Sagaris - Sulzfluh
I did this hike together with a friend on the 12th of July, 2026. I had for some time had my eyes on this corner in Graubünden which is just on the border to Austria. Pictures I had seen from the area looked very interesting and the hike to Sulzfluh was also a perfect escape from the heat wave in Zürich.
Full route: Swisstopo
We took the train from Zürich to Landquart and continued to Küblis where we changed to the bus taking us to Sagaris and the start of the hike. It was a beautiful morning and right from the beginning of the hike, we could see the peak of Sulzfluh, which was our goal for the day. For the first hour until Berghaus Alpenrösli, the trail followed gravel roads and wider hiking paths which made for an easy start.
After Berghaus Alpenrösli, the trail got steeper and we started the ascent up to Sulzfluh. We made our way up over the trail and enjoyed the constantly changing views, getting up closer to Sulzfluh but also to the opposite side in direction Wiss Platta and Schijenflue.
The trail up to Sulzfluh had some more demanding parts, the first one being a shorter part where we had to climb using chains and steps in the rocks. There are several via ferratas in this area and we saw quite a lot of people climbing on them throughout the ascent. We took a break after this section and could from here see the Partnunsee for the first time.
After our break, we entered Gemschtobel, an area with lots of scree on the last part before reaching the base of Sulzfluh. It was a demanding part of the hike, but we were rewarded with amazing views and could for the first time see the alps in Austria as well as the cross on top of Sulzfluh.
The last part up to Sulzfluh after Gemschtobel was short and easier with only a few areas with loser material and snow patches. The views were stunning and we made it the last part up to the top, which was surprisingly crowded, given how empty the hiking trail had been.
At the top, we had lunch and a good long break. The views were spectacular to all sides and we could see relatively far into Austria and all the way to the still snow covered peaks around Piz Bernina. Sulzfluh lies just on the border between Switzerland and Austria, so you can stand on the top with one leg in each country.
We walked down from Sulzfluh the same way we had come up, but instead of going back down through Gemschtobel, we continued on the ridge following the border to Austria. This part also had a lot of lose material, but it was less steep and therefore not as demanding and we could easily enjoy the views.
The limestone is very visible in this area as its white-grey color stands in sharp contrast to the rest of the landscape and grass covered areas. This was especially visible as we for half an hour entered Austria, Here, the limestone outcrops meet the grass covered landscape and it looked really great.
After the first part of the descent ending in Austria, the trail turned around, over a small pass and back into Switzerland. Here, we could once again see the Partnunsee which we would later walk by at the end of the hike. There are several caves in the limestone in this area and we had chosen this path specifically to pass by some of them.
We came by three larger caves on this path. On all three, there were signs which asked you to enter carefully, with respect and at your own risk. The first cave, Abgrundhöli, is though not advisable to enter unless you are a professional, as it immediately turns downwards. We entered Chilchöli, which wasn’t too steep but still with slightly slippery walls and floor, but nonetheless a fun experience.
After visiting the cave, we continued down to Partnunsee. The trail down was relatively steep so we and our knees were happy when we reached the lake. We passed the lake and continued back to Berghaus Alprösli where we ended a great day in the mountains with a drink.
From Berghaus Alprösli, it was another half hour down to the bus, which took us back to Küblis train station from where we continued by train back to Zürich.
