The Mythen region is a popular hiking area in Central Switzerland that offers plenty of opportunities for recreation and outdoor fun. The area is accessible by several cable cars, and there is a wide choice of hiking trails to suit all needs and fitness levels. For this hike, we have chosen a scenic trail from the Rotenfluebahn to the Mostelberg-Sattel area. In this article, we tell you about our route and give you some useful tips!
We love... the Grosser Mythen!
The Mythen region is a popular hiking region in Central Switzerland that offers plenty of opportunities for recreation and outdoor fun. It is located in the Canton Schwyz and is easily accessible by several cable cars. Once at the top, you can choose among many trails suitable for all needs and fitness levels. For this tour, we have chosen a scenic trail from the Rotenfluebahn to the Mostelberg-Sattel area. Moreover, it is a route that can easily be combined with the better-known 7-egg-weg – we have talked about it here – and with which it shares a small part of the route. It is therefore perfectly suited for a two-day excursion with an overnight stay in one of the many ‘Berggasthaus’ in the area. In this article, we tell you about our itinerary and give you some useful tips!
Hike overview & map
The hike we propose is a linear route that starts at the upper station of the Rothenfluebahn Cable Car and passing around the Grosser Mythen and through forests and valleys reaches the Mostelberg-Sattel area, where you can use the cable car to return to the valley and take the public transportations. The total route is about 10 km, which can be covered in three and a half hours at a relaxed pace. It is a route of medium difficulty, with some slight ascent and descent and – in the final part – a couple of sections in the wood with rough and uneven terrain. Here is required to wear good shoes and possibly to use trekking poles for better stability. On the way, you will enjoy a beautiful view of the mountains around and the Lake Lucerne. You will also find several dining options in the mountain restaurants, some picnic areas with grill for a break and a couple of self-service farm shops where you can buy jams, cold drinks and of course cheese and yoghurt.
- Central
- Autumn, Spring, Summer
- Moderate
- 3:35 h
- 10.4 Km
- 273 m
- Central
- Autumn, Spring, Summer
- Moderate
- 3:35 h
- 10.4 Km
- 273 m
Would you like to use our hiking map?
For a safe hike, it is important to have the support of maps and GPS. That’s why we plan and track all our hiking routes using Outdooractive, a platform for tracking outdoor activities such as hiking, cycling and more. By subscribing for free to the website you can browse the entire route database, copy our routes, edit them and create your own and of course share them with friends.
If instead you want to know why you should sign up for a PRO or PRO+ subscription and why we have already done it, we have told you about it here along with 5 other essential apps for hiking in Switzerland.
Hiking route
From the Rothenfluebahn to Holzegg
Our hike starts at the upper station of the Rothenfluebahn cable car, which we easily reach from Rickenbach (SZ). As soon as we get out of the cable car, we make a break for a few minutes to admire the view, put on sun screen and finally we are ready to walk! If you need it, here you can also find toilets and a mountain restaurant offering drinks and snacks. And for a very special souvenir photo, just behind the restaurant’s building you will find a “station” of the famous Grand Tour of Switzerland with a panoramic view of the Grosser Mythen.
From the Rothenfluebahn we continue for about 500 metres. Here we first come across an old cable car cabin that has been converted into a small self-service shop selling cheese, drinks and farm-fresh products, and a few steps further on – inside a dense forest – a small barbecue and picnic area with a viewpoint. The forest road continues for about a kilometer and once finished we reach the small chapel dedicated to Brother Klaus (remember? We have already talked about it here!) and the Restaurant Holzegg. This is where the well-known 7-egg-weg hiking trail ends – we already talked about it here – which can easily be combined with the route we are telling you about in this post.
From Holzegg to the Berggasthaus Herrenboden
From Holzegg, the trail runs around the Grosser Mythen, first over a scree section and then along a narrow path at the edge of the forest to the mountain Restaurant Zwüschet-Mythen. From there, the route first leads slightly downhill and then slightly uphill for a few metres. This first section of the trail – about 2 kilometres in length – is probably the least interesting, as it first leads along the edge of a forest and then along some pastures. At the end of this section of the path, the panorama becomes more open. From there, only a few steps separate us from the mountain Restaurant Haggenegg and – a little further on – from the small Hofladen – a self-service farm shop – where we take a drink and a piece of fresh cheese.
Our route continues right behind the Hofladen, with a slight ascent on a paved road. From here the hiking trail is shared with mountain bikers, so be careful. This last section of the hike is truly fascinating: it offers an amazing view of the Grosser Mythen in all its grandeur and then leads through green pastures with amazing views of the valleys below. However, the last section of the trail – although not excessively difficult – is classified as alpine and marked with red and white signs. It is in fact characterized by a few sections with uneven ground and a long descent into the forest. Our advice is therefore to be careful, wear good shoes and bring trekking poles.
From the Berggasthaus Herrenboden to Mostelberg-Sattel
The most difficult section is about 1.5 km and ends in the valley near the Berggasthaus Herrenboden, where we treat ourselves to an ice cream and an excellent slice of homemade cake. We recommend a well-deserved stop here: excellent cuisine and very friendly staff.
From here, the Mostelberg-Sattel area is just one kilometer away and from Mostelberg, you can return to the valley by taking the cable car to Sattel. Moreover, this is the first cable car in the world whose cabins rotate on themselves during the descent, allowing you to admire the 360-degree panorama! Once down in the valley, you can return home by bus – which stands right in front of the cable car station – or by train – which passes through the Sattel-Aegeri station, just a 10-minute walk away.
How to get there
Arriving by public transport
See the location in Google Maps. The starting point of this hike – the Rotenfluebahn mountain station – can be reached by public transport, followed by a cable car ride. The valley station of the Rotenfluebahn is located in Rickenbach (SZ) and can be reached from the Schwyz train station by PostBus 503. The latest information on the operating status of the cable cars can be found at this link. Train and bus tickets can be purchased through the SBB website or through the SBB App and, as always, we suggest to check in advance the updated timetables and the different travel options.
Arriving by car
See the location in Google Maps. The starting point of this excursion – the mountain station of the Rotenfluebahn – cannot be reached by car, but only by cable car. Therefore, you have to leave your car at the valley station of the Rotenfluebahn in Rickenbach (SZ). A small car park is available around the station. The latest information on the operating status of the cable cars can be found at this link. As this is a linear route that ends in Mostelberg-Sattel, we suggest you check your public transport options to return to Rickenbach and pick up your car.
Tips
1
If you are still not satisfied when you arrive in Mostelberg, don’t worry! Here you will still find a couple of adventures for you: the famous Raffaisen Skywalker suspension bridge – one of the longest pedestrian suspension bridges in the world at 58 metres high and 374 metres long – or the summer toboggan run that runs down into the valley, perfect for children and adults! Here you can find more information.
2
Are you planning an excursion here and have doubts or concerns? Leave us a comment below and we will give you a feedback as soon as possible!
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