Pfannenstiel, Mountain summit in Zürich, Switzerland.

Pfannenstiel is a forested summit in the canton of Zurich, rising to around 850 meters (2,790 feet) above sea level and overlooking Lake Zurich to the west. Several hiking trails cross the slopes and connect the summit to surrounding villages such as Egg, Erlenbach, and Küsnacht.

Pfannenstiel was first recorded in a document in 1306, as "Phannenstil", before any signal stations existed. The name likely described a long, curved strip of land resembling a pan handle, originally a field name on the slope above Meilen. It was later applied to the surrounding farms (Vorderer, Mittlerer, Hinterer Pfannenstiel) and eventually to the whole ridge. In the 17th century, a Hochwacht with a pitch pan for fire and smoke signals stood on the summit.

The name Pfannenstiel comes from the German word for pan handle, referring to the pan once used to send fire signals from the top. Today, people from nearby towns use the trails on weekends for walks and picnics in the forest.

The Forchbahn train from Zurich Stadelhofen station brings you close to the trailheads, and the S-Bahn also serves several nearby villages along the lake. Boat services on Lake Zurich offer another way to reach the area, with the option to walk up from the shore.

The steel and cast-iron tower was built on the Bachtel in 1893, stored by the Swiss Post from 1985, and rebuilt on the Pfannenstiel in 1992 by specialists from Eastern Europe. Its placement was disputed: the canton wanted the forested summit, while Meilen objected to building in a protected area, so it stands somewhat lower, in Egg.