There’s a short, but fun adventure trail between Alp Sellamatt and Iltios called the Klangweg Toggenburg. There are 27 different sound stations where you can test out a variety of musical instruments on this easy hike. It’s a short, easy hike in the mountains of Toggenburg that’s fun for everyone.
Overview: Klangweg Toggenburg
| Age Group | All ages |
| Category | Hikes |
| Expected Duration | Alp Sellamatt to Iltios - 1.5 hours Iltios to Oberdorf - 3.5 hours |
| Cost | - CHF 32 per adult - CHF 18.50 per adult with GA Travelcard - CHF 18.50 per child (6-15 years old) |
| Address | Alp Sellamatt, Iltios or Wildhaus-Oberdorf |
| Website | https://klangwelt.swiss/ |
| Opening Hours | Alt St. Johann and Unterwasser-Iltios: 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM Wildhaus-Oberdorf: 8:30 AM - 12:00 PM, 1:15 PM to 5:15 PM Opening hours vary if the weather conditions are not favorable |
| Public Transport | - Alt St. Johann, Dorf (Bus) - Unterwasser, Post (Bus) |
Klangweg Toggenburg Trail
The Klangweg Toggenburg trail runs for 7.5 kilometers between Alp Sellamatt and Oberdorf in Wildhaus. This is a tribute to the Toggenburg region’s strong music and singing culture. You can hear sounds and tones along the way with 27 music installations.
The first part of the route uses the Panorama Trail of Toggenburg (Toggenburger Höhenweg in German) from Alp Sellamatt via Gerstenboden to Iltios. From Iltios, you can go up by cable car to Chäserrugg or down by train to Unterwasser.
The second part of the trail starts in Iltios and goes all the way to Oberdorf. The trail here is still relatively light. Apart from a short section going up, is mostly downhill. This trail has a grill area right near the 13th musical instrument in Dunkelboden.
Iltios or Schwendisee are the starting points for the third part of the trail. On the way around the small lake Schwendisee, you can try out some musical instruments.
In Alt St. Johann, you can also visit the Klangschmiede if you’re done hiking. Founded in 2011, it’s a workshop and office. Now it’s a newly renovated interactive adventure house with themed rooms and different sounds (flora, fauna, natural sounds). Musicians, singers, and choirs will be able to use a new Sound Center (Klanghaus) in 2023, a building with great acoustics.
Here are the details of the Klangweg Sound Trail:
| Music Instruments 1 to 7 | Music Instruments 8 to 13, 20 to 27 | Music Instruments 14 to 19 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Route | Alp Sellamatt to Iltios | Iltios to Oberdorf | Iltios to Schwendisee |
| Expected Duration | 45 minutes | 1 hour and 45 minutes | 30 minutes |
| Trail Length | 2 kilometers | 4.4 kilometers | 3.2 kilometers |
| Stroller-friendly | Yes, all-terrain strollers | No | No |
How To Get To Klangweg Toggenburg Themed Trail
Depending on where you want to start and where you want to end, you will have to go to one of the following:
| Music Instruments 1 to 7 | Music Instruments 8 to 13, 20 to 27 | Music Instruments 14 to 19 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valley Station | Alt St. Johann or Unterwasser | Unterwasser or Wildhaus | Unterwasser |
| Bus | Alt St. Johann, Dorf or Unterwasser, Post | Unterwasser, Post or | Unterwasser, Post |
Review: Klangweg Toggenburg Trail
Located in Switzerland’s Toggenburg Region, the Klangweg Toggenburg is an easy hike. Here’s how we did on the Klangweg Toggenburg Trail.
First, we had to buy tickets to Alp Sellamatt in Alt St. Johann before we started the trail. There were about 12 people in line ahead of us. After riding the chair lift, our trail started at Alp Sellamatt. This was an easy, panoramic hike that ended at Iltios. Our kids enjoyed playing with several musical instruments along the way.
Iltios has a big playground and a great restaurant where we had lunch. Several musicians sang some traditional songs for us. It was truly a wonderful experience.
From Iltios, we went down to Unterwasser. Due to time constraints, we were just able to complete a short section of the trail. If you have more time or wish to, you can keep going from Iltios until Oberdorf and visit all the other sound installations. If you go to Schwendisee, you can see even more sound installations.
The Klangweg Toggenburg Trail is fun and interesting, but it takes a while to get through the sound installations. Whether you’re a kid or an adult, you’ll have a blast with these instruments. In some cases, you might have to wait for a couple of minutes if one or two groups of families are ahead of you.
This themed trail is physically very easy. I think it’s best for pre-schoolers and primary school kids. Kids between 4 and 10 will love this trail. In addition, parents will be able to appreciate the location’s fantastic views.
Since the trail only goes one way, you’ll probably have to take the bus at some point to get back to your car. Near the valley station, there will be parking lots. Check out the bus schedule and time your departure accordingly.
In all, we had a great time at Klangweg Toggenburg.
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