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Lake LucerneThe easy way into the high mountains
Nights: 7
Starting point: Romantik Hotel Wilden Mann (4*), Lucerne. Situated close to the city’s famous bridge, the Kapellbrücke, this romantic hotel has been beautifully converted from several 16th-century townhouses. The interior is handsome and atmospheric, and you can choose to dine in the hotel’s own superb restaurants (pay locally) or in one of the city’s many eateries. Day 1: spend a couple of hours strolling through Lucerne's narrow, pretty streets, admiring the fine Renaissance architecture, before catching the regular train for the 30-minute journey along the shore of the lake to Sarnen.
From here a pleasant path leads gently uphill through forest and meadows
to Fluëli-Ranft, an important centre of pilgrimage as it was here that
the hermit Brother Klaus lived. If you get an early start from Lucerne, you can enjoy an additional 12-kilometre circuit from the village, passing the
three chapels in the Ranft Valley associated with Brother Klaus. (5km,
1.5hrs) Day 2: this gentle walk follows the old pilgrimage paths of the
Jakobsweg (one of the network of routes leading to Santiago de Compostela
in Spain) and the Brüderklausenweg ('Brother Klaus Path') across undulating
meadows dotted with hamlets and criss-crossed by streams. At Stans, you
take the train to Engelberg. (16km, 4.5hrs) Day 3: on your day in Engelberg we suggest that you take the cable car to the lake half-way up the slopes of Mount Titlis (3,329 metres), the towering mountain which dominates the village. Admire the fantastic views as you walk round the lake on a botanical trail and then descend back to Engelberg. If you prefer not to walk, it is well worth taking the revolving cable car (pay locally) to the very summit – a classic excursion. (10.5km, 3hrs) Accommodation: Hotel Edelweiss, as above. Day 4: catch the train back down the valley to Niederrickenbach,
from where you take the cable car into the high mountains for a rewarding
walk in wonderful mountain scenery. You ascend past a monastery and cross
meadows to Brisenhaus, the epitome of a Swiss mountain hut, where we recommend
you have lunch (pay locally). You then continue across more high mountain
pastures, passing some fine viewpoints offering splendid panoramas of
Lake Lucerne and Mount Rigi. You descend by cable car to Beckenried, on
the shores of the lake, or can walk if you want longer to appreciate the lake views. (10km, 3.5hrs or 15km, 5hrs) Day 5: today's thrilling route, a combination of scenic journeys
and walking, takes you up Mount Rigi. It starts with a boat trip across the lake, giving you a marvellously different perspective of the mountains. You then continue by cog railway to the summit (1,797 metres), from where you can admire the breathtaking 360-degree panorama before descending across meadows to Rigi
Kaltbad. (8km, 3hrs) Day 6: you could simply take the cable car down to Weggis, though
we recommend that first you walk along the spine of the Rigi for more
superb vistas. (12km, 4hrs) Walking chart: the chart gives the distance and an approximation of the ascents and descents involved each day. If comparing holidays, please note the scale of each chart as this can differ.
Recommendations for extra nights: Paxmontana Hotel (Fluëli-Ranft) for extra walking, or Romantik Hotel Wilden Mann (Lucerne) for more time to explore the city. Extensions: stay three nights at the 3-star Hotel Victoria in Kandersteg, a true walker's paradise in the Bernese Oberland which boasts an equally idyllic lake. Take the Train and break your journey for a night in Paris on the way, staying at one of our favourite Parisian hotels. Read about the experiences of one traveller in her personal travel diary. Other information: if you would like to see the brochure page, you can download this (and the pages for any other holidays you are interested in) by using our brochure creation system. You can also read our website travel diary for a personal account of the holiday. Similar holidays: Lake Geneva to Lake Neuchâtel (grade 2), The Leutasch Valley (grade 2), Towards the Matterhorn (grades 2 & 3), Villages of the Engadine (grades 2 & 3), The High Dolomites (grades 2 & 3), The Bernese Oberland (grades 2 & 3), Lakes & Mountains (grade 1-2) Prices & travel
Recommended destination airport: Zurich Extra night prices 2008 (extra nights can be booked at any hotel)
> Notes on prices > Any queries? Let us call you back  |
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Lake
Lucerne is Switzerland's most idyllic lake, its numerous fingers twisting
and turning through the landscape, with tremendous mountains all around.
Historic steamers ply the vivid blue waters, linking the handsome city
of Lucerne with the picturesque villages along the shore. High above the
lake, great peaks draw the walker's gaze, and rack railways give easy
access to panoramic high paths, allowing you to appreciate this beautiful
area to the full. This is a unique walk in that it combines superb walking
with thrilling boat, rail and cable car journeys (all included) that take
you right into the heart of the mountains, avoiding too many steep
sections on foot. As such, this is a high-altitude walk that is suitable for all of average fitness,
featuring a mix of short
uphill routes and longer routes on the flat. The landscapes through which
you walk are surprisingly varied, and the shape of the lake, together
with the effects of the light, make for a constantly changing panorama
of which it is impossible to tire. In late June and throughout July, the
flowers are spectacular, while September is a favourite time for walkers.
Kapellbrücke, Lucerne 
