Rikon – Bläsimühle – Pfäffikon: “Ravine and Giessen”

The first section from Rikon, known for its Tibetan monastery, to the entrance of the ravine takes more than half an hour of walking, first along the stream, then a road. But then it really gets beautiful: accompanied only by the splashing of the Tobelbach, you hike under the leafy forest canopy up to the Bläsimühle. Along the way, you encounter two waterfalls. Next to the first is a nice fire pit; the second is only visible if you don't miss the small footpath that branches off the forest trail shortly before the end of the ravine. A few steps lead to a sort of balcony above the stream where you can admire the Giessen. Shortly afterwards, you come across a playground with a large picnic area. Before Bläsimühle, you leave the wooded ravine, and a little later cross it again. Next to the small bridge crossing the stream is another fire pit.

The next village is called Gündisau, an idyllic collection of residential and farmhouses. An ancient farmhouse by the roadside appears completely unchanged yet in very good condition. It deserves special attention also because of its beautiful inscription on the beam.

The path to Wallikon leads over open fields and pasturelands. Above Wallikon, you already catch a glimpse of Lake Pfäffikon and behind it a series of mountain peaks such as the Rigi, Tödi, and Glärnisch. Then you pass the Alpenrösli restaurant, lavishly decorated in every season, and enter the forest again, into the Schwarzenbachtobel above Pfäffikon, soon coming across another Giessen and a fire pit. You then continue along the shore of the Tobelweiher, formed when the Schwarzenbach was dammed during industrial times, then follow the Luppmen to the edge of the village of Pfäffikon. From here it’s only five minutes to the train station.