Ganterschwil – Oberhelferschwil – Bütschwil

This is a gentle ridge walk through Oberhelferschwil with views in all directions and on a clear day even all the way to Alpstein and beyond. Since it is such an easy route, it can be done in any season and still offers some wonderful views. The walk starts in Ganterschwil, a village where the oldest houses date back to around 1600, and ends in Bütschwil. The 2 villages are connected by a Postbus which runs every 30 minutes.

Start the walk at the church, by the bus station and walk upwards, along a road called “in der Farb”. It will lead into a small path through the gardens. Soon you reach a road again. Turn left and make your way through the old part of the village.

Keep walking along the quiet road, which eventually leads out of the village. You will reach a junction in the hiking path further along. Turn right, taking the road leading upwards. You are now walking steadily uphill through fields and old farm houses. The views are slowly opening up around you.

There is another junction, where you also stay right and keep walking uphill, until the path eventually levels off and you reach a set of houses called Moos. There is a lovely view of Säntis from up here.

We did this walk a couple of times and there is an old dog living at Moos who likes a bit of fuss, if you can spare a minute. Continue through the houses and about a hundred meters further, turn right onto a small walking path.

Follow the path around through the woods and fields until you reach a junction again. Now it’s straight along a road again, but the road is very quiet and the views are amazing. Follow the road past a large tree and a bench until you reach a farmhouse on the right. Turn right just before the farmhouse, following the signs to Oberhelferschwil.

The path now meanders along the side of the hill, staying fairly level and you get some wonderful views up and down the Thur valley. At a small junction, keep left until you reach the three houses at Geissberg. Now you can chose to go up and along the top of Hinderhögg or stay right and walk along the side of it. Our hike leads to the right since the top is rather covered in woods. However, if you go over the top, you walk past the Hohe Aussicht restaurant, which has a wonderful view of the surrounding mountains.

However, our hike stays right to walk along the slope of the hill, from where there are wonderful views of Säntis and the Churfirsten. Soon you will reach the village of Oberhelferschwil. Make your way down into the village and once reaching the junction at the center, turn right and soon left again to Oberwil. The path now leads evenly along the hillside, past Niederholz, until you reach Oberwil.

In Oberwil, turn right just before a farmhouse, following the signs to Wigetshof. The path along here is very quiet and meanders through fields until you reach the small village.

Find your way through the village by following the hiking signs to Bütschwil. There is some more downhill through fields, until you reach the woods further down. Here you have the option for a small detour to the ruins of Rüdberg, just 50m off the path, but there really is not much left of it.

Soon after you will leave the woods again and now its an easy walk through the fields above the river Thur. Keep following the hiking signs until the path turns off to the right, where you will cross the river to reach Bütschwil.