Time: 5.5h. Up: 810m. Down: 780m.
Distance: 15km. Difficulty: easy.

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Stage 21: Vaduz (455m) to Sargans (490m)

Click and drag on map above to see area around trail. Click here for large zoomable map.

Another day, another country. You will cross the Rhine this morning and then – for the next 24 stages – you'll be in Switzerland. Ahead of you (including today) is the 369km long Swiss Alpine Pass route to Montreux, with 15 major passes to cross, 23.3km (!) of ascent, some of the most spectacular scenery in the world, and unlimited amounts of fondue. Maybe this is what heaven is like?

Pondering this and other pleasant thoughts you can gather your strength today because the hike is an easy one. After the first hour, in which you walk along roads to cross the river, the autobahn, and the railway, the rest of the day is a gentle walk through woods and small villages on slopes overlooking the broad valley of the Rhine. You'll overnight in the old mining town of Sargans, whose roots go back to Ancient Rome.

Route
Today's hike follows the Via Alpina until Sevelen, but then takes a higher route, with less road-walking, to get to Sargans. From Vaduz, cross the river on the main road and continue along it to the village of Sevelen. From there climb to the southwest along small paths and backroads to and through the village of Oberschan. Shortly after you'll join the Rheintal Höhenweg which you then follow through the Gonzenwald down into Sargans.

Alternatives: if you want to make the day easier, there are other lower-level paths that involve much less altitude gain and loss (e.g., the route chosen by the Via Alpina).
Map: K21 Feldkirch - Vaduz.

Journal
The House to House blog... stage 21.

Photos
<A couple of representative photos from this stage will be added here after the hike>
In the meantime, click here to go to all of the H2H photos on Flickr.

GPS Track
<To be added during or after hike>

Room and Board Options
Lunch: there are a couple of mountain restaurants along the way, or you could just picnic.
Dinner and overnight: there are many restaurants and places to stay in Sargans (for a complete list, see here).

Getting There and Back
Vaduz: there is a railway station here (for schedule information, see the SBB).
Sargans: ...and there is also a railway station here.
ViaMichelin Road Map and Driving Directions: centered on Vaduz, centered on Sargans.

Background Information and Links
Many and various...


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