Hoch Ybrig

Schwyz Pre-Alps ski resort with gentle pistes and hiking trails within easy reach of Zurich.

Hoch-Ybrig is a family-friendly ski resort in the Schwyz Pre-Alps, about 90 minutes from Zurich by public transport. You take the train to Einsiedeln and then a bus up into the mountains. With around 50 km of pistes — mostly blue and red runs — it draws families and intermediate skiers rather than thrill-seekers, and the slopes rarely feel crowded. A handy combined ticket covering train, bus, and lift pass can be bought at the station, which takes the hassle out of getting there.

In summer the ski runs give way to hiking trails through the Pre-Alpine landscape. It is a small resort, not a destination you would plan a whole trip around, but as a day or weekend escape from Zurich it works well.

Guide

Getting There

From Zurich, take the train to Einsiedeln (about 70 minutes) and then the connecting bus to Weglosen, the base station of the Hoch-Ybrig lifts. A combined ticket covering train, bus, and lift pass can be purchased at Zurich Hauptbahnhof, which simplifies things considerably. By car from Zurich the base station at Weglosen is about 50 minutes via the A3 motorway and then smaller roads through Schwyz and Unteriberg.

There is no road to the resort itself beyond the lift base — all access up the mountain is via cable car or chairlift.

Guide

Things to Do

Hoch-Ybrig's appeal is simple: in winter it is a small, uncrowded ski area well suited to families and intermediate skiers; in summer it becomes a hiking destination with panoramic views across the pre-Alpine landscape of canton Schwyz. The lifts run in both seasons, so you can get up to the higher terrain without the climb.