Easy circular family hike (2 km) acessible without gondola, some ascent and descent (140 m), with 8 play stations along the way. No strollers. Weesen (St.Gallen, Switzerland).
The "it" factor
What makes it special:
Free access
8 play stations along the way
Ends at a lakeside playground with pedal boat rentals
What needs to be considered
No strollers
Don't feel like reading? Watch a video instead!
The fun factor
Recently, we embarked on an exciting adventure along the newly unveiled "Wali's Magic Forest" Weesen family hike, anticipating its official opening on April 13th. This enchanting journey begins conveniently from the parking spot in Weesen village, making it freely accessible from March till November without the need for gondolas or chairlifts.
The trail, a 2-kilometer loop with eight fun activity stations, includes a total ascent and descent of approximately 140 meters. It starts with a brief climb and continues through the forest on a relatively flat section.
Our mission? To help Wali's grandmother, a dragon who moved to the forest, to find her favorite crystals she lost in the woodland. As we walked, we kept our eyes peeled for these treasures, and our little one lit up with excitement whenever she found one.
After your adventure, you can relax at the Walensee playground, which offers a stunning view of the lake. If the weather permits, you can take a refreshing dip in one of Switzerland's cleanest lakes. Just a heads up, though—the water can be quite chilly! Alternatively, you can rent pedal boats and leisurely explore the lake's serene waters.
Here are our top 5 Fun Factors of the "Wali's Magic Forest" family hike in Weesen
1. Help Wali's grandma to recover her crystals
The adventure begins with a cute climbing tower featuring Wali's grandma dragon. Our 4-year-old insisted on climbing it from all sides, two times, as usual. Right beside it, there's a small spinning roll with Wali's and her grandma's story printed (in German).
Inside the tower, you'll discover a postcard inviting you to participate in a challenge: count the crystals grandma lost, write down your answer, and send it back to the office board for a chance to win a prize.
The "crystals" are easily visible from the hiking path. They sparked a friendly competition between our little one and dad to spot them first as we strolled along, each enjoying the thrill of the hunt. Does anyone else have the same dynamic at home where mom always lets the kids win, but dad never does? Well, that's how it plays out in our household!
Every now and then, we also encountered our old friend Amdo, bringing back fond memories from our Amdo circular hike last year. That hike, with its own quest and adventure stations along the way, is situated higher up and requires a chairlift ride.
This delightful reunion served as a nice reminder of our past adventure.
2. Discover fun play areas along the trail
Along the Wali's Magic Forest Weesen family hike, you'll discover various play areas. Our top picks included a giant memory game, Connect Four, storytelling stations (complete with music that our 4-year-old couldn't resist dancing to), and a marble run. These attractions are conveniently close to each other, and when combined with the excitement of finding crystals along the way, this section of the hike proved to be very engaging and enjoyable for our little one.
3. Say hello to goats
We love encountering animals on our hikes. Goats are Dad's favorite, Grandma adores cows, I'm partial to horses, and our little one loves them all. Here, we were thrilled to stumble upon some goats (a treat for Dad), adding an extra layer of fun to our adventure. Please note, while encounters with goats aren't guaranteed, if you're lucky, they might just pop in to say hello.
4. Relax at Weesen's lakeside playground
When you return to Weesen after your family fun hike, especially if you're a fan of playgrounds like us, make your way to the lake. There's a fantastic playground with plenty of climbing structures, jumping spots, balancing challenges, and swings to enjoy. Additionally, you'll find a large gazebo where you can relax, have a snack, and take in the beautiful view of the lake.
5. Dive into refreshing waters of lake Walensee
When weather allows, enjoy a refreshing dip in the lake, renowned as one of Switzerland's cleanest. Just a heads-up, though—the water tends to be on the cooler side. Once open (if weather permits, the open on Easter Sunday), we're eager to rent pedal bikes and enjoy the lake. We are particularly excited about trying the 'police-shaped' ones with a slide into the water.
The views factor
The Wali's Magic Forest Weesen family hike predominantly winds through the forest, which is perfect for sunny days when you crave the shade, with brief stretches across open fields. We embarked on this journey in March, so the trees hadn't yet sprouted their leaves, lending an adventurous feel to the enchanted forest—though still undeniably beautiful. I imagine the experience would be quite different in the summer, with lush greenery all around.
At the highest point of the hike is a barbecue station with a very impressive view, overlooking Weesen and the picturesque Walensee.
The fitness factor
The Wali's Magic Forest Weesen family hike is short, just 2 kilometers, and labeled as easy, which I agree with. But, it does have a climb of over 140 meters at the start—first on stairs and then on an uphill path. Normally you could do it in 10-15 minutes if you have decent walkers with you. For us it turned into a 40-minute expedition, as our little one couldn't resist occasional pauses for snacks and adorable grumbles (are we there yet?!). Nevertheless, fueled by the promise of reaching the fun activity stations ahead, she carried on, and soon we found ourselves atop the climb, ready to explore the circular and relatively flat section of the trail.
The path goes through the forest, with some roots sticking out, which made it feel like an adventure. Our 4-year-old loved this part and found it really interesting.
Overall, I'd recommend it for kids as young as 3 if they're good walkers and you're equipped to occasionally carry them in a backpack. Ideally, however, it's best suited for kids aged 4 and up, especially if they're comfortable with the initial climb. Note that strollers are not suitable for this trail.
The value factor
You can do this Wali's Magic Forest Weesen family hike absolutely free (just the cost to get there) as there are no charilifts or gondola lifts required and all activity stations are accessible to all.
The food factor
We like to bring our own food and have a picnic, especially when the picnic & barbecue spot is as stunning as the one on Wali's adventure hike. It's equipped with a table, a barbecue (we don't remember seeing wood), and offers a gorgeous view over the lake and the valley.
Just a heads-up, though, there isn't a play station visible from the barbecue area, so if you opt for a picnic, consider bringing something to keep the kids entertained while enjoying your meal.
If you prefer dining at a restaurant instead, there are numerous options in Weseen, although we haven't personally tried any. The tourism office recommends Restaurant Walensee Trattoria, Restaurant Brasserie Du Lac at Parc Hotel Schwert, Restaurant Fischerstube, and Restaurant Post. We are curious - comment below and share your favorite!
Weesen Wali's Magic Forest (Wali's Zauberwald) family hike- practical info
Arrival by car: You can park at any of the Weesen parkings - we parked at the Weesen See Parking
You can obtain the hike map from the Tourist Information Office in Amden, local businesses, or download it from amden-weesen.ch.
Start & end: Weesen town
Follow the Wali's Zauberwald signs
Ascent / Descent: 140 m
Length: ca. 2 km
Duration: 2-3 hours hike plus fun at the lake
More info: Hike | Peddal boats | Amden Weesen Tourismus, Dorfstrasse 22, 8873 Amden | 058 228 28 30 | tourismus@amden.ch