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Hard Hiking Trails in St. Gallen

We track 22 routes that match this search in St. Gallen. They average 31.3 km and 887 m (2,910 ft) of ascent, with the longest running to 87.5 km.

That is 13 percent of the 163 routes we map in St. Gallen. They run noticeably longer than average for the area, 31.3 km against 6.4 km, so budget more daylight than a typical outing here. The climbing is steeper too: 887 m (2,910 ft) on average versus 148 m (486 ft) across the wider area.

Hard routes mean sustained ascent, long descents and a real need to watch the clock and the forecast. These lean toward the demanding end, so plan for a full day and check the forecast before you commit.

Trails

Blick von Amden gen Südwesten
Hard

Alpine Panorama Trail

St. Gallen · Switzerland

Distance
13.8 km
/ 8.6 mi
Elevation gain
830 m
Typical duration
4 hr 7 min
  • Alpine meadow
  • Panoramic viewpoint
  • Waymarked route
Plattenseeli mit Piz Dolf Mitte und Piz Sardona rechts
Hard

Sardona-Welterbe-Weg Etappe 4

St. Gallen · Switzerland

Distance
15.8 km
/ 9.8 mi
Elevation gain
527 m
Typical duration
4 hr 6 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Kulturlandschaft Rheintalmoor in Lauterach , Vorarlberg Hier: der “Jannersee” Veröffentlicht: Georg Kessler in "Freizeit im Ländle, Die schönsten Ausflugziele in Vorarlberg ISBN 978-3-7022-3068-5 2010
Hard

Jakobsweg Vorarlberg

St. Gallen · Switzerland

Distance
21.6 km
/ 13.4 mi
Elevation gain
6 m
Typical duration
4 hr 43 min
  • Pilgrimage route
  • Waymarked route
Aussicht vom Weiler Hischwil im Zürcher Oberland
Hard

ViaJacobi

St. Gallen · Switzerland

Distance
30.0 km
/ 18.7 mi
Elevation gain
924 m
Typical duration
8 hr 6 min
  • Waymarked route
Alp Vermii
Hard

Via Alpina

St. Gallen · Switzerland

Distance
13.4 km
/ 8.3 mi
Elevation gain
995 m
Typical duration
4 hr 17 min
  • Waymarked route
Richtung Zürich Obersee
Hard

ViaJacobi

St. Gallen · Switzerland

Distance
27.8 km
/ 17.3 mi
Elevation gain
589 m
Typical duration
7 hr 3 min
  • Waymarked route
Hotel Seebenalp am Grosssee, Oberterzen
Hard

7-Gipfel-Tour Flumserberg

St. Gallen · Switzerland

Distance
15.3 km
/ 9.5 mi
Elevation gain
597 m
Typical duration
4 hr 5 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
The Rhine bridge near Trübbach , which also forms the border between Liechtenstein ( Balzers ) and Switzerland . In the background, Gutenberg Castle and the Liechtenstein Alps.
Hard

Via Alpina

St. Gallen · Switzerland

Distance
16.1 km
/ 10.0 mi
Elevation gain
539 m
Typical duration
4 hr 12 min
  • Waymarked route
Das Harder Strandbad Kleinkinderbereich.
Hard

Bodenseeweg

St. Gallen · Switzerland

Distance
25.2 km
/ 15.7 mi
Typical duration
5 hr 34 min
  • Waymarked route
Expert

Thurgauer Panoramaweg

St. Gallen · Switzerland

Distance
37.4 km
/ 23.3 mi
Elevation gain
960 m
Typical duration
9 hr 55 min
  • Mountain
  • Panoramic viewpoint
  • Waymarked route
Expert

Toggenburger Höhenweg

St. Gallen · Switzerland

Distance
87.5 km
/ 54.4 mi
Elevation gain
4,300 m
Typical duration
26 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Züri Oberland-Höhenweg

St. Gallen · Switzerland

Distance
74.2 km
/ 46.1 mi
Elevation gain
2,900 m
Typical duration
21 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Hard

Margelchopf-Gipfelweg

St. Gallen · Switzerland

Distance
10.0 km
/ 6.2 mi
Elevation gain
900 m
Typical duration
3 hr 26 min
  • Summit push
  • Panoramic viewpoint
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Schaffhauser-Zürcher-Weg

St. Gallen · Switzerland

Distance
25.0 km
/ 15.5 mi
Elevation gain
10 m
Typical duration
5 hr 32 min
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Thurweg

St. Gallen · Switzerland

Distance
18.6 km
/ 11.5 mi
Elevation gain
140 m
Typical duration
4 hr 11 min
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Thurweg

St. Gallen · Switzerland

Distance
25.8 km
/ 16.0 mi
Elevation gain
660 m
Typical duration
6 hr 41 min
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Thurweg

St. Gallen · Switzerland

Distance
20.5 km
/ 12.7 mi
Elevation gain
280 m
Typical duration
4 hr 51 min
  • Waymarked route
Hard

WALSA-Weg - Etappe 1

St. Gallen · Switzerland

Distance
9.7 km
/ 6.0 mi
Elevation gain
900 m
Typical duration
3 hr 22 min
  • Waymarked route
Hard

WALSA-Weg - Etappe 2

St. Gallen · Switzerland

Distance
23.8 km
/ 14.8 mi
Elevation gain
1,050 m
Typical duration
6 hr 47 min
  • Waymarked route
Hard

WALSA-Weg - Etappe 4

St. Gallen · Switzerland

Distance
10.9 km
/ 6.8 mi
Elevation gain
840 m
Typical duration
3 hr 32 min
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Churfirsten-Weg

St. Gallen · Switzerland

Distance
10.3 km
/ 6.4 mi
Elevation gain
1,100 m
Typical duration
3 hr 48 min
  • Waymarked route

The shortlist, side by side

The ten highest scoring routes on this page, so you can compare effort before opening any of them.

Distance, ascent, walking time and difficulty for the top routes
RouteDistanceAscentTimeDifficultyBest season
[E4/E5] Europäischer Fernwanderweg Rhein bis Grenze DSt. Gallen60.7 km1,656 m16 hrExpertApril to October
Alpine Panorama TrailSt. Gallen13.8 km830 m4 hr 7 minHardApril to October
Via Alpina Stage 58: Sücka - SargansSt. Gallen27.7 km524 m6 hr 56 minHardApril to October
Bodensee- Rundwanderweg (Abschnitt Lindau - Kreuzlingen)St. Gallen87.3 km286 m20 hrExpertApril to October
Sardona-Welterbe-Weg Etappe 4St. Gallen15.8 km527 m4 hr 6 minHardJuly to September
Jakobsweg VorarlbergSt. Gallen21.6 km6 m4 hr 43 minHardApril to October
ViaJacobiSt. Gallen30.0 km924 m8 hr 6 minHardApril to October
Via AlpinaSt. Gallen13.4 km995 m4 hr 17 minHardApril to October
ViaJacobiSt. Gallen27.8 km589 m7 hr 3 minHardApril to October
7-Gipfel-Tour FlumserbergSt. Gallen15.3 km597 m4 hr 5 minHardJune to October

If you only have time for one, start with [E4/E5] Europäischer Fernwanderweg Rhein bis Grenze D, Alpine Panorama Trail, Via Alpina Stage 58: Sücka - Sargans. Those are the routes people come back to. Every route on this page links through to a full guide with the map, elevation profile, seasonal advice and what to bring.

Frequently asked questions

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