaurants. A cable car (daily: May– Sept 8am–10pm; Oct– April 9am–8pm) runs every fifteen minutes between Felsenegg and Adliswil, from where it's less than ten minutes' walk to Adliswil train station.