
Hike
Hike
$$
4-6h
This spectacular hike visits five beautiful alpine lakes scattered along an impressive landscape shaped by glaciers.
Trail: Challenging • 4h30 • 10 km loop • 430m up, 760m down • See trail map
Location: Pizol Wangs gondola - Letzistrasse 7323 Vilters-Wangs • bus stop Wangs, Pizolbahn
Open: usually July to mid October • check trail status
This popular trail is no secret; you definitely won't be alone on the trail, no matter when you go. But it's still one of our very favorite trails in Switzerland that we hike almost every summer.
Although the trail is not extremely long or particularly dangerous, it does require endurance and steady footing to manage the rocky terrain. Best for experienced hikers with good fitness and hiking shoes with good tread.
That said, our first time on this trail, our son was only 8 years old and he managed better than I did. It's definitely not unusual to see younger Swiss kids on this trail.
Get to the Pizol Wangs gondola station.
Ride a gondola, then two chair lifts to reach the trailhead at Pizolhütte at 2227m.
The first lake, Wangsersee, is not on the trail, but a 5 min walk from the hut, the opposite direction of the hike.
Then follow signs labeled "5-Seenweg." You reach the lakes in this order (approx. times):
- 1h15 to Wildsee
- 25 min to Schottensee
- 40 min to Schwarzsee
- 1h20 to Baschalvasee
Eventually, you loop down to the Gaffia chair lift station (about 50 mins from last lake).
Ride chairlift then gondola back down to the valley. Don't miss the last chairlift down, usually at 16:30.
Pizol is an easy day trip from Zurich, with good public transport connections and the gondola quite near a freeway exit.
By car: The Pizol Wangs gondola is located at Letzistrasse 7323 Vilters-Wangs. There is metered parking next to the gondola station. Travel time 1h from Zürich.
By public transport: Train to Sargans, then bus to Wangs, Pizolbahn. Travel time 1h10 from Zürich HB.
When purchasing your gondola ticket, ask for the 5-Lake Trail ticket. See current prices.
Discount with the Swiss Travel Pass, SBB GA and Half-fare cards.
Dogs are welcome but need their own gondola ticket.
You don't have to buy in advance, but it helps to get them online the night before so you can skip the line.
Direction: Most people hike this clockwise. So if you start at the "end" at the Gaffia station and hike counterclockwise, you may find less people at the first and last lake.
Start early: Make sure to start early and note the closing times of the lifts, usually 16:30, which is earlier than you might expect on long summer days.
Overnight: If you stay overnight at Berghotel Gaffia near the end of the hike, you can start the hike in the late afternoon and end it near sunset. Since everyone else has to take the chair lift down around 16:30, you'll get the lakes and mountains almost to yourself. We did this once and it was absolutely sublime.
P.S. Wild camping is not allowed here and carries a large fine.
Where the hike ends at the Gaffia station, you can rent mountain go-carts to ride down to the Furt station. They are super fun and well worth the rental fee. However, if you arrive in the late afternoon with everyone else finishing the hike, they may be sold out already. So don't make any promises just in case.
More info: see our Pizol 5 Lakes Hike article.
Conditions: trail status • webcams • weather
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