The best walk
in Fischingen
Gratwanderung Thurgau

A very green, easy going, picturesque and totally pleasant walk in Fischingen, ideal for a Sunday afternoon! After we started off from Fischingen abbey, straight away we took the wrong turn and walked the entire route backwards…oh dear…beginner´s fault. Not the only mistake during this hike! Nonetheless, it was still a thoroughly enjoyable time. The best walk in canton Thurgau so far!

The starting point of this walk | Fischingen Monastery

Fischingen Monastery, a pearl among the Swiss monuments, is the starting point of this lovely walk. The abbey was founded in 1138 with the intention to offer shelter and hospitality to pilgrims. It was dissolved in 1848 and re-founded as a priory in 1977. Nowadays, you will find two worlds under one roof: that of the Fischingen monastery with a seminar hotel, a carpentry, a restaurant and a school – the worldly business, and that of the Benedictines, who fill the monastery properties with monastery life.

In 2015, the brewery “Brauerei Kloster Fischingen” was added, the first and only Swiss monastery brewery. They brew a series of high-quality beers under the PILGRIM brand, a reference to the numerous pilgrims who have come to Fischingen during the past centuries. It came as no surprise that Krisztian spotted the beer-producing building immediately and it was then, that he learnt that the German word for brewery is simply: Brauerei. Obviously, he considered this, as another highly important addition to his German vocabulary.

Walking into the wrong direction

We left the monastery and the brewery (with a heavy heart) behind us and started this walk off in the WRONG direction. In previous blogs, I pointed out the impeccable signage system in Switzerland, making it impossible for hikers to get lost. In fact, I still believe that it is rather impossible to get lost once you follow the signs and I would not ever dare to question the smarter than smart signage systems.

We took the wrong turn anyway. Did it make a difference?  We did not think so. In retrospect, however, I actually felt that “the other way round” was a little easier than the suggested route. That`s what I, at least, truly believed.

Krisztian reminded me, however, that, firstly, we were on a circular trail, where we had almost 360m ascent and 360m descent. In conclusion, this indicated that it did not really matter which way we went after all, as it was a circular trail. Secondly, he also pointed out that, once you reach the end of a walking tour and this tour finishes in a steep descent, naturally you feel that it would be very difficult if you had to climb up that particular way right now. This is simply down to the fact that you are less energetic at the end of the hike or in other words: exhausted. Subsequently, this was logic thinking after all. I might have to contemplate about this whole matter again, but I leave that for another day.

Fresh produce vending stations | Made in Switzerland

We followed the sign towards “Allenwinden / Grat” (and you will notice on the photos that Allenwinden is pointed in both directions, after all it`s a circular trail, but let´s get over this now!!). Our way led us up an asphalted route towards the forest, bypassing a farm-fresh-egg vending station and a pasture of goats. The farm vending station is another impressive and most certainly, quite exceptional Swiss creation. At least, this is what we believe, compared to other countries we have lived in and visited.

It solely works on a trust basis, meaning, you take as many eggs that you need and leave the appropriate money accordingly. In other words, the seller trusts the buyer not only to leave just the right amount of money, but also not to steal additional produce or even the change which can often be found in these stations as well. There are plenty of this kind of vending stations all over Switzerland. From flowers, to eggs, honey, cheese or wood for your chimney you can find a huge range of fine homemade products. A great idea, made in Switzerland.

A beautiful day for a walk in Fischingen | 50 Shades of Green 

The day could not have been more beautiful. Firstly, the air was clean and fresh. The sky was blue with just the right amount of clouds scattered over the heavens. Secondly, the temperature was sunny and warm, but not too warm, with a constant light breeze stroking our skin and blowing through our hair – bliss! In other words, walking in Switzerland at its best.

