Overview
A full-day route above Balzers — three summits, 1,300 metres of vertical gain, and an exposed ridge traverse between Mittlerspitz and Mittagsspitz that earns the T4 rating. The route passes through the historic Walser settlement of Guscha and up through the Alp Matan basin before reaching the first summit. The views from the ridge are among the best in southern Liechtenstein: the full Rhine Valley spread out below, and the Falknishorn filling the sky in the background.
Turning back early: If you want a shorter or less technical day, Wörznerhorn and Mittlerspitz can be reached without the final ridge traverse. Stopping at Mittlerspitz gives around 1,150 m of elevation gain and avoids the exposed T4 section.
The route starts and finishes at St. Luzisteig.
The Route
St. Luzisteig → Forest trail: Start at the parking area at St. Luzisteig (744 m). Follow the signed trail north into the forest. The path climbs steadily through mixed woodland.
The trailhead at St. Luzisteig.
Before reaching Guscha there are two benches on the trail — this is the second. They mark the start of shortcut trails that cut directly up through the forest instead of following the main road. Steeper, but quicker.
The second bench. The inscription reads: “Je steiler der Weg, desto näher das Ziel” — the steeper the path, the closer the goal.
Guscha: The trail reaches the former Walser settlement of Guscha (1,115 m) — five white farmhouses on a steep green slope, maintained by the association Pro Guscha since 1974. A waymarker here points upward toward Mittlerspitz and Matan. There is a separate trail guide for the Guscha route from Balzers if you want to visit Guscha as a destination on its own.
Guscha. The route continues upward from here.
Gorge section: Above Guscha the trail passes through a rocky gorge with a wooden fence and waymarkers. This section narrows before opening onto the upper meadows.
The gorge section above Guscha.
Alpine huts: The trail passes several alpine huts as the terrain opens up. There is water here to refill.
Alpine huts on the approach. Water available here.
A yellow waymarker junction confirms the route toward Mittlerspitz via Matan.
The junction. Continue toward Mittlerspitz via Matan.
Alp Matan (1,583 m): The trail reaches Alp Matan — two wooden huts on a wide open meadow scattered with dandelions. Water is available here too. A good place to stop and refill before the steeper upper section.
Alp Matan at 1,583 m. Last water point before the summits.
Steep upper climb — Wörznerhorn: Above Matan there is no official path to Wörznerhorn. Head straight up the open meadow toward the ridge. Once you reach the ridge, a path appears that leads along it toward Mittlerspitz. The Falknishorn is visible top left, and the Rhine Valley drops away sharply below.
The climb above Matan toward the ridge. No marked path — aim for the ridgeline. Falknishorn top left, Rhine Valley below.
Wörznerhorn (1,715 m): The first summit of the day. Wide open views over Balzers, the Rhine Valley and the surrounding ridges.
Looking down on Balzers from Wörznerhorn. Gauschla and Gonzen in the background.
From Wörznerhorn, follow the ridge upward toward Mittlerspitz. The ridge path is clear from here.
The ridge walk toward Mittlerspitz from Wörznerhorn.
Mittlerspitz (1,897 m): The highest point of the route. A metal summit tin is fixed to the post — Mittlerspitz 1897 m.d.M. — with the Rhine Valley almost directly below.
The Mittlerspitz summit at 1,897 m.
Ridge traverse to Mittagsspitz — T4: From Mittlerspitz the route continues along an exposed narrow ridge toward Mittagsspitz. Fixed cables assist on the steepest sections. The drop on both sides is significant. This section requires sure-footedness and a head for heights — do not continue in poor visibility or wet conditions.
The exposed ridge from Mittlerspitz toward Mittagsspitz. The cable marks the way.
The traverse path between the two summits.
Toward Mittagsspitz: From the saddle between Mittlerspitz and Mittagsspitz, looking back at Mittlerspitz. The route to Mittagsspitz follows a grass ridge up from here.
Mittlerspitz from the saddle. The grass ridge to Mittagsspitz continues ahead.
Mittagsspitz (1,857 m): The final summit. The view north along the Rhine Valley — from Balzers to Vaduz and beyond — is one of the finest in Liechtenstein.
The Rhine Valley from Mittagsspitz.
Descent: Return by the same route. On the descent, a waymarker in the forest confirms the way back toward Guscha and St. Luzisteig.
The descent waymarker toward Guscha.
Conditions & Season
- Best months: May–November (south-facing — snow clears earlier than most routes at this elevation)
- The ridge between Mittlerspitz and Mittagsspitz is T4 — exposed, with fixed cables. Do not attempt in wet, icy, or stormy conditions
- If stopping at Mittlerspitz: ~1,150 m elevation gain, significantly less exposed, manageable as T3
How to Get There
By car: Drive south from Vaduz toward Balzers, then follow signs to St. Luzisteig. Park at the St. Luzisteig parking area at the trailhead.
By bus: Liechtenstein Bus lines 11, 13 or 13E to Balzers, then on foot to St. Luzisteig (around 20 minutes additional walk). Alternatively, take the Balzers to Guscha route directly up from Balzers and join this route at Guscha — this avoids the road walk to St. Luzisteig entirely.
Return: Out and back to St. Luzisteig.