Spring Walk from Sins to Rotkreuz along the Reuss River

Saturday March 28 -- It's supposed to get cold next week (i.e. first week of April), our "second winter" with snow right down to the low levels, just like last year. So on this perhaps last nice day of a very balmy March we were able to get out for a couple of hours. Not far away, just 20 minutes by train to the Reuss River nearby, where we walked along a surprisingly nice riverbank trail from Sins (a medieval toll city with its lovely wooden covered bridge) upstream approx. 7 km to Rotkreuz from where it's also only 10 minutes by train back to near our home.

It's always a nice reminder that we don't have to travel far to experience the little pleasures we get from being in nature: The sudden bursting of little white and purple flowers all over the forest floor, the first blossoming trees like adorned brides, and the revival of the trees and bushes with the inevitable and sudden emergence of leaves of all shades of green at various stages of new birth. Here along the river we were once again accompanied by the soothing sound of the current and for most part far enough away from the road so we did not hear the traffic.

The only downside maybe is that the air has been fairly hazy lately, which is a shame because along this stretch of the river you can see the Alps on a nice clear day.

Everything is looking like Spring

Although this construction is from the 19th Century, the original bridge over the Reuss River here was built in mid-15th Century and was for a long time the only bridge between Bremgarten and Gisikon (a distance of ca. 30 km). 

We are always pleased when our walks include a covered wooden bridge

The sign says "1 hour 50 minutes" to Rotkreuz, and that is exactly how long it took us.

After crossing the Reuss River on the wooden bridge, the rest of our walk was southward along this side of the river, i.e. upstream

All excited aber the new and fresh greens!

There were a few other walkers and several bikers along this trail

We were surprised at how pleasant the trail was (we thought we'd be on a road like the one on the left the whole way). And there was little noise from any traffic as the roads were further away.

Along the man-made dike (to prevent widespread flooding when the river gets high) the bank was covered with white and purple flowers!

This looked quite magical

Usually I don't like walks along rivers, but there were so many interesting sections

Here in particular there were several splashes of green!

Lots more green interspersed with blossoming bushes

An old mill (converted to residence) close to the end of our walk

So pretty

Just over 7 km to walk along the Reuss River from Sins to Rotkreuz, then only 10 minutes by train back to near home

And this is what the lawn in our apartment complex looks like...

Several years ago (January 2014), I walked a different stretch along the Reuss River, starting further North in Mühlau and walking to Sins. Also 7 km, which I did on my own (definitely better to have a walking partner). But at that time the air was clear and you could see the mountains. 

Late afternoon on my walk along the Reuss River in January 2014

On my walk along the Reuss River in Januar 2014, the air was much clearer and you could see the mountains quite well

Walk along the Waldemme River from Sörenberg to Flühli (Entlebuch)

Thursday March 19th -- This final nice day in a long stretch of nice weather might also be the last day for a while that we can go anywhere, as the public transit is, in some places, now only for people with essential needs (work, food purchases, doctor...) not hiking!

But I took a vacation day and headed one more time into the mountains, to the Mariental Valley in the area of Luzern called the Entlebuch, where is the recreation town of Sörenberg. I was going to start my walk along the Waldemme River at the foot of Mount Brienzer Rothorn, but the further up the valley that the Post Bus travelled (in which I was the only passenger), the more snow we encountered, so I got out earlier, exactly in Sörenberg, and spent the next three hours walking leisurely downstream toward the town of Flühli. Unfortunately the sun disappeared about half-way through my excursion, but the weather was mild and I thoroughly enjoyed the sound of the water, especially when the path paralleled the main road: You could not hear the cars for the sound of the water.

I stumbled across a muddy pond and quite by accident noticed a nervous motion across the surface of the water, which turned out to be what seemed like hundreds of frogs! I'd never seen anything like it before. Most spectacular was the low croaking sound they were making, which taken all together sounded very much like a large large cat purring! It was marvelous to watch and listen to.

Recreation village of Sörenberg, popular during the winter ski season

Start of the trail in Sörenberg, heading North out of the valley. The Waldemme River has its source slightly Southeast of here, at the base of Mount Brienzerrothorn

I ran into some snow on the trail here, but not difficult to navigate

Trail no. 527 is the "Emmenuferweg" or "Emmen Bank Trail". The Waldemme River becomes the Kleine Emme (Small Emme) further North in Schüpfheim. I had considered walking all the way to Schüpfheim, but four hours would have been too long. As it turned out, the total of approx. 2 hours 15 minutes was enough!

A bit off the river trail is this view South to Mount Brienzerrothorn

This sign warns of storm damage to the trail somewhere between Sörenberg and Flühli, so I was a bit worried. But the sign says the trail is passable, you just have to be careful

On large stretches of the river were many of these man-made steps. It provided a constant sound of waterfalls, which was very soothing!

For most of the way the trail was forest trail like this, very pleasant to walk

 

As the river headed into a steep-sided canyon, the trail moved away from the river into the upper farmland

Looking across the canyon to the West, to the distinctive ridge called Schratteflue

Another look South at Mount Brienzerrothorn (a popular steam train goes up to the summit from the other side). The ridge forms the border of Canton Luzern (where I am walking) and Canton Bern.

 

And here is the pond where I was so fascinated by what seemed like a hundred frogs all making a low purring noise!

VIDEO:

A pond full of what looked like a hundred frogs, all softly croaking. If you listen carefully, you can hear a soft purring sound, that's what it sounded like

On the descent back to the river, this was the damage on the trail. Most of the fallen trees had already been cut and cleaned away. 

