Afternoon Walk on the St.James Trail from Stans to Buochs

Tuesday March 3, 2026 -- Due to appointments this day, I only had a few hours in the afternoon for an outing, but the weather was perfectly lovely, so I traveled a relatively short distance to the city of Stans just south of Luzern in Canton Nidwalden, and did an easy 9-km walk to the town of Buochs along, once again, the St.James trail. (It's a good time to walk the St.James trail as it would be too hot to do this in summer). 

Mostly I chose this path to once again "join" with other hikes I have done in the region, but also to have a closer look at a little chapel at the entrance of the Engelberg Valley, a chapel which we admire every time we pass here by train on our way in the direction of Engelberg. Along the way I followed the Engelberger Aa River for a while, climbed up along the base of Mt.Buochs with great views of Mt.Pilatus, and visited some more chapels and churches. As this is part of the Swiss section of the Camino de Santiago, there were plenty those along the way!

As I only had a few hours this lovely afternoon for a short walk, I traveled to Stans, which is only an hour's trip from home. Instead of heading into the main part of town, (which I have seen several times), I headed directly into the countryside north and east of the town, where I started at about 12:20. Some nice houses along the Bahnhofstrasse. 

A small lane leads eastward with Mount Buochserhorn ahead of me. Later, I will walk via the farms and clearing at the foot of the mountain (at the left on this photo). That region is called Waltersberg. 

On almost every walk I do, there's a cat in the pastures!

Now I'm heading south, because my next goal is a little chapel which we pass every time we head into the Engelberg Valley by train. 

Starting in Stans at 12:20, I walked almost 9 km to the bus stop near the lake in Buochs, and caught the 15:16 bus back to Stans. So it took me three hours for this walk. The whole trip by bus and train back home was about 90 minutes. 

View south into the Engelberg Valley. 

To the west, a great view of Mt.Pilatus. According to the trail marker, I have now joined National Trail no.4: "Via Jakobi", also known as the Jakobsweg or St.James Trail, which is the Swiss part of the Camino de Santiago pilgrim trail. It is also part of National Trail no.2: "Trans Swiss Trail". 

First the path passes this chapel called St.Heinrich. It was locked, as it also was when I passed by here on a hike I did out of the Engelberg Valley toward Stans in April of 2025 (photos HERE). 

Looking westward at the outlying homes in the town of Stans. 

And now up ahead is the little chapel which we have often seen on train trips to Engelberg, as the train heads into a curve right here. I had wanted to see the inside, so this is why I made a detour this way. 

The chapel is called St.Rochus, and is not really that old. The date inscribed above the door is 1901. 

Details of the St.Rochus Chapel

Continuing on now in the direction of the Engelberger Aa river which runs past Mt.Buochserhorn here and enters Lake Luzern (Vierwaldstättersee) at the town of Buochs, I unfortunately had to walk this stretch on the busy road here. 

A beautiful view into the Engelberg Valley. 

Now I have reached the river, and look back toward Mt. Pilatus to the west. The farmers are busy everywhere distributing manure. It's a smell that is part of the Swiss spring landscape!

This is the Engelberger Aa River which flows from the back of the Engelberg Valley. I will cross a bridge near here and continue up the hill to the little house at the top. 

Beautiful Engelberg Valley and the Engelberger Aa River. 

Crossing the Engelberger Aa River with a view up the Engelberg Valley. 

Just east of the river is a lovely canal which is part of a local power plant. On my April 2025 hike I had walked along this, the east side of the canal along that small path, but it was only when I got here to the bridge that I was made aware that it is a private pathway and not actually meant for pedestrians. 

Celebrating the recent birth of a boy named Maurin..... The Swiss German dialekt is hard to read. Translated it means "Welcome Little Maurin", and in proper German would read "Willkommen kleiner Maurin"

Now a view south into the Engelberg Valley from the foot of Mt.Buochserhorn. 

I have made quite a few photos now in the direction of Mt.Pilatus! The trail markers indicate that I have another hour to reach the town of Buochs. It is now 1:30 p.m. and I have been walking for about an hour. From here I have a short uphill stretch. 

Heading uphill now past the little barn to the house at the top. 

The mountain across the river from here is the Stanserhorn, the one with the unique open-topped double-decker cable-car. 

A self-timed photo taken from in front of the little barn. A good place to rest as I am not used to even small uphill sections any more!

Across the wide open plain to Mt. Pilatus. On the right is Mt.Bürgenstock. 

And this is the little house that was the goal of this uphill stretch. From here it is now all downhill into the town of Buochs!

A look behind me again as I continue on from that little house. The views today are quite spectacular. 

The road continues now along the hillside called Waltersberg, with Mt.Bürgenstock to the north. 

