2. Scratch the map

Glarus town is only 70 km away from Zurich which makes it an easily accessible destination for short trips from Zurich. There are direct trains available from Zurich to Glarus with only 1 hour of travel time. However, to visit other nearby places, it's best to hire a car and drive around.

3. Our Itinerary

We spent 3 days in the canton of Glarus with our base in Klöntalersee. Also known as Glarnerland, this region has a lot to offer in terms of stunning scenery, beautiful hiking trails and nature activities.

A. Klöntalersee

This serene picture-perfect lake nestled amidst Glarus Alps is located around 10 km further up in the mountainous terrains from Glarus town. It was a fairy tale sight to see the crystal clear mountain lake with surroundings covered in snow. 

There is a beautiful 2-hour circular hike along the lake which was not fully open during early April due to snowfall and risk of avalanches. However, we did manage to access parts of the hike around the camping ground of Güntlenau. We got some gorgeous views of the lake along the way with the added fun of walking and sometimes slipping along the snowy paths!!

B. Braunwald

This car free resort village located at an altitude of 1300 metres in south Glarus can be reached via a funicular ride from the Linthal Braunwaldbahn station. The funicular station was around 25 km from Klöntalersee. The funicular ride takes around 7 minutes to reach to the top and the cable car is generally available after every 30 minutes. The cost of the ride is also pretty reasonable compared to Swiss prices (approx 15 CHF one way). 

This place boasts of beautiful panoramic views, stunning walking trails and nature activities for families and children. Although we visited it only for a day trip, it’s worth spending a night or two here to truly enjoy the breath-taking alpine scenery.

C. Glarus town

Glarus town is the capital of the canton of Glarus located in the foothills of the Glarus Alps. We spent a few hours in this cute little town exploring the town center, the main church and the Volksgarten.

D. Laderach Chocolate Factory

Laderach is a famous Swiss chocolate manufacturer founded in Glarus. The Laderach chocolate factory in north Glarus is a nice place to visit and should be definitely on your itinerary if you are travelling with kids. The Chocolate factory is around 20 km from the town of Glarus. 

5. Useful Tips

• Best time to visit: The best time to visit Glarus and Klöntalersee is summer. Although we could not see the turquoise colour of the lake, the tranquil experience we had was pure bliss. Moreover the view was also spectacular.

• Time needed: 2-3 days is sufficient to spend a relaxing vacation in the mountains and cover these places unless ofcourse you plan to do some difficult hikes etc.

• Look out for avalanches: This area is prone to avalanches (especially around Klöntalersee), so be careful and mindful of the restrictions.

6. Other Trips 

If you have 2 more days to spare, then you can also visit the nearby region of Walensee. For more details, visit this page: Walensee 

7. Goodbye

As I sign off today, I wish to visit Klöntalersee again in summer to get a completely different view of the lake next time. This is truly a hidden gem (though maybe not so hidden in summer!!) where we could immerse ourselves in nature far away from noise and commotion of city life.