Helfenberg Castle Ruins – Wissbach Gorge Trail loop from Schutzgebiet «Ehemalige Kiesgrube Espel»

Hiking trails & Routes

Helfenberg Castle Ruins – Wissbach Gorge Trail loop from Schutzgebiet «Ehemalige Kiesgrube Espel»

Moderate

4.7

(80)

221

hikers

Helfenberg Castle Ruins – Wissbach Gorge Trail loop from Schutzgebiet «Ehemalige Kiesgrube Espel»

02:36

8.88km

250m

Hiking

Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels. The starting point of the route is right next to a parking lot.

Last updated: August 7, 2026

Tips

Your route passes through a protected area

Please check local regulations for:

Schutzgebiet «Ehemalige Kiesgrube Espel»

Waypoints

Start point

Parking

Get Directions

594 m

Glatt Valley near Wissbach Gorge

Highlight (Segment) • River

From the barbecue area you can see the smooth. Then it goes down the river for about 1 KM in a beautiful valley

Translated by Google •

Tip by

1.24 km

Helfenberg Castle Ruins

Highlight • Castle

Castle / Castle ruins Helfenberg, Gossau SG
The castle was probably built in the first half of the 13th century. It was a residence of the Gielen von Glattbrugg family. …

Translated by Google •

Tip by

2.67 km

Confluence of the Wissbach and the Glatt

Highlight • River

The Wissbach comes from Schwellbrunn, the Glatt from Herisau. Together they later flow into the Thur as Glatt near Oberbüren.

Translated by Google •

Tip by

2.88 km

Lochweg Bridge

Highlight • Bridge

Bridge over the Glatt, on Lochweg, resp. Flawil border route.

Translated by Google •

Tip by

4.40 km

Wissbach Gorge
The Wissbach Gorge is a wildly romantic side valley of the Glatt between Gossau, Flawil and Degersheim. A covered wooden walkway leads hikers safely through the gorge. A paradise for families with children.
Text / Source: Outdooractive
outdooractive.com/de/route/wandern/ostschweiz-liechtenstein/gossau-wissbachschlucht-flawil/23425302

Translated by Google •

Tip by

5.09 km

Bridge in the Wissbach Gorge

Highlight • Bridge

One of the countless bridges that you cross when hiking in the Wissbachtal

Translated by Google •

Tip by

5.67 km

Restaurant Hirschen, Egg (closed)

Highlight • Restaurant

Very good traditional restaurant.

Showing Translation

Tip by

8.53 km

Pedestrian and rail bridge over the Glatt

Highlight • Bridge

Columbanweg bridge over the Glatt, Gossau - Flawil

Translated by Google •

Tip by

8.88 km

End point

Parking

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

5.14 km

2.67 km

746 m

174 m

139 m

Surfaces

3.94 km

1.91 km

1.66 km

433 m

406 m

356 m

161 m

Elevation

Nothing selected – click and drag below to see the stats for a specific part of the route.

Highest point (750 m)

Lowest point (610 m)

Weather

Tuesday 6 October

20°C

10°C

23 %

Additional weather tips

Max wind speed: 5.0 km/h

to get more detailed weather forecasts along your route

Comments

August 18, 2024,18.08.24 Tobelrunde zur Ruine Helfenberg & Wissbachschlucht 🥰

Today I have to admit that I was a bit torn about whether I really wanted to go out in the rain... but it was really fun again and a bit of exercise in the fresh air is always good ❤️. Yes and the advantage of a rainy round is that we had the paths all to ourselves and the …

Showing Translation

July 5, 2025,🇨🇭Wissbachbrücke – Wissbachschluchtweg

Unfortunately the GPS had a glitch at the Wissbachtobel🤦‍♀️ The descent and ascent were not that steep😂🤣 It is about 250m↗️ and 250m↘️

Showing Translation

August 2, 2024,🇨🇭 Wissbachschlucht ab Biotop Espel (Gossau SG)

A beautiful route that is easy to do even in hot weather, as you walk a lot in the shade of the trees.
I had to deviate from my planned route at times, as the Tobelwaldweg and the path to the Salpeterhöhle were closed due to landslides. The Nagelflu steep walls rise up on both sides of the gorge, which …

Showing Translation

September 9, 2023,Flawil -🌉 Wissbachbrücke 🥰 Wissbachschluchtweg 🐮🦋

The Wissbachschlucht is a wildly romantic side valley of the Glatt between Gossau, Flawil and Degersheim. 📸A wooden footbridge leads hikers safely through the gorge. A paradise for the warm temperatures, take your swimming costume 🐳 with you or just take a rest 🏝️ by the water... 🥰

Showing Translation

October 31, 2021,🇨🇭 Wissbachschlucht - Tour ab Biotop Espel (Gossau SG) 31.10.21

Nice tour with pleasant temperatures and great weather, through colorful autumn forests and the Wissbach Gorge.
Some beautiful narrow paths, with equally beautiful climbs, rounded off the tour.

Showing Translation

May 17, 2025,Flawil - Wissbachschlucht - NSG Espel - Flawil

A lovely hike for two from Flawil, first to the Wissbachtobel gorge and then to the beautifully landscaped Espel nature reserve. Both highly recommended.
Although the weather initially looked anything but great and we considered turning back, it stayed dry the entire time, and the sun even came out at times.

Showing Translation

October 2, 2021,🇨🇭 Wissbachschlucht ab Biotop Espel (Gossau SG)

Komoot recently recommended the Wissbach Gorge Trail to me for the weekend. I found the highlight promising and planned this tour around it, which turned out to be a very good idea. The result is a very exciting tour with lots of nature, varied paths, caves and a beautiful waterfall in the Wissbach Gorge.

Showing Translation

May 15, 2022,🇨🇭 Bäche mit Highlights & Espel Naturschutzgebiet

start: at the Espel nature reserve (free parking)

leisurely follow the Glatt Bach upstream past the Glattwehr to the

"Helfenberg Ruins"
The castle was probably built in the first half of the 13th century - the castle was then completely destroyed in 1407 during the Appenzell Wars. A first excavation campaign took place in the years 1935 to 1937.
In …

Showing Translation