Once again I am being watched by the curious cows! One of them is currently using the circular brush to give herself a back massage. 

Here in Waltersberg is the next pilgrim chapel (the third so far on my walk). 

This is St.Anna's chapel, built in 1889. It had a very, very nice interior. 

The walls and ceiling in the chapel were very beautifully painted. There were also lovely stained glass windows, and paintings of the stations of the cross. (Many churches have these, in lots of different artistic styles). 

Details of the interior of the St.Anna Chapel in Waltersberg. 

Around the corner I get the first glimpse of the Ennetbürgen/Buochs arm of Lake Luzern, and the first glimpse of Mt. Rigi. Also below is already the next chapel to detour to on the way to Buochs. 

Close-up look at the Loreto Chapel which I will detour to, off the main trail. (That huge tree is apparently a horse chestnut tree) 

Down below a flock of Valais Black-Nosed sheep are grazing! Not a single one lifted their head to look at me, so I could see their pretty faces! You don't see a lot of these sheep in this region. 

The tractors were busy all around, up and down these roads. 

This sign is cute! It reads: "Please keep the gate shut, no matter what the chickens say!"

A detour to the Loreto Chapel was welcome, because I needed a break and there was a bench in the sunshine under that beautiful huge tree! Built in 1713, the chapel is dedicated to St.Nepomuk. It has a sun dial on the side, which is pretty accurate, as the time is now 2:10 p.m.! (The shadow is on II). 

The tiny chapel has two inside sections. One of them is almost an exact copy of the "Casa Santa" chapel in Loreto, Italy. (Center photo). 

The chapel was built in 1713 by the local mayor on his own property in thanksgiving of a victory in a skirmish during the 2nd Willmergen Battle in the nearby town of Sins. This painting above the entrance door depicts the victory in Sins. The mayor, Johann Jakob Achermann, was the leader of the Nidwalden Troops in that battle. 

This huge tree (horse chestnut) in front of the chapel is not here by accident. As this is a pilgrim chapel, there was not enough room inside for all the pilgrims in the three-times yearly crucifix processions from Buochs to here on the Ennerberg, so the tree was planted in expectation of the large crowds, to shield them from sun and rain. 

I enjoyed the sunshine here on the bench for a bit, before continuing on my walk. 

Along the way, this farmer was propelling bits of manure in the direction of the road I was walking on, and I fully expected to be pelted! But he stopped before it all hit the road.... 

VIDEO:

The farmer is distributing manure in the pastures!

Lovely little snowbells!

Final farmhouses before I cross under the highway and into the outskirts of the city of Buochs. 

Heading now toward the center of Buochs, I pass yet ANOTHER roadside chapel! It's called the Obgass-Chäppeli (or Obgass Chapel). 

Details of the Obgass Chapel. It was built in 1662 (although the date on the front reads 1663)

A very attractive house on my way to the main parish church! It is called the "Blauhaus", and is a sample of the classic style of a farmhouse in Canton Nidwalden. It is about 200 years old. 

Up ahead is the parish church of St.Martin, a late-Baroque construction from 1802-1805

Interior of St.Martin's parish church in Buochs. 

Interior of St.Martin's parish church in Buochs. 

Other details of the interior of the St.Martin's parish church. 

There was an interesting side chapel as well, with fresco paintings on all the walls, displaying a history of the construction of the original church here, as well as the acquisition of a copy of the icon of the Virgin Mary (from a "holy mountain" in Varallo, Italy), donated by another mayor by the name of Achermann to the parish church in 1687.

History on the walls: The first church and Marienkapelle were built here in the early 12th Century by order of the Muri Monastery. 

There was a lot of construction going on in the center of the town of Buochs, so I took a lesser-used trail past the local school, heading toward the lake where I wanted to catch my bus. Here I am passing yet ANOTHER chapel. This one is very pretty with the painting above the door. 

This chapel is called the St.Sebastian Nothelferkapelle ("Holy Helper Chapel"), built in 1683/84. It was totally restored in 1999. Since 2010, this chapel is under Canton Monument Protection.

At 3:15 p.m. I got to the bus-stop outside of Buochs where I wanted to catch the bus, as this "connects" an earlier hike I did along the the lake back in June 2024. I made it with just three minutes to spare for the bus back to Stans. The mountain in the background is called Niederbauen. 

The bus is back at the train station in Stans by 3:30 p.m., and from here it was just an hour trip to get back to Zug. 

What my hike from Stans to Buochs looks like on Google Satellite Maps. I visited six chapels and two churches on this 9-km walk. (There was an Evangelical Church I looked at in Stans at the start of the hike, but it was just a simple building with chairs and a pulpit). 

All the hikes I have done in the region around the entrance of the Engelberg Valley.