Sunset from the parking lot - Sonnenuntergang vom Parkplatz aus

It is tradition in our family to plan a “Surprise Day” for someone’s birthday. In the past, I’ve planned a surprise get-away to Freiburg, Germany for my husband’s special day, or we’ve eaten homemade Black Forest cake on top of a mountain for my dad’s birthday.

This time it was my turn to be surprised. My birthday is on December 26th and the options of things to do are always a bit limited, since it is a national holiday, and most places are closed. We spent the day at my family’s place and started with a delicious breakfast and gifts. Then my husband and I got to enjoy the sauna at my parents. After the holidays this was a very welcome relaxation.

Around 4PM we left the house to drive to the surprise location. It was about an hour away from home, up in the mountains. I still had no idea what we were going to do. We parked in Schwägalp, a mountain pass near Säntis in Eastern Switzerland. We went to the beginning of a path which was called “Lantern Path”. I had never heard of it before, but it was amazing! The landscape was blanketed in snow, and oil lanterns were lighting the path. It also happened to be full moon that night which made everything even more special! A third into the hike we passed by the “Laternli-Bar” where they served hot tea to warm up travelers. We stopped about halfway through and drank some prosecco and ate a couple grissini to celebrate and then finished the hike. It was such a great experience!

Säntis by full moon - Säntis im Vollmond

The rest of the day we spent eating tiny pizzas made in the raclette grill and playing a board game together (Wingspan, I highly recommend it) . It was such an amazing, relaxing day and I loved every minute of it!

Lantern Path, Schwägalp

Duration: 1h

Length: 2.2km, mostly flat, very easy hike

Hours: Open on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. The lantern path is open until the beginning of March.

More information here: Schwägalp Information

Lantern Path Schwägalp, Switzerland