Descent: Gonzen ladder - Sargans

We start the hike at the Palfries mountain station. We have previously overcome about 1,250 meters of altitude in just 12 minutes with the Palfries cable car, passing an impressive waterfall (Ragnatscher Bach) and reaching the Palfries plateau.

From the Palfries cable car, we hike to the Gonzen mountain inn. Here we are rewarded with a magnificent view into the Rhine Valley, the Principality of Liechtenstein, and the various Grisons mountains. The hike continues over meadows and pastures. We descend about 10 meters via an iron ladder and then walk for a longer time through the shady state forest. Finally, former mountain paths (shortcuts) lead us down to Sargans.

On your descent, visit the Erzbild chapel. In this forest chapel, the ore miners of the Gonzen mine used to speak to their patron saint Barbara.

The hike starts from the Palfries mountain station heading southeast over the Chamm. There we leave the paved alpine road and take the path towards Alp Riet (to the Rieter huts). The slightly descending hiking trail initially passes through wetlands, some bridged with "wooden bridges", and then over alpine pastures to the mentioned Rieter huts. There we walk 700 meters downhill on the road, where we turn right onto the mountain path. Soon we reach the Gonzen mountain inn and continue downhill on a steep farm road, then over meadow and pastureland. We turn right and follow the white-blue-white marked alpine path over a ravine and through the forest southward. After about 700 meters, we arrive at a large forest clearing (Älpli), where young cattle or cows with calves may graze. Shortly after this clearing, we reach the iron Gonzen ladder, which we descend about 10 meters. At the bottom, the 100-meter long path secured with a rope leads over a rock ledge. In the shade of the state forest, the path continues and joins a forest access road.

Here we turn left onto the farm road and follow it for 400 meters until we meet the dirt road to Lanaberg. The path continues downhill, where the farm road soon merges into the paved access road to Oberprod. This is followed downhill for a short distance before taking the shortcut through an alley, crossing this alley twice. Shortly before and above Sargans Castle, we must turn left and then continue more or less straight to the center/transport hub of Sargans. Walking time from here to the train station: 10 minutes.

On this hike, it is also possible to walk westward from the forest access road towards Heiligkreuz.