Zugerberg

The Zugerberg is an ideal place for cycling and mountainbiking, mainly cross country. The page covers the following topics about mountainbiking on the Zugerberg:

Overview | Ways up | Ways down
Nice spots | Specific Tours | Four Seasons
Restaurants | Surroundings | Need to know

The Zugerberg is a hill right next to Zug in central Switzerland. It is an ideal place for biking, either for small trips after work or for larger ones of some hours. As it is not very high, 900 to 1100 metres above sea, it is even possible to go cycling throughout the whole year.

It is a very nice place, a lot of forest mixed with agricultural parts and some smaller marshes. There are different spots which provide great views on the larger mountains like the Rigi or the Pilatus as well as the Swiss Alps. Within this beautiful landscape there are several small roads, gravel walks and trais for biking and hiking. This page will provide information to the interested mountainbiker about ways, trails, restaurants and spots worth taking a look at.

For a collection of fotos of the Zugerberg, check the Zugerberg Picture Gallery.

There are several possibilities from different directions to get up the Zugerberg by bicycle. It is of course easier to take one of the several roads, but there are also some gravel walks which allow an ascension by mountain bike. If you are under way with a racing bicycle, you can easliy stick to asphaltic roads.

St. Verena - Blasenberg:

This one starts in Zug itself and is one of the most used by cyclists. It is an asphaltic road, not very steep and more or less stays like that that all the way to the top, which is in this case the restaurant Vordergeissboden. There is some forest along the way, but mostly one is cycling through grasslands. This makes it a nice, but possibly hot way in the summer, as it is on the west side and gets a lot of sun after midday. In winter it is one of the best roads, as it has a good chance of beeing free of snow.

Schönegg

This Road starts in Zug as well, from there it ascends to the Schönegg, from where it continues relatively steep until one reaches the top of the Zugerberg cable railway close to the restaurant Vordergeissboden.

Walchwil - Walchwilerberg

There two roads from Walchwil to the Walchwilerberg (southern part of the Zugerberg). Both of them start right in the center of Walchwil, one can choose between them by going either left or right after passing the railway bridge.
The northern road is the main road. It provides a nice view to the lake of Zug almost all the time. There may be some traffic along the way and in summer it can be very hot as there is no shadow at all.
The southern road however is mainly in the forest, which is a nice thing when cycling upwards. But this way is quite steep and therefore is not so easily done anyway. One advantage of course is the silence, as there is rarely any vehicle using that road.

There is a large variety of roads and trails with different difficulty levels to make ones way down again. Of course, all the ways to get up the Zugerberg may be used as well, but unless you use a racing bicycle, the others are much more fun.

Zugerberg - Unterägeri

This is a nice one. One starts from the Zugerberg, above the Vordergeissboden. From there take the road down until the third trail. This one requires some skill, but is not very difficult. After 400 to 500 metres one gets on a gravel walk. Turn right again and stick to that ascending gravel walk until it gets narrower (as seen in the picture on the right). From that point, it descends till one reaches another gravel walk which would lead to Unterägeri, the Schützen in particular. From there it is possible to take different paths to Zug or Unterägeri.

Walchwilerberg - Oberwil

This one is pretty difficult (at least from my point of view). It is steep, it is dirty, sometimes rocky and part of it is not even a real trail. Nevertheless it is fun and is definitely worth trying this one out.
It starts on the Walchwilerberg and leads all through the forest straight down to Oberwil. After some metres one rides through a small tunnel one a gravel walk. Not far from that tunnel the trail goes away from the gravel walk to the left. There is nothing to do but to follow that trail until it ends at another gravel walk. Turn right and follow this one until there is a crossing. Here take the only possibility which does not really look like a path and follow that one down until one reaches the main road next to the lake.

The Grossmattstollen is one of my favorite tours on the Zugerberg.
To get there, you may take any way up the Zugerberg and then look for the Buschenchappeli, a tiny chapel. From there take the small road upwards and turn right as soon as you reach the forest. You cant miss it. The only thing to do now is follow that way until you reach the top, where you get out of the forest for a short time. This is a nice place for a brake.
Now there you are on the Grossmattstollen. There is a huge amount of possible trails to take from there. My preferred one is the gravel walk direction Nollen.

Nature is always beautiful on the Zugerberg. In spring, there is a huge amount of different flowers and grasses, trees are in blossom and grow the first nicely colored leaves. Of course there is also a lot to see during summertime. In fall, the colors of the woods are especially beatiful, sometimes combined with waves of fog creating very special sceneries. Winter is different, but covered in snow, any landscape looks nice, doesn't it?

Biking from spring to fall is no problem, except that it may get quite hot in the summer. In Winter however, the chance is high that there is snow, even on the roads. Or even worse, there could be ice. Normally the roads are not plowed.
It is however, with good tyres and a little more care than usual, possible to have fun as well. But it is not recommended to take too steep a way down, as for example the Oberwil Killer. One better takes the roads or gravel walks which are challenging enough when covered with snow; also not to disturb the animals, not to force them using too much energy fleeing from some noisy bikers.

There are certain places on the Zugerberg with an especially beautyful view. It is hard to explain how to find them without a map. So you best find out yourselfes. Here is a sneak peak of the best pictures: Zugerberg Picture Gallery

Vordergeissboden - well known for their fondue
Hintergeissboden - nice for stopping by by bicycle
Pfaffenboden - also quite nice to go by bicycle
Zuger Alpli - a little farther to reach

Of course one is not limited to the Zugerberg. One nice possibility also documented on this site is the Wildspitz. And there are several other hills or hillocks around like the Raten and the Gottschalkenberg. The lake of Ägeri is right to the east of the Zugerberg and would even be worth taking the bathing trunks along. The picture on the right shows Unterägeri, the lake of Ägeri and in the background the Raten.

Almost all of the Zugerbergs western flank provides an ideal view on sunsets. So, being late, you may be rewarded with one of the most beautiful sights, mountains, the lake and the sun coloring the whole sky in red, orange and yellow.

Protected Area:
Be aware that most parts of the Zugerberg are nature protection areas. So please make sure to take your rubbish along and please do not leave the roads and trails.

In winter when there is snow, please do not leave the roads or gravel walks. Doing so would needlessly disturb the deers and other animals which live in the woods on and around the Zugerberg. When scared up, these animals need a lot of energy to run away, which is dangerous for them as there is little food to be found.