Three hikes for Pentecost that not everyone has already done

The Pentecost weekend is perfect for a hiking trip with your favorite crew. To avoid the tourist crowds, here are three hikes away from the usual paths.

People from Zurich in particular know this atmosphere at the main station during public holidays such as Easter, May 1st, or Pentecost: every platform with destinations toward Lucerne or Ticino is completely packed – families blocking the platform with kids and bicycles, Zurich hipsters equipped with hiking boots and picnic backpacks heading for the Rigi, or people from Eastern Switzerland hoping to avoid the Gotthard traffic jam by train. By the way: at the beginning of May, Zurich Main Station was named the world’s most luxurious railway station by the British travel insurance company Allclear – Zurich HB ranked first with 83 out of 100 points, ahead of Osaka, Kyoto, and Tokyo. But during Pentecost, you notice little of this luxury and mostly one thing: everyone wants the same thing – to get away. Of course, that is completely understandable. Still, sometimes you simply wish for a bit more peace around the holidays while not wanting to spend them exclusively at home. That’s why we selected three hiking routes with very different moods, but with one thing in common: on Pentecost Monday they are significantly quieter than the classics.

The Greina Plateau lies at over 2,200 meters above sea level, stretches six kilometers in length and one kilometer in width, and resembles the Tibetan Highlands a little – just without the young Brad Pitt – because there are no roads, cable cars, or souvenir shops. Instead, you’ll find tundra landscapes, a river meandering as if from another century, and the ​“Punt la Greina” – a suspension bridge 65 meters long and 40 meters high spanning the Rein da Sumvitg. Built in 2018, it has since become the highlight of the route. Assuming, of course, that you do not suffer from vertigo like our author. The trail leads from Vrin in Val Lumnezia over the Diesrut Pass (2,428 m) down into the plateau, across the bridge to the Terrihütte SAC. Anyone staying overnight there is advised to descend after breakfast into the incredibly quiet Ticinese Blenio Valley. There are sections with chains, and sure-footedness is required for the bridge. The rest is silence. In the 1980s, environmental organizations successfully protested against a planned reservoir on the Greina Plateau. Sometimes nature wins after all. Attention: the SAC Terrihütte is only staffed from mid-June onward, and at 2,170 meters there is often still snow at the end of May. That means Pentecost may be too early unless spring has been exceptionally warm. The tour is reliably possible from the end of June onward. Always check snow conditions and hut opening times in advance at terrihuette​.ch.

Difficulty: demanding mountain hike, sure-footedness and a head for heights required.
Getting there: train to Ilanz, post bus to Vrin, Bus Alpin to Puzzatsch (reservation required!). Overnight stay at SAC Terrihütte from mid-June: reserve in advance due to limited space. terrihuette​.ch.

Anyone driving into the Gasterntal above Kandersteg pays CHF 15 for access through the Klus – a narrow rocky gorge with tunnels and overhanging cliffs, hello Indiana Jones – operating with one-way traffic according to a timed schedule. Once you arrive in Selden, the valley’s only hamlet at 1,537 meters, it feels as though you have briefly stepped out of time. In the middle of the Jungfrau-Aletsch UNESCO World Heritage Site, that feeling is very real. The Kander River rushes through the valley floor, halfway along there is a suspension bridge, and anyone stopping at the mountain inn Heimritz is rewarded with homemade cake. If that sounds too cozy, continue hiking from Selden toward Gfelalp, where the Kanderfirn glacier suddenly feels within reach. But attention: the access road to Gasterntal usually opens in mid-May and closes in mid-November – the exact dates depend on the weather each year. Before Pentecost, definitely check gasterntal​.ch to see whether the road is open. The on-demand bus from Kander-Reisen only starts operating in June anyway. One option that always works: hiking on foot from Kandersteg, around 2.5 hours.

Difficulty: easy mountain hike (basic route).
Access by car: CHF 15 toll, road opening from mid-May (weather-dependent), note one-way traffic system.
On-demand bus (from June): +41 33 671 11 72, reservation mandatory. gasterntal​.ch.

The Gastlosen are a limestone mountain chain up to 300 meters high in the Fribourg Pre-Alps and a landscape that is still relatively unknown outside the canton. The circular hike begins in Jaun, where you take the ​“Gastlosenexpress” chairlift up to Mauzes Bergle (approx. 1,540 m). Attention: the exact opening dates for 2026 have not yet been published, so make sure to check shortly before your trip. From Mauzes Bergle, the trail leads through the Stillwasserwald (“Still Water Forest” – yes, that is really its name) to Chalet du Soldat, then onward to Wolfs Ort (1,915 m, the highest point), and along the southern side of the steep rock faces to the mountain restaurant Chalet Grat. The route is around twelve kilometers long and takes four to five hours depending on pace. And now for a little Swiss mythology: legend says that the devil, in anger, smashed his grandmother against the rocks. Geology speaks instead of erosion through cracks in the stone. Either way, the scenery is spectacular.

Difficulty: demanding mountain hike.
Getting there by public transport: train to Bulle, then TPF bus line 260 to Jaun via Charmey.
Chairlift: jaun​-bergbahnen​.ch, check opening times shortly before the trip.
Mountain restaurant Chalet Grat: +41 26 929 81 78.

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