Steep Uphill Climb to Lake Golzern in the Maderan Valley

(This post was created on May 3, 2026, based on a Facebook Album at the time).

Sunday June 28, 2015 -- Lisa (my daughter) likes the uphill climbing better than downhill and wanted to swim in an alpine lake as a reward, so we hiked to Lake Golzern in the Uri mountains, a lake I've been to twice before, but those times I went up by cable car. 

Lisa thinks cable cars are for "woossies", but by "uphill" she wasn't expecting the almost straight up first 500 meters of a total 600-meter climb! Gradual uphill is better. But in the end the pain is forgotten when you can greet the cows and wonder at the incredibly beautiful landscapes, and suntan in a meadow of buttercups! And the lake was beautiful and refreshing, but we got sunburns. Sometimes walking downhill is harder than uphill, but we chose a different and more gradual path to go down. 

Altogether it was a 10-km hike, but compensation for the uphill climbs means this worked out to about 16 km of walking.....

To get into the Maderan Valley, the bus runs along a narrow winding road up from the town of Amsteg, into this gorge off the Reuss Valley. It's less than a two-hour trip to get here. 

Following the Chärstelen River toward the end of the bus run at the valley station of the cable car. 

At 9:00 a.m. we were at the start of our hike at the final bus stop in the valley. According to the trail markers, it is an hour and 45 minutes to hike up to the Golzern Lake!

The starting point of our hike is at the valley station of the Golzern Cable Car. First we cross the bridge over the river, with a view up the Maderan Valley. 

Ahead is the hill that we are climbing pretty well straight up!

A huge grasshopper which we met on the way up! (According to Internet research, this might be a "Wart-Biter", a type of bush-cricket and not a grasshopper at all!)

The cable car would have been so much easier, but not as rewarding.... I guess

After a long and steep uphill section through the forest, we reach the upper mountain pastures. 

Time for a break about half-way up.

Time for a break about half-way up.

Those people in the cable car are probably thinking: "Look at the idiots sweating up the hill when they could be enjoying the view from here!"

Looking into the beautiful Maderaner Valley.

Only another 2 km to go! It's now 10:40, and we've been walking for over 90 minutes. But at least it's not so steep any more. 

More beautiful mountains making their appearance at the back of the valley.

The mountain meadows are ever-changing.

Looking back the way we came. This mountain is the Bristen.

Finally got to the part which wasn't so hard to walk....

It's now 10:50, the day is getting warm, and we are looking forward to getting to the lake!

This cow was really interested in Lisa; she came over right away!

Swiss Brown Cows are the Best!

All along the trail are little tables with Quarz Crystals and homemade ointments etc. for sale. It's all done by honour system. The items are priced, and you put the payment in a little box...

Finally got to the lake and it was high time for a swim!

Panorama View of the Golzern Upper Plateau in the Maderan Valley. 

Trying for a fun photo!

The water was very refreshing!

We settled in this buttercup meadow right by the lake.

Before heading back down we walked around the lake.

A convenient bench with a view!

Back now around the south side of the lake

There is a boardwalk through the reeds on the west side of the lake. 

A final look back across the lake before we head back toward the road which goes down the mountain. 

Going back the same way we came. Later, though, we took a different road down the mountain. 

This is back at the cable-car station, but we are still not using the cable-way. The mighty Bristen is in our sights. 

We took a different and not so steep trail back down into the Maderan Valley. Starting on the downhill section at about 4:30 p.m., we reached the bus stop about an hour later. 

A waterfall along the way. 

The locals use this road to get to their homes up in the Golzern plateau. 

The final section back to the bus stop at the cable-car station, looking up the Maderan Valley. The final stretch was almost two kilometers along the river. 

Just about back at the Cable Car station where we catch the Post Bus back down into the Reuss Valley. We got back to the bus stop at about 5:30 p.m. 

This is basically the route we walked: First the steep uphill section to just below the cable-car summit station, then to the lake and around it, and back down along the wider road, and following the river back to the bus stop. 

Walking at a moderate pace, this is about a 3½-hour hike with 660 meters of altitude gain. What a great performance! 

Heading back north, this is a view across Lake Lauerz near the Arth-Goldau train station.