Wonderful Panorama! Gastlosen Hiking Tour Around Striking Rocky Chain in the Freiburg Foothills of the Alps

Hike around the Gastlosen in the Swiss Alps – enjoy a unique panorama on this easy-moderate hiking tour. The Gastlosen tour leads you on wonderfully varied paths relatively easy around the striking rock chain in the Fribourg Alps.

In the blog, you will find all the information about the tour, a hiking map, tips on how to get there, and the best photo spots.

The striking Gastlosen rock chain in the Fribourg Pre-Alps is often referred to as the Saanenland Dolomites. Steep and often vertical, they rise from the otherwise hilly Swiss Prealps – a unique sight in this terrain. It’s almost like the Bavarian Prealps met the Dolomites and created the Gastlosen.

This beautiful round tour, “Gastlosen Tour”, inspires with its consistently impressive panorama and is quite comfortable to walk by Swiss standards.

For photographers, the additional trip to the viewpoint near Chalet Grat is worthwhile.

Directions for Gastlosen Hike

Start of this tour is bus stop Jaun-Kappelboden or parking lot of the Gastlosen Express. The hike starts from the top station of the cable car and is always marked as “Gastlosen Tour”.

We start the tour clockwise and it goes briefly downhill and again steeply uphill to the Chalet Grat. Shortly after the road goes downhill and again right along the hiking trail. Follow this with until Wolfs Ort. Here, keep to the right and immediately go steeply downhill towards Chalet du Soldat/Soldathaus.

After a breather follow the road downhill, after the Ober Sattel Alm turn right downhill through the picturesque forest in a landslide area. Continue leisurely along a driving path of the Gastlosen tour in the direction of Berghaus Musersbergli to the starting point, the Gastlosen Express mountain station.

Alternative

The tour can be walked in both directions without any problems. If you want to walk longer, start in Jaun without taking the gondola.

Tip: Most visitors walk the hike counterclockwise.

Photo Tips for Gastlosen / Fribourg Alps

To photograph the Gastlosen is not quite trivial at close range during this circumnavigation. The most beautiful photo spot and overview is at the pass “Wolfs Ort”. Here, take few more steps along the ridge towards Wandflue for a better panorama.

From Wolfs Ort, the view down to Chalet du Soldat is also particularly appealing. Above the Obere Bire Alp, there is a magnificent panorama. The most beautiful view of the Gastlosen is on the east side at P1776. Here it is possible to use the path as a view guiding element.

Probably the most beautiful motif is offered by a strenuous and not to be underestimated detour. From Chalet Grat, the path leads steeply uphill to the ridge. Here you have probably the most imposing view of the Gastlosen.

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Mountain Moments will show less experienced photographers tips while facing sites like these, for example, what to do with white balance, shutter speed, ISO, and aperture.

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Video for Gastlosen Hike

Information About Circular Hike on the Gastlosen Tour

Arrival: A8 Munich Salzburg to exit Siegsdorf. Continue on the country road to Ruhpolding. At the beginning of the village turn towards the Steinberg-Alm.

Public transport: Train to Freiburg, Bulle or via Spiez to Boltigen; continue by bus to Jaun, Kappelboden.

Difficulty: medium

Duration: 5h, 11km

Ascent/Descent: 680hm/680hm

Highest/lowest point: 1915m/1480m

Refreshment stop: Chalet Grat, Chalet au Soldat, Berghaus Musersbergl

Start/finish: Jaun, Gastlosen Express

Special dangers: Some surefootedness is required near Wolfs Ort. Surefootedness and head for heights for the viewpoint near Chalet Grat.

Tips: All three huts offer local rural delicacies at relatively acceptable prices. Be sure to stop in.