After about 15 minutes and quite a few goat pictures (we are still in the making of a logo for our website), we arrived at a lookout with a lovely view over the green farmland and the pale-pink monastery in the background. From here the ascent continued through the forest on one of the may Swiss forest roads until we reached another lovely opening over a flower meadow. I simply love the natural flower fields at this time of the year. The pinks, purples, yellows and whites turn the variety of greens into one amazing natural painting. After all, this beautiful mix of colours inspired us to name the route “50 shades of Green”.

The legend of Ida of Toggenburg

A small fence door led us into a wonderful meadow and through a shady forest. After a short while we saw a pointed little tower appearing over the tree tops. After that, we found ourselves in front of a wooden forest chapel, dedicated to the holy Idda. Ida of Toggenburg, or Idda of Fischingen emits the aura of grandeur storytelling in herself.

According to the legend, Ida was the daughter of a count and got married to another count. After the marriage, one fine day, a raven stole Ida`s wedding ring. Later, a hunter found the ring in the bird´s nest. When her husband noticed the ring on the hunter´s hand, he accused Ida of infidelity! He had the hunter killed and threw Ida out of the castle window! Men, jealously and hasty reactions….

Anyway, Ida, because of her innocence, was miraculously saved by God. She never returned to her penitent husband but devoted her life to God as a hermit. Good woman! Her husband later built her a hermitage near Fischingen, but it was too late. She stayed in the hermitage, where she died in the realm of holiness.

Now this is a story to remember for all jealous guys, next time you find your wife´s wedding band in hunter´s hand or simply another man´s hand. It could have been a raven after all…

Panoramic views from Ottenegg

After the chapel we continued the ascent via yet another beautiful field full of colours and flowers. Once we reached the top, the most panoramic view of Lake Constance and the Hegau volcanic landscape presented itself. Here in Ottenegg on the hill you will also find a statue of the Virgin Mary on a high white pillar, giving the place a spiritual ambience. In addition, the statue reminds the hikers of the founding of the orphanage in the monastery Fischingen in 1879. Of course, you can also count on a bench up here to sit back, relax and enjoy.

The highest point in the canton of Thurgau and a little problem

Our muscles had warmed up nicely, so we continued on our route towards the ridge. We passed by some solitary farmhouses until once again we found ourselves at the edge of the forest. From here the ascent continued in a moderate manner via a forest road and closer to the top via a root path. This part was particularly beautiful and just got better and better until the very top – the highest point in the canton of Thurgau with 991m above sea level. Here we took a moment to appreciate the spectacular views, tried to capture the beauty as good as possible on camera and sat down for a moment of rest.

We also had to solve a little problem up here, which I am slightly embarrassed to mention. During our ascent through the forest, my hiking poles kept on sliding away, which made the hike a little uneasy. In different surroundings it could have been rather dangerous, as a matter of fact. I forgot to remove the protective covers from the sticks! That`s bad! What´s worse? I only noticed midway our route, so that`s about 1.5 hours. The worst, however, was that since I hadn’t removed them, they were so stuck up in the pole that it was nearly impossible to get them off again. After I almost knocked the pole into my eye trying the pull off the cover, Krisztian took over and managed of course in the end.

A green, serene and most splendid hike in Fischingen 

As the “Top of Thurgau” was shady and fresh, we decided to walk on and postpone our break to the next best sunny opportunity. This opportunity arrived after the slightly steep descent through the forest and we sat down on a large tree trunk gladly, enjoying the sun and our homemade sandwiches.

The remainder of the walking route back towards Fischingen via Allenwinden was a mixture of forest roads, a path beside an actual road (from Allenwinden to Rotbühl) and quiet streets surrounded by endless green lawns, trees and plants.

It must be mentioned that during these past hours we hardly met any person along the way. Only here and there a few locals were working on their farms, spreading the freshly cut grass or minding their animals. The serenity of this particular hiking trail is outstanding.

Finally, we reached the monastery from the other side, a last little reminder of where we should have started. We looked up towards heaven, took a long breath in and a full breath out. 50 shades of green, what a splendid walk in Fischingen!