Hotels in Lichtensteig

Lichtensteig is the small medieval town of the lower Toggenburg, in the canton of St. Gallen, and in winter it is a base for skiers who take the train and bus up the valley rather than a ski village: nothing is skied from the town itself. Café-Conditorei Hotel Huber, on Postgasse in the old town, is the one hotel listed here, rated 8.3 from 233 reviews; it doubles as a pastry shop and restaurant and has free parking, and recent guests single out the breakfast. Lichtensteig sits on the railway to Wattwil, the next town up the Thur, and the riverside Thurweg links the two on foot in about 45 minutes. From Wattwil station, the PostAuto Churfirsten line climbs through Nesslau to Wildhaus, which puts the ski areas of the upper Toggenburg within reach without a car. The main one is the Chäserrugg above Unterwasser: a funicular rises to Iltios, then a cable car continues to the 2,262 m summit, and the operator sells a ski ticket with weather insurance, worth knowing in a valley where fog and wind can spoil a day. The lifts also sell sledging tickets for non-skiers. My verdict: sleep in Lichtensteig if you want an old town, good coffee and public transport for a few ski days; if you want first lifts every morning, stay in Unterwasser or Wildhaus.