A walk from Küssnacht to Immensee on Lake Zug

Saturday April 18 -- We had to go help my Aunt Ruth with something in her garden, and she lives only about 20 km away in Küssnacht at the foot of Mount Rigi, so on this gorgeous afternoon we walked from Küssnacht (on an arm of Lake Luzern) to Immensee (on Lake Zug), and then around the peninsula called Chiemen, which juts into Lake Zug. This is an area where both Urs grew up and my father lived for a few years as a young man. It has been a couple of years since we walked in this area, and I had forgotten how pretty it is here. Some of the blossoming fruit trees are long past that stage, but the apple and cherry trees are now in full bloom. 

Aside of the large number of people on the lakeside promenade in Immensee, we didn't run into too many people in the forest of Chiemen. On the map, the small trail looks fairly flat, but there was quite an amount of tree roots to navigate on an undulating trail, and so it was more than a simple Saturday afternoon stroll after all, and took longer to walk than predicted on the map!

Interesting fact: Whereas Küssnacht and Immensee are both located in Kanton Schwyz, the Chiemen Peninsula is in Canton Luzern, and at the very end of our walk, where we caught our bus in Risch, we had just crossed the Canton border into Canton Zug. So another afternoon walk in three Cantons!

 

This building in Küssnacht is called the "Knochenstampfe" or "Bone Grinder". The building was erected in 1877, and operated with the waterwheel. The ground bone was a very sought-after fertilizer

Küssnacht and Immensee lie at the foot of Mount Rigi (peak at the back)

Some lovely blossoms

A look back at the town of Küssnacht which lies on an arm of Lake Lucerne. In the background is Mount Pilatus, the main mountain of the city of Lucerne 

It took about an hour to walk from Küssnacht to Immensee, then another 1.5 hours around the peninsula

Walking through the farms between Küssnacht and Immensee, another look at Mount Rigi

More trees that look covered with snow (a cliché, but looks like it!)

Curious cow babies.... they have faces of Simmentalers, but with a grey colouring instead of brown

Crow in the cherry tree!

A spectacular high growth cherry tree in full bloom

This is one of my favourite scenes

Approaching the outskirts of the town of Immensee

A very pretty Mandarin Duck! 

This stunning huge barn belongs to the Bethlehem Mission Society which is situated in Immensee

Catholic Parish Church St. Sebastian in Immensee, built in 1934. In the background, across the lake, is Mount Zug (Zugerberg)

"Downtown Immensee"

Along the lake promenade in Immensee. This view is to the South along Lake Zug toward the Uri Alps. On the right is Mount Rigi

Zoomed view of the Uri Alps 

More lovely blossoms

A Villa fit for the Riviera!

Start of the forest trail around the peninsula. Here we are crossing from Canton Schwyz into Canton Luzern.

A male Merganser

A very enjoyable hike along the forest / lakefront trail

On the North side of the peninsula, a view to the North across the lake to the town of Zug

This beautiful barn is located just across the border line where we crossed from Canton Luzern into Canton Zug

At the road where we caught the bus, a final look back toward Mount Rigi

A pleasant ca. 2.5-hour afternoon walk from Küssnacht to Immensee and Risch, crossing two Canton borders

We have covered lots of ground on foot in this area!