Day hikes from Lucerne
Since May 2022 we live in the pretty town of Lucerne. We are very lucky to have the start of the Alps right in our backyard, and we would like to share our favourite day hikes that can be easily reached by public transport. And even one that is just outside town!
The easy one: Bürgenstock.
If you are not really familiar with mountain hiking, didn’t bring your hiking gear with you, or even want to take your grandma along; the Bürgenstock cliff walk is where it’s at. There are several ways to get there. The fastest and cheapest option is by train and bus: take the S4 train from Lucerne main station and get off at Stansstad, hop on the 321 bus and get off at the last stop (Bürgenstock Zentrum). This costs you about CHF 7.80 (single trip). The fancier version is to take the boat from Lucerne to Bürgenstock-Kehrsiten and take the funicular up. A single trip (without reduction) would set you back CHF 43.20. The cliff walk or “Felsenweg” takes you around the peak, with great views on the lake from the north side, and a wide view to the Alps on the south side of the walk. The walk itself is very gentle and is even designed for wheelchair users. There is an option at the halfway point to go to the top by elevator (the Hammetschwand lift). It costs CHF 15 one way and CHF 18 return trip, children 6-15 half price, children under 6 free. You can pay by cash or card at the lift.
The hike is about 6 km long and therefore the perfect day out when you want to sleep in and enjoy a half day out of town. Either by boat or train, the journey to Bürgenstock is already amazing. But note that this hike is only open half of the year, when there is snow or ice, the cliff walk is closed. You can check here.
The classic: 4 lake hike from Engelberg.
A bit further away, but highly recommended, you can enjoy Alpine meadows, Swiss cheese and no less than 4 lakes in one hike. This route is considered a classic and the many options to avoid high meters make it suitable for every fitness level. This is a point-to-point walk, so public transport is the way to go.
The hike runs from Engelberg to Melchsee-Frut (or the other way around). As the connection by bus from Sarnen to Melchsee is the bottleneck, we recommend to start there; take a train from Lucerne to Sarnen and switch to the bus taking you to the gondola at Stockalp. The gondola will take you up to the little town of Melchsee and the first lake of the day. Between lake 2 (Tannensee) and lake 3 (Engstlensee) there is a small climb, but before and after there are guesthouses to take a break and plenty of picnic sites. If you are into Swiss cheese, get some at the farm at Engstlenalp. If the weather is nice, you can swim in either Melchsee or Engstlensee to cool down. From Engstlensee you can either hike up to the Jochpass and down to the last lake (Trübsee), but there is also the option of taking the gondola, to save some high meters (and your knees). From Trübsee another gondola will take you down to Engelberg, where you can take the train back to Lucerne.
The walk from Melchsee-Frut to Trübsee is around 12 km long. Information on the gondola from Stockalp can be found here and the gondolas between Jochpass, Trübsee and Engelberg here.
The route depicted here runs the opposite way; from Engelberg to Melchsee, starting from the gondola station at Trübsee.
Hidden gem right outside of town: Bireggwald
Whenever we have guests over and have an hour or two to spare, we take them to this spot. The forest, called Bireggwald, just behind the football stadium is a popular spot for the locals to take a stroll, go for a run or take the kids for some outdoorsy time. There are barbecue spots scattered throughout. And it has one of the best views over the lake and the mountains from what we call “the bench”. From where we live, we can just go out of the door and start walking, but from the city center the most convenient would be to take a bus or train to Luzern Allmend/Messe. Several paths go through the forest, but make sure you stop and admire the view from the bench! The suggested walk here passes by (on the bottom right), and is around 6 km long. Perfect for a Sunday afternoon!
