Hiking tip
Anniversary route "25 years of the wild Sihlwald"
The Sihlwald has been allowed to develop freely for 25 years, providing a valuable habitat for many rare and endangered species. A short hike is a wonderful way to explore the wilderness that is developing here.
Pack your backpack with provisions, put on your hiking boots, apply sun cream and pack a tick spray – off you go!
The starting point is the Albispasshöhe – easily accessible by bus line 240 – which offers a wonderful view over Zurich, Lake Zurich, the Sihl Valley and the Alps. From here, the hike leads past lively biotopes and heat-stricken spruce trees with woodpecker holes. Later you come to a ruined castle, the remains of the forest railway and mighty giant trees under which even Eleanor Roosevelt once stood.
The further you walk down the valley towards the hamlet of Sihlwald, the more apparent it becomes: Wild nature thrives here. Dead tree trunks lie everywhere, some towering bare into the sky, others are covered in fungi and mosses. These are not disturbing remnants, but habitats that are incredibly valuable. In Switzerland, around 6000 species of fungi, animals and plants depend on deadwood. But there is a lack of such structures on the Central Plateau in particular because most forests are used intensively. The spruce trees planted by forest workers and the forest railway are reminders of the time when the Sihlwald also served as a source of wood for the city of Zurich.
Today, however, the Sihlwald has been allowed to grow, flourish and decay naturally – for 25 years now.
The anniversary hike offers an impressive insight into the wild Sihlwald and clearly shows how the transformation from a commercial forest to a natural forest is in full swing.
So let's get going! The full route description is available as a PDF – perfect for taking with you on your mobile phone.
