Seealpsee is without a doubt one of Switzerland’s most beautiful lakes. The idyllic alpine lake is situated 1141m above sea level in the Appenzell district of Switzerland, 1.5 hours drive southeast of Zurich. When the sun is shining, the Seealpsee lake reflects the Alpstein mountains behind it to create a heavenly sight.
Seealpsee can be reached by driving to the nearby village of Wasserauen. The drive from Zurich will take you through the beautiful Appenzell district, which is known for its picturesque rolling hills. Seealpsee is also only 1 hour away from the tiny country of Liechtenstein. If you’re in the business of trying to visit as many countries as you can in your lifetime, this is an easy way to add one to the list!
Once you reach Wasserauen, drive right to the end of the road until you reach Hotel Alpenrose. You can park your car for free around this area. Here, to the right of the Hotel Alpenrose, there is a service road that leads straight to Seealpsee. Take note, you can only hike up this road, you can’t drive up it!
The hike up to Seealpsee via the service road takes 40-60 minutes depending on your fitness level. The road is either bitumen or gravel the entire way. After walking 10 minutes you will notice a yellow sign with a picture of a hiker on it, telling you to take a right turn. If you follow the sign it will lead you on a pleasant trip through the forest instead of the road. It joins back up with the road after several minutes of walking.
After the first 20 minutes of hiking, the road becomes very steep. The next 15 minutes are directly uphill. Beware not to stand in the plethora of cow poo while you’re trying to climb what feels like Mount Everest. One of us made this mistake. After the steep incline the road flattens out again until you reach Seealpsee.
It took us 45 minutes to hike up (including a short stop), and 35 minutes to walk back down. There is also an alternative route that is less steep and takes you through the forest. It takes about 30 minutes longer than the service road route. The start of the alternative trail is to the left of the Hotel Alpenrose.
Initially when you reach the lake it looks quite small, but actually it’s quite large! Make sure you veer left, walk past the restaurant and to the other side of the lake. Here you will find yourself amongst the beautiful flowers in late Spring and early Summer. It’s also a great place to sit down and have a picnic. The alternative trail back to Wasserauen (the trail that takes you through the forest instead of the road) starts at this side of the lake.
We visited the lake in early June. We arrived at 5pm, which was an excellent time of the day from a photography perspective. The sun was shining on the mountains but not on the lake, allowing us to capture the reflection of the mountain on the surface of the lake. Also the afternoon side-light on the mountains added extra texture to the mountain terrain.
After about an hour, the sun dipped behind the mountains and a million bugs suddenly appeared over the surface of the lake. Since the sun sets earlier in winter and later in summer, you will need to plan what time of the day you arrive accordingly.
For those who want to paddle around the lake, you can hire a gondola for 5 CHF per 30 minutes. It fits up to 5 people. You can also ride a cable car from Wasserauenup to the village of Ebenalp, which is a mountain peak, and then walk down a steep path to Seealpsee. Whatever you choose to do, your mind will be blown away by the beauty of this Swiss alpine lake!
