Biking on the Uetliberg

In recent years, there was continuous conflict on the Uetliberg between hikers, bikers and the city of Zurich as the owner. The city of Zurich thus decided to construct two official bike trails. Their purpose is to prevent the formation of illegal trails, maintain quiet zones for wild animals and protect hikers on the forest paths.

It has worked pretty well so far, even if the bike trails on the Uetliberg are described as fairly tame. While that might be true, there are few cities which provide two official bike trails that still offer a lot of fun.

Antenna Trail (Triemli) and Höckler Trail

Zurich’s home mountain offers a lot to bikers and other ambitious visitors. That’s why it is especially important to stick to the rules and only ride on trails intended for the bikers.

Triemli Bike Trail / Antenna Trail: The official name of the larger of the two bike trails on the Uetliberg is “Triemli Bike Trail,” but it’s usually called “Antenna Trail” and is a single trail for mountain bikes. It was built by the city, opened in the early summer of 2005 and has been steadily expanded since then. It starts right beneath the transmitting antenna at the large barbecue area on the Uetliberg. The finish is just above the Triemli SZU station. The altitude difference is about 350 meters, the track is 3.5 kilometers long and the narrow trail is usually only 30 to 60 cm wide. The riding time is about 11 minutes down and a half hour up (depending on the weight of the bike and the biker’s fitness level). Its average slope of 10% makes it very steep at times. This requires agility and good control of the bike.

Höckler Bike Trail: The single trail on the Höckler can also be challenging. The narrow trail is usually only 30 to 60 cm wide, 500 m long and sometimes very steep. The rider must be brave, agile and maintain good control of the bike to master the ride down.