Archiving our adventures.

Over the Nebelmeer in the Gantrisch

Photographer
Abbie Schenk
Travelled
11.10.2025
Published
25.10.2025

On a cloudy October day, Elaine and I took a special Postauto from the Schwarzenburg train station to the start of the Gäggersteg in the Naturpark Gantrisch. We emerged as two wanderers above the Nebelmeer, a great sea of fog extending to the horizon.

Although it was cold below the clouds, the direct sun was hot as we hiked along the top of the hills. After about three hours and lunch, we descended back through the clouds, crossed the river into the canton Fribourg, and took a bus from Zollhaus to the city for a train back.

The hike was 9.7km, ascending 193m and descending 865m.

View of the Nebelmeer, sea of fog, from the Wanderweg.
View of the Nebelmeer, sea of fog, from the Wanderweg.
The moon peaks up over the path leading to the Gäggersteg.
The moon peaks up over the path leading to the Gäggersteg.
An award-winning wood sculpture of an Ibex along the way.
An award-winning wood sculpture of an Ibex along the way.
A wooden boardwalk through the forest with the Nebelmeer in the distance.
The Gäggersteg, a wooden structure built for walking above the tree reserve.
The Gäggersteg, a wooden structure built for walking above the tree reserve.
View of the mountain range from the Gäggersteg.
View of the mountain range and Nebelmeer from the Gäggersteg.
View of the Nebelmeer from the Gäggersteg.
Grasses turning red in the autumn.
Trees cast shadows along the path.
A green path through the woods, with the Nebelmeer shining through the dark trunks.
The Nebelmeer expanding out to the horizon, with the Jura mountains just visible in the distance.
A Wanderweg sign post, with a sign that says the Cheeserehöhli is ten minutes away.
Another shot of the Nebelmeer, fog sweeping up against the evergreen trees below.
A wooden gnome sculpture greets us at the entrance to the detour to the Cheeserehöhli.
A gnome greets us at the entrance to the detour to the Cheeserehöhli.
Two more gnomes guard the entrance to the cave, one using a red cloth as a hat.
Two more gnomes guard the entrance to the cave.
The entrance to the Cheeserehöhli with a warning: enter at own risk.
The entrance to the Cheeserehöhli with a warning: enter at own risk. We did not go in.
The Nebelmeer shines bright through the dark trees.
A tree stump glows in the sunlight among the ferns.
A clearing of trees has been cut, giving a great view of the Nebelmeer and Gantrisch mountain range.
Dried grasses and plants in the sandy landscape.
A fresh mowed meadow, with the Nebelmeer again in the distance.
A farmer's hut along the way, with stark boulders on a hill beside it.
The path suddenly drops right into the clouds.
On the border of the Nebelmeer, the sun shines through the whispy clouds reaching up towards the path.
The clouds are thick as we start the descent.
More thick clouds as we make our way over a farmer's field, still part of the Wanderweg.
Dried grasses along the hillside.
We emerge from under the clouds to a view of the valley below.
The path takes us through more farm fields.
We cross the river Sense, going from canton Bern to Fribourg.
We cross the river Kalte Sense, going from canton Bern to Fribourg.
Our final stop: Zollhaus. The restaurant is closed, but the bus to the city of Fribourg isn't far away.