Following the Bruder Klausen Weg from Kerns to Flüeli via Ranft

(This post published on Aug.5, 2023)

May 20, 2014 -- A lovely Spring day means I can get out and do some hiking on my own. I chose to do a short section along the St. James Pilgrim Trail, Switzerland's section of the popular European pilgrim trail called "Camino de Santiago", from Kerns to Flüeli in Canton Obwalden. 

Switzerland's most famous Saint, and in fact, the country's Patron Saint, is "Bruder Klaus" (Brother Klaus), originally Nicholas von Flüe, born in 1417 in a small village in Central Switzerland called Flüeli, where he married and raised 10 children before deciding (with the support of his family) to move into the ravine nearby to live a solitary life of prayer. He had always been involved in politics, and many people sought him out to settle disputes even in international business, so even as a hermit, he didn't have a totally solitary lifestyle. He died in 1487 and is buried in the burial chapel in the town of Sachseln on Lake Sarnen. In 1967 he was canonized as a Saint by Pope Pius XII.

I started my hike in the town of Sarnen, hiking uphill to the village of Kerns, and joining the St.James trail at the tiny chapel called St.Anton (or Antoni), with its superb frescoes on either side of the main door. Continuing on through the most lovely pastureland, with views of Lake Sarnen, I also visited the St.Niklausen chapel (oldest building -- 1350 -- in its original form in the community of Kerns, with a fabulous wood-panel ceiling) before descending into the ravine to look at Brother Klaus' hermitage and nearby chapel before finishing my 10-kilometer hike at the bus stop in Flüeli, next to the house where Brother Klaus had raised his family. In the end, it was a hike of over 3 hours!

Heading by train from Luzern to Sarnen along Lake Alpnach. (Alpnachersee)

Near the start of the hike from Sarnen to Kerns. That mountain ahead of me is Mt. Stanserhorn. I started at about 10:30.

Lovely pastoral landscapes and enjoyable walking trails. The mountains on the left are actually the Bernese Alps. 

The first snowbells are always a joy to discover

I got to Kerns at 11:10. Next stop is St.Antoni in 30 minutes, and St.Niklausen in just over an hour. 

It's a church-themed hike today. This is the parish church in Kerns

I could have started in Kerns, and then continued on from Flüeli to Sachseln, it would have been a better use of the 3 hours, but I didn't know this at this time. Ascending from the train station at Sarnen, I joined the Jakobi Trail at about the half-way point on this diagram, at the St. Antoni Chapel. I started at about 10:30, and got to Flüeli at 14:10

This is the St.Anton Chapel (built in 1540), where I joined the St.James trail which comes up from Stans from the left. I got here at 11:30.

The frescoes on the front of the St.Anton chapel are spectacular. 

The inside of the St.Anton chapel 

The bus station called Flüeli-Ranft is in the village called Flüeli (Ranft is the hamlet in the ravine where Brother Klaus lived as a hermit for 20 years). 1 hour and 20 minutes from here. This trail is part of both the St.James Trail no.4 and the TransSwiss Trail no.2, as well as the very specific themed trail no.571: "Bruder Klausen Weg"

Some very nice old farmhouses in this area. 

St. James Trail between Kerns and Flüeli-Ranft

A view down to Lake Sarnen. It always smells nice when the grass is freshly-mown. 

A look behind me at Mount Stanserhorn. There are other people on the pilgrim's trail!

Panorama view to the Northwest, to Mount Pilatus

There are such nice colours in the forests in springtime. The valley on the left is the Melch Valley. 

At first I had good weather, but then it got hot and muggy. 

Up ahead is the St.Niklausen chapel, next one to inspect on the pilgrim's trail. 

Another very attractive house!

The St.Niklausen Chapel, built in 1350, is the oldest church in the community of Kerns which is still in its original build. 

Inside St.Niklausen chapel with its frescoes and lovely wood-panel ceiling. 

These painted wood-panel ceilings in the old chapels are simply amazing. 

Heading on now, a final look up at the St.Niklausen chapel. 

From the chapel, you can look down a the village of Flüeli on the left (the end of my hike) and the Paxmontana Art-Nouveau hotel below. 

So many lovely flowering meadows.... 

And of course, it's not a complete hike in Switzerland if there aren't any cows. Between here and Flüeli is the ravine where Brother Klaus spent 20 years away from his family. 

A look into the ravine shows the second of two chapels. This is the lower Ranft Chapel, built in 1501 to accommodate all the pilgrims who came to visit the Hermitage. 

Information about Bruder Klaus: In Fall of 1467, Nicholas von Flüe left his family to spend his life communing with God in this remote ravine. (This is when he took on the name "Bruder Klaus".) Even though he planned to live in solitude, his reputation as a shrewed politician meant that many people sought him out for advice. He died here in 1487.

In the bottom of the canyon at Ranft, where Brother Klaus spent the last 20 years of his life. This is the Melchaa River. Behind the trees is the Lower Ranft Chapel.

The lower Ranft chapel, built in 1501 to accommodate all the pilgrims who came here to seek solitude. 

The interior of the Lower Ranft Chapel. The depiction of "Bruder Klaus" is typical of what one finds all over the country. This is apparently a nice example of Post-Gothic architecture. 

Heading out of the ravine now. Nicholas' neighbours built him a chapel and small adjoining room in 1468. The upper and original Ranft Chapel was rebuilt in 1693, but the attached hermitage is in its original form from 1468.

The inside of the Hermitage, a building with two stories (4.6 square meters each), the bottom level being like a small jail cell with a stone bench for a bed, but nice and cool!

It was a steep climb out of the Ravine to the village of Flüeli. In the back is the Melch Valley. 

Here in the village center of Flüeli, I caught a bus back down to Sachseln on the lake. I didn't go up to see the church on the hill this time (Built 1614-1618). 

This is the old farmhouse where Nicholas von Flüe lived with his wife Dorothee from 1445 to 1467, where they raised 10 children. When Nicholas chose to live in solitude in the ravine not far from their home, his oldest son was 20 and could run the farm. His family supported his decision. 

This map shows the feeder trails for the official and popular pilgrim's trail: "Camino de Santiago". In Switzerland it is called the St.James Trail (Via Jakobi) and ist designated by the number 4, basically going from Lake Constance to Geneva. There are a couple of additional feeder trails, marked in blue.