Hiking in Switzerland for senior citizens

To better help you, it’s helpful to provide dates you’re trying to visit & length of stay.

Even hikes labelled "easy" in Switzerland would probably have "moderate" or similar designations by U.S. standards. Downhill hiking is the easiest, of course, but still can be rough on knees or ankles because of rocky, rooty conditions. Also, Google Maps seems to think the whole country is "mostly flat," so don't rely on that!

Bottom line: do extra homework before committing to a trail or hike.

Take a look at the walk from Murren to Gimmelwald. It's on a paved path and the views are beautiful!

Oh so many I classify as mountain walks, not even moderate hikes. Are you OK taking cable cars? Trains going up a mountainside? Buses on curvy roads? Let us know any restrictions but to start you off

Lauterbrunnen Area
- Grütschalp to Mürren
- Männlichen to Kleine Scheidegg
- The Lauterbrunnen Valley itself, up to 3 hours depending on how far you want to go
- Many more I could name depending on how much time you have, where you are staying, etc.

Kandersteg
- The walk around the plateau at Sunnbühl
- A number of walks centered on the village

In Eastern Switzerland
- At Pontresina, you can walk almost flat to view the Morteratsch glacier, a 4 mile roundtrip
- Take a horse drawn wagon through a valley and walk back in about 2H, a lovely trip with a good restaurant at the point the wagon drops you off
- Walk around the lake at St. Moritz and up to a lovely lake view restaurant, about 30 minutes each way
- Again, many more…

In Bettmeralp
- The promenade between Bettmeralp and Riederalp
- Around the Bettmersee (a lake)

Near Lake Geneva
- Les Pleiades
- Rochers de Naye

We are about to go to Locarno for the first time and there are many walks at lower altitude with a focus on the lake. I’ll report back later this year on those easier options.

There is an excellent resource for non-motorized traffic, Swiss Mobility. Here https://schweizmobil.ch/en/hiking-in-switzerland/obstacle-free-routes is a guide to barrier free routes all over the country.

There are a number of day hikes for many ability levels. By using the buses, trains, cable cars and funiculars, you can create a number of easy to moderate itineraries with incredible scenery.

For example:

You can take a bus up the Lauterbrunnen Valley to Stechelberg and hike back to Lauterbrunnen.

For a short day, you can take a cable car from Lauterbrunnen to Grutschalp and hike to Murren and back. If you don’t want to do the entire hike, you can catch the train at Winteregg or Murren.

The walk from Murren to Gimmelwald is scenic and easy; you can take the cable car back or take it down to Stechelberg.

Use the train and cable car to get to Männlichen Station and hike to Kleine Scheidegg or Eigergletscher and take the train back. There is a scenic walk along the lake front in Thun with great views of the Alps.

There is a scenic lake front hike in Lausanne.

This older post provides a lot of useful information to help you plan.

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/switzerland/resources-for-planning-a-hiking-trip-to-lauterbrunnen

Raymond

Laurel—-I can’t wait to read your trip report on Locarno! We will be spending 2 nights there on our way from Switzerland to Malcescine, then another night on our way back to Zurich from Verbania.

Is Isola di Brissago on your list? I will be trying to decide between a walk in Valle Verzasca and visiting the island.

For the OP, do you think you will be OK riding cablecars and gondolas (like ski lifts) to reach the hiking areas? Some of the walks suggested above will require that. And what about “edges”? Can you handle walking next to a slope? Look at this photo of the popular Männlichen to Kleine Scheidegg walk and see what you think:

https://www.maennlichen.ch/en/summer/experiences/panorama-trail.html

Also look at these photos and a video that show the cablecar ride up to Männlichen:

https://www.maennlichen.ch/en/

If that looks troubling to you, there are alternate ways to reach this trail—-trains serve Kleine Scheidegg and you could do the hike as an out-and-back from there. Or you can reach Männlichen from Grindelwald, by riding this gondola which does not travel very far off the ground. Riding it UP should not bother your vertigo (I wouldn’t recommend riding it down because of the long view downhill).

Laurel's not allowed to mention it, so I will. She and her husband have written a wonderful book for people who want non-challenging hikes: Walking Switzerland's Berner Oberland. I used it as a solo traveler, aged 77, in 2022 and had a wonderful time. I stayed in Lauterbrunnen, which is in a valley and has nice hikes along the valley floor. You'll love it.

Some great ideas have been shared here!

I have vertigo so I don’t want any challenging hikes

Because of this stay away from any trails marked with the white/red/white stripe. Choose the yellow hiking paths only. Here is a great article with photos that explains how all Swiss hiking trails are marked.

https://www.ybibasel.ch/post/how-to-read-swiss-trail-markers

Please google:
Grandmothers Walk and
Grandfathers Walk in the Berner Oberland.
I have a fear of heights (primarily steep drop-offs).
These walks are WONDERFUL with wide manageable paths.