Horneggli to Rinderberg Family Hike near Gstaad With Suprise

🗺️ Overview

• Starting point: Horneggli (reached by chairlift from Schönried)
• Highest point: Horneggli – 1,760 m
• Total elevation gain: +300 m
• Total distance: 6 km
• Total time: 2–2.5 hours (we took around 4 hours with lots of stops)
• Technical difficulty: Easy – suitable for families and children

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The Horneggli to Rinderberg hike, near Gstaad, is a beautiful family hike that is perfect for kids but still enjoyable for adults. I did it with my 5-year-old daughter.

We started in Schönried, where a chairlift takes you up to Horneggli at 1,760 m.

From there, the path is always wide, easy to follow, and well marked. The sign indicates 2 hours 10 minutes to Rinderberg. We actually took almost 4 hours with many, many stops, but I think adults could comfortably complete it in about 1½ hours.

The first section passes through a sort of wild flower garden, with small panels identifying the different flowers. Shortly after the start, the trail splits. The main path continues to the left and stays almost flat, but if you feel like it, you can take the short detour that climbs just above before rejoining the main trail.

The path continues along the mountainside until it reaches a large open meadow, where you can already see the Berghotel Hornberg in the distance. It looks exactly like the Switzerland you imagine from postcards. We stopped at the playground because my daughter simply couldn't resist the huge jumping net.

After this point, the trail gently descends for about 20–30 minutes. Along the way we found several interactive stations with little cabinets explaining the sounds and smells of the mountains, the journey of cheese, and Swiss legends. They are a great way to keep children entertained.

About two-thirds of the way, just after the installation about milk production, the trail starts climbing again. This is the steepest section of the hike and continues until you reach the top station of the chairlifts.

The last part follows a ridge and is, in my opinion, the most scenic section of the hike. After about 20 minutes you arrive at the summit cross, where there is also an eagle statue and a panoramic map of the surrounding mountains. From here, it's only another 10 minutes downhill to the Rinderberg lift station and mountain hut.

The hut was a wonderful surprise. An old barn has been converted into an indoor playground, and I found it just as fun as my daughter did. There are slides going in and out of the building, pulleys to ring bells, and milk cans that children can play like drums.

We finally descended by cable car. The ride was much longer than we expected—at least 20 minutes. In fact, it was so long that we missed our train back to Schönried. Luckily, there is one every 30 minutes. It's a ride worth taking anyway, as the line is served by either the MOB Belle Époque or the Panoramic train to Montreux. In about 20 minutes you'll be back at the starting point.

Overall, this is an easy 6 km hike with around 300 m of elevation gain. Between the beautiful scenery, interactive installations, playgrounds, and easy trail, it's one of the nicest family hikes in the Gstaad region.