Seealpsee is a beautiful lake nestled in the Alpstein mountain range in eastern Switzerland. You can reach it by walking up a service road or hiking trail, no cable car needed.

At the lake, you'll find gorgeous views and two restaurant

How to get there

The trail starts in Wasserauen, on the road directly in front of the Ebenalp cable car - Schwendetalstrasse 82, 9057 Wasserauen

By train, get off at the Wasserauen, Bahnhof station, about 25 min from Appenzell. If you came by car, there are large parking lots next to the Ebenalp cable car. Pay by coin or parking app.

Trail info

The safest way to reach the Seealpsee is hiking up via the service road. From the train station and parking, just keep walking on the main road towards the mountains, following signs to Seealpsee.

Trail: Moderate • 2h round trip • 5.6 km • 270m up and down
See trail map

It's a wide relatively obstacle-free path, suitable for less experienced hikers and children. It is not suitable for strollers or wheelchairs as it is very steep at times. It is not a difficult hike, but it does require some fitness to climb the 270m of elevation to reach the lake.

• Learn more about this trail on SwissFamilyFun.com

Alternative: Steep mountain trail from Ebenalp

Many people prefer to hike to the Seealpsee via the mountain trail from Ebenalp. In this case, you start by riding a cable car up the mountain (you would need a one way ticket).

Then hike down to the famous cliff restaurant and continue down the mountain on a steep, often exposed, trail to the lake. After visiting the lake, you hike down to Wasserauen either on the service road or mountain trail.

Trail: Challenging • 3.5 h • 7.7 k • 130m up, 840m down
See trail map

Note that this trail can be very dangerous - five people died on that trail just in summer 2022. So we recommend most visitor use the service road instead, which is much safer.

• Learn more about the mountain trail on SwissFamilyFun.com

What to do at Seepalpsee

If you have time, we suggest walking around the lake to get different views and photo spots. It takes about 30 mins to walk all the way around the lake, easy walking.

There are two restaurants located directly at the Seealpsee: Gasthaus Forelle and Berggasthaus Seealpsee. Both have restaurants that are open for lunch with outdoor patios. We prefer Gasthaus Forelle, which has great views from their terrace and delicious grilled local trout.

Seealpsee info: www.ebenalp.ch • webcam • forecast