From the Black Forest to Lake Zurich: about 112 kilometers from Blumberg over Schaffhausen, the Rhine Falls and Winterthur into the Zurich Oberland to Rapperswil – where the route meets the Via Jacobi.
The Schaffhausen–Zurich Way begins in Blumberg in Germany's Black Forest, crosses the Rhine at Schaffhausen and runs – past the Rhine Falls and the monastery island of Rheinau – through Winterthur into the Zurich Oberland. By way of the Pfäffikon area it finally reaches Rapperswil on the upper Lake Zurich.
It's a varied route from the German uplands over the Rhine to the lake – gentle to moderate and done in about 5–6 days.
Ideal if you want a varied opening from Germany into Switzerland – with the Rhine, the Rhine Falls, the city of Winterthur and the green Zurich Oberland, all in a manageable length.
Less suitable if you expect pure mountain stages and high peaks: the route runs through hill country, river landscape and settled areas.
From Blumberg in the Black Forest the route crosses the Hohe Randen ridge to the border and on to Schaffhausen. Along the Rhine it reaches the monastery island of Rheinau and continues to Winterthur.
From the Winterthur area the route runs over Pfäffikon into the Zurich Oberland – over Wetzikon, Grüningen and Bubikon – to Rapperswil on Lake Zurich.
At about 112 kilometers with some 2,080 meters of climb, the Schaffhausen–Zurich Way is gentle to moderate and comfortably done in about 5–6 days. The stages per the route description: Blumberg–Schaffhausen (about 27 km), Schaffhausen–Rheinau (about 12 km), Rheinau–Winterthur (about 28 km), Winterthur–Pfäffikon (about 23 km) and Pfäffikon–Rapperswil (about 24 km). The highest point is around 919 meters.
The route links striking landmarks: the Rhine Falls and the picturesque monastery island of Rheinau in the Rhine near the start, and the Ritterhaus Bubikon in the Zurich Oberland at the end – a former Knights of St. John commandery. In Rapperswil the old town, the castle with its keep and the view across the Seedamm await.
The Schaffhausen–Zurich Way ends at Rapperswil – a key junction of the Swiss Ways of St. James. Here it meets the main axis, the Via Jacobi (Konstanz/Rorschach → Geneva), which leads on via the pilgrim hub of Einsiedeln toward Geneva and connects there, via the Via Gebennensis, into France.
The best time is spring to autumn. Accommodation is in guesthouses, inns and pilgrim lodgings – a pilgrim credential is useful for stamps and lodgings. As the Via Jacobi in Switzerland, the route is waymarked with the number 4.
Switzerland is expensive. Budget roughly €60–100 per day for lodging and food; simple lodgings and self-catering lower the cost.
The starting point is Blumberg in the Black Forest; the finish at Rapperswil-Jona lies on Lake Zurich and is well reached via the Swiss rail network.
The Swiss Ways of St. James are maintained by the association Jakobsweg Schweiz – Compostelle Suisse (formerly "jakobsweg.ch", renamed after its 2026 merger with "Les Amis"). The association waymarks and maintains the routes, trains pilgrim guides and publishes route booklets and the pilgrim credential.
1 room studio with private bathroom
Open season unknown
AIR BNBAR N°13
Open season unknown
Apartment Deluxe with Garden Rapperswil-Jona
Open season unknownEverything you need for the Schaffhausen–Zurich Way, shipped to your door.
Visit Camino Shop
