Discover Quarten

Quarten is a political municipality in the canton of St. Gallen and in the Sarganserland electoral district. Its tourist surroundings bring together mountain, water and rural landscapes between Flumserberg and Lake Walen, as well as in the Murgsee area. The tourist region of Quarten is part of Heidiland and encompasses five local communities, six villages and the Molseralp on Tannenboden in the Flumserberge. This means you can choose between a hike in the Murgsee area, activities on Lake Walen and historic architecture in Quarten.

Hiking in the Murgsee area

The Murgsee Gourmet Tour is a moderately difficult hike covering 9.8 kilometres and taking 3 hours and 30 minutes. Route details may change, so check the conditions before setting out. The starting point at the Mornen car park can be reached from Murg on Lake Walen by car or on-demand taxi. Check the access information before travelling, too.

The tour passes via Alp Guflen to a forest reserve with an ancient stand of Swiss stone pines, where no timber is harvested. It runs through a ruggedly romantic mountain cirque with the three Murg lakes. The distance and duration refer to the hike itself; the car or on-demand taxi refers to access to its starting point. You can therefore plan the time on the tour separately from your journey to the Mornen car park.

Experiences on Lake Walen

At Lake Walen, the Walensee play experience in Unterterzen offers a different focus. It combines five themed playgrounds and a themed trail around the lake with boat trips. Play features include a small wooden boat with balancing ropes, a slide and a wobble bridge. Here, the experience centres on several play areas and the combination of a trail and boat trip; the Murgsee Gourmet Tour focuses on the hiking route and scenery.

Another way to experience the lake is SUP yoga on Lake Walen: yoga takes place on a stand-up paddleboard in the middle of the lake. This activity is seasonal. Check current dates and availability before planning.

Church history in Quarten

The parish church of St. Gallus was built in Quarten from 1860 to 1862 under Placidus Huber, a former conventual of Pfäfers Abbey. Its decorative wall paintings are said to imitate Irish ornamentation. An earlier historical reference dates back to the 9th century: by then, the Benedictine Abbey of Pfäfers already owned a chapel in Quarten. Its endowment included a hide of land as well as rich fishing grounds in Lake Walen. You can compare two points in time: ownership of the chapel and its endowment in the 9th century, and construction of the parish church in the 19th century.

Travel interests and finding a hotel

The Murgsee Gourmet Tour offers a hike with a defined time frame; the play experience and SUP yoga offer different activities on Lake Walen; and St. Gallus provides a cultural and historical connection. You can shape your stay around whichever topic interests you most.

Discover more destinations: Mols, Murg, Flums, Bad Ragaz, Vättis, Tannenheim, Flumserberg, Quinten.

See the full travel guide: Sarganserland.