A little over half-way to Flühli, the sun disappeared behind clouds

Cool fungus!

A snack break along the river just before reaching Flühli

Last stretch to Flühli. The history of the famous glass manufacturing plant in Hergiswil originated here and was one of the most important industries in Canton Luzern in the 18th century. But so much wood was needed that the forests became decimated, and glass production was moved to its current location of Hergiswil on Lake Lucerne 

Flühli at the foot of another striking ridge called Schwandiliflue

 

It took just about the full 2.5 hours to walk 9 km from Sörenberg to Flühli along the Waldemme River

The historical Flühli Kurhaus (health resort)

Heading back to Schüpfheim by bus, last glimpse of the parish church in Flühli

The whole bus just for me! Easy to keep the 2 meters distance this way

And from Luzern back home, also alone in the wagon...

Hiking on the Bürglen Chapel Trail (Kapellenweg), Canton Uri

Monday March 16th -- With this current pandemic situation we are being asked to distance ourselves from other people, and are also spending less time in offices. People are traveling more by car if necessary, and less by public transit. But since we are dependent on public transit, we are just being extra careful. For now, it hasn't been a problem with keeping distance on public transit, which we are keeping to a minimum and are careful to not touch anything (or to cough or sneeze or talk to anyone!)

Since we both basically had Monday off and the week is too beautiful to stay indoors, we traveled to the town of Bürglen in Canton Uri, a short trip for us. Who knows how long we will still have this opportunity? Bürglen is the supposed birth place of William Tell, and besides having a Tell Museum and Tell Chapel, as well as a Tell Hotel and Restaurant, the town has created a themed trail called "Kapellenweg" or "Chapel Trail" (not Tell-related) which you can walk in a 3-hour loop up the hillside and through the community to visit a large number of chapels (an additional detour into the Riedertal Valley to a popular pilgrim's chapel takes another 90 minutes, but we walked down that valley recently and visited that chapel, so no need to make the detour this time).

[Here is the link to our hike in the Riedertal Valley: https://swisstravelgirl.blogspot.com/2019/07/hike-into-riedertal-valley-from-haldi.html ]

As usual, we did our own variation of the trail, choosing to stay on a narrow and unofficial trail on the hillside instead of returning to the main road, which was a much better choice. The trail was not long in terms of kilometers, but required several steep ascents and descents, so we got a real work-out, and in terms of the weather, it was very warm and like early summer, almost too warm, but it worked out well for us as we started late (1 p.m.) and finished just before the sun disappeared over the steep mountains at 5 p.m.

Bus Stop in Bürglen: Start of the loop is the Parish Church of St.Peter and Paul

This is a very pretty church with a splendid backdrop of snow-covered mountains (Also, Restaurant TELL) 

Details of the St.Peter and Paul Church in Bürglen, taken during a previous visit to this village (we have been here often).

Next to the church and in front of the "Hotel Tell" is "Tell's Chapel", the start of our loop to discover many chapels in the area, some of which require a steep hike up the hill

First we headed West, then up the hill to a cave and a chapel, then down and up and down several times before returning to the main church in Bürglen. Distance was only a little over 7 km, but there was a lot of elevation involved!

To the West, a former monastery and the majestic Mt. Gitschenen in the background

Special brown-coloured signs indicate a themed trail, this one involves many chapels and churches and caves set up as sacred sites

On our way up we were treated with most spectacular views South down the Reuss Valley

Heading up to the first chapel: Spiess Chapel. It was like in summer

Little Spiess Chapel in the middle of the woods. A very pleasant location

Heading into the Schächental Valley, one of our favourite valleys. Below is the town of Bürglen through which we are looping back. At the back on the right is a side valley called "Riedertal" where there is another popular pilgrim's chapel, which we visited on a different trip.

VIDEO: 

Panorama view of the Reusstal and Schächental Valleys, 

and the towns of Altdorf, Schattdorf and Bürglen

Coffee break on a bench looking down on the old town of Bürglen with the St.Peter and Paul Church. From here we head down to the river and then up again

Another steep climb to the highest point of our hike, with a very good view into the Riedertal Valley, which we descended on a different hike last summer

An absolutely wonderful hike with great weather, superb views, a large variety of trails. We did pass a few other hikers on this lovely trail, you try to keep the "hellos" more subdued than usual!

Near the most Eastern part of the loop we pass under both Bürglen cable cars. This one goes up to a large alpine meadow called Alpe Selez. My Mom overcame her fear of cable cars when she rode this one with us a year ago. This car holds only four people!

The other cable car to Biel-Kinzig carries 8 people

The final chapel "on the hill" before heading back down to Bürglen: The Beigen Chapel

Heading down to the valley to the base station of the two cable cars, before returning to Bürglen

At the main road and the parking lot of the cable car stations we cross the old stone bridge over the Schächen River

Another pretty chapel on the Bürglen side of the river: Loreto Chapel, over 350 years old. This is a popular "Mother of God" pilgrim chapel

Beautiful pastoral landscape of Canton Uri

Looking back to the hillside we had crossed from West to East

Heading back to the Church in Bürglen we can spot the place on the hillside where we had a coffee break before descending the first time back to the river (spot from which the video was made)

At this time of year, the backdrop of snow-covered mountains is particulary spectacular

The last stretch back down to our starting point.

A superb closed loop hike to visit various chapels and sacred sites in the Bürglen area

We had read that Bürglen has its own William Tell monument (the more distinct one is in Altdorf nearby) but we missed it. And then I found this old photo of my nephew from 2015, so it's there!