Filzbach: Winter Trails, Geology and Cultural Heritage

Filzbach is a scattered settlement on the high plateau of the Kerenzerberg above Lake Walen. If you are looking for a hotel for a stay in the region, you can choose your destination based on your planned activities: winter tours, geological trails and regional culture offer different focuses. Mountain and lake themes meet historical traces and opportunities to explore and get active here.

Winter Tours on the Kerenzerberg

A chairlift was inaugurated in Filzbach in 1963, opening the canton of Glarus’s second ski and tourism area after Braunwald. Today, a range of tours are available to consider when planning a winter visit. The Habergschwänd–Nüenalp snowshoe tour is 5.2 kilometres long, involves 380 metres of ascent and descent, and takes about two and a half hours. The Kerenzerberg toboggan run goes from Habergschwänd to Filzbach. It is six kilometres long, with a descent of 540 metres.

The snowshoe tour has an approximate duration; for the toboggan run, the elevation change is a useful planning detail in addition to its length. Snow conditions can affect the seasonal availability of the snowshoe tour and disrupt operation of the toboggan run. In winter, visitors can also explore and ride electric MoonBikes at Alp Habergschwänd; their availability also depends on conditions and operation.

Geology and Hiking Trails

The Habergschwänd–Talsee educational trail is 2.5 kilometres long and covers a period of 100 million years. Using examples, it explains how Lake Talsee was formed. The trail can be reached from Filzbach by chairlift. This connects the trail’s geological focus with access from Filzbach.

Those planning a longer hike can take the moderately difficult Kerenzerberg circular hike, a 12.7-kilometre route along historic paths between Lake Walen and the Kerenzerberg. In Filzbach, a zigzag path descends from the pre-Alpine terrace to Lake Walen. The educational trail and circular hike offer different experiences: one explains geological connections around Lake Talsee, while the other follows historic paths through the landscape. Check trail conditions before setting out; it is also worth checking the chairlift timetable.

Roman Traces and World Heritage

Around 15 BC, a Roman watch post was built near what is now the Hotel Römerturm. The UNESCO World Heritage Exhibition Kerenzerberg at Seminarhotel Lihn offers another way to explore the region’s history. It provides insights into the Sardona World Heritage Site and the formation of the Alps. The exhibition includes five information panels, two video stations, a touchscreen station, a microscope with rock samples and a 3D relief map of the Glarus Alps.

Admission to the exhibition is free. Tours led by trained GeoGuides Sardona can be booked; check access arrangements before travelling. The information is presented through panels, videos, rock samples and a relief map, giving you several ways to engage with the topics.

Cheese History and Thinking Trails

Ten stations on the Schabziger Höhenweg explain the history, production and marketing of Glarner Sapasago cheese, also known as Schabziger. The trail also features a mechanical Stöckli moulding machine from 1910. The route combines information about the history of cheese with a historic piece of production equipment.

The Filzbacher DenkWeg has eight stations: four oversized puzzles and thinking games, and four stations on mindfulness. The Kerenzerberg DenkBahn offers eight themed thinking trips on the chairlift, accompanied by a seminar toolkit. Reservations may be required.

Play and Sport in Filzbach

The sports centre in Filzbach includes an indoor swimming pool, multi-purpose sports halls, tennis courts and sports fields. The Habergschwänd Dragon Playground is located at the mountain station. It has a wooden climbing dragon, a large trampoline, a sandpit with toys, a small wooden house and various children’s vehicles.

The playground is also accessible with a stroller via the Kerenzerberg cable car. Those walking from Filzbach should allow about 75 to 90 minutes, depending on the children’s ages. This gives you two ways to reach the mountain station: by cable car or on the longer walk. The specific play equipment also gives a good idea of what children can expect at the destination.

Discover more destinations: Engi, Näfels, Obstalden, Elm, Mühlehorn, Mollis, Niederurnen, Matt.

View the main travel overview: Glarus.