Steg im Tösstal

Right now in Steg (as of October 2026)

• Berggasthaus Hörnli on winter hours from 1 November: Wednesday and Thursday 9:00 to 16:00, Friday and Saturday 9:00 to 18:00, Sunday 9:00 to 17:00. No hours are given for Monday and Tuesday, so expect it to be closed.

Steg in Ninja numbers

• 53.1 kilometers from Konstanz lies Steg. To Fischingen it was only 10.3, but those had it in them.
• A good 400 meters of descent from the Hörnli, for a good hour. Steg station lies at 694 meters.
• 30 minutes until the next S26. If you are tired or can't find a bed, you are quickly somewhere else.
• 21.7 kilometers to Rapperswil, almost all downhill or flat.

Arriving: from the Hörnli into the Tösstal

The path comes down from the Hörnli, over the Tanzplatz and on gravel and natural paths into the valley of the Töss. On the way you left Thurgau at the Dreiländerstein of 1640, and Steg belongs to the canton of Zurich. The village is one of the three main villages of the municipality of Fischenthal, with a station, a Landgasthof and a bakery. There is not much more.

In brief: the Chellenland

In the 13th century the lords of Stäge sat here, documented between 1232 and 1257. Their castle is presumed to have stood on the Burgböhl west of the village, but that is not certain. In 1425 Zurich bought the rights to Fischenthal. The upper Tösstal was poor for a long time. Smallholders carved wooden spoons, hence the nickname "Chellenland": a Chelle is a cooking spoon. In the 19th century the water power of the Töss brought the textile industry, and on 15 October 1876 the first Tösstalbahn train ran through Steg.

Where pilgrims sleep

Steg is a popular stage destination, but beds are rare here. There is no pilgrim hostel. In the village we only know the private room of the Familie Kägi at Aeschgasse 17, with a few places. We found no further details online. Ask beforehand before you rely on it.

If there is nothing in Steg, take the S26: in a little under half an hour you are in Wald or Rüti, where there are more rooms, and the next morning you ride back.

Food and drink

The Landgasthof zum Steg at Tösstalstrasse 70 is open Mondays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 to 24:00, and on Sundays there is warm food all day until 20:00. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday are rest days (as of October 2026). There are also the Restaurant Bahnhof and the Konditorei Voland at Tösstalstrasse 83. We did not find their opening hours. We did not find a grocery store in Steg.

Honestly

• Hardly any beds. Without a reservation you may have to continue by S-Bahn.
• Tuesday is the worst day. The Berggasthaus Hörnli is probably closed, and the Landgasthof has its rest day. Bring food from Fischingen.
• No shop. For the next day you are better off buying beforehand.
• The way onward starts at the road. Up to Fischenthal and Gibswil the Via Jacobi follows the Tösstalstrasse and the Fistelstrasse.

Ninja tips

• Fischingen or Steg? The two places are only 10.3 kilometers apart. If you sleep in Fischingen, you are at the Hörnli at noon and can keep going. If you walk to Steg, you already have the mountain behind you, but less choice of beds.
• Long break on the Hörnli: The Berggasthaus lies a few meters below the summit. The menu has Älplermagronen, Älplerrösti and fondue.
• Water: There are fountains before the climb to the Hörnli and again after the descent.
• Late in the evening, bus instead of train: After about 20:00, buses run instead of trains between Bauma and Rüti. If you move on late to Wald or Rüti, check the timetable first.

Practical tips for pilgrims

• Train and bus: The S26 runs every half hour between Winterthur, Bauma and Rüti. Postbus 766 and the VZO bus 854 also stop at the station.
• Shortcut: The S26 also stops in Fischenthal, Gibswil, Wald and Rüti, so almost everywhere along the next stage.
• Stamp: We did not find a stamp point in Steg. Ask at your accommodation.

Onward: via Wald to Rapperswil

It is 21.7 kilometers to Rapperswil. First you follow the Tösstalstrasse to Fischenthal and then the Fistelstrasse to Gibswil. After that the path climbs once more, to the hamlet of Büel at a good 800 meters. From there it runs along the slope via Hueb and Dieterswil to Blattenbach, with a view into the Jona valley and of Lake Zurich. In Blattenbach stands the former inn "Zum roten Schwert" of 1621. Via Töbeli the path goes around Rüti and down to Rapperswil.

What awaits you tomorrow

In Rapperswil Lake Zurich stands between you and Einsiedeln, and you simply walk across it: on a wooden boardwalk of 841 meters, at the spot where pilgrims already crossed the lake in the Middle Ages. Before it, a pilgrim hostel run by volunteers awaits in the old town. Note, it closes on 31 October.

Deep dive: A valley that carved spoons

A short read, in case you want to learn more about Steg. About two minutes' reading.

The lords of Stäge

Steg is an old name. In the thirteenth century the lords of Stäge appear in the records, between 1232 and 1257. One of them, Hugo, was bailiff of the counts of Kyburg. West of the village, on a hill called Burgböhl, their castle is presumed to have stood. A chronicler of the sixteenth century reports a ruined castle. Later the last walls are said to have been taken down for a farm. Today there is only a plateau with a rampart and a ditch.

Poor, but not quiet

In 1425 the city of Zurich bought the rights to Fischenthal, and the valley became part of the Zurich hinterland. The valley was poor. Many smallholders earned a little extra by carving wooden spoons. That is why the area is still called the Chellenland, the land of cooking spoons. In the nineteenth century industry came. The Töss drove spinning mills and weaving mills, and on 15 October 1876 the railway through the valley was opened. Since then Steg has been connected to the world, and for pilgrims that is still the village's greatest advantage.

What Steg gives you

Steg is not a place where one stays long. It is the place where the first mountain of the Via Jacobi lies behind you. Today you left Thurgau, crossed the Hörnli and are in the canton of Zurich. Tomorrow you see the lake for the first time.