On the Alpine Panorama Trail from Menzberg to Wolhusen

Sunday May 9, 2021 -- After a fantastic Saturday trip to the Bernese Oberland (that album can be viewed HERE) we were blessed with another great day for hiking on Sunday. The Foehn winds which sometimes blow through the alpine valleys in May bring warm and clear weather, but the winds can reach 150 km/hour, and so those valleys must be avoided. Weather maps show us where the winds are expected, so we picked a safe spot for our Sunday hike: In the Napf mountain area in Canton Luzern (Entlebuch Biosphere).

The choice was good because we were North of the Alps, so no wind, but close enough to enjoy some very spectacular views, especially of the Bernese Alps, where we had been the day before. (The trail we walked was part of National Trail no.3: "Alpine Panorama Trail", so we were expecting some panoramas, and were NOTdisappointed!). And the weather was warm and pleasant for our outing... in fact, this was the warmest day of the year with temperatures of up to 25 degrees, and what they call a "tropical night", where the night-time temperatures didn't drop below 20 degrees.

In any case, we took a bus to the quaint hill-top town of Menzberg, and walked 13 kilometers through the lovely rolling pastoral landscape of the Napfbergerland. There was no shortage of views and farms, and the real highlight was when we found a farmstead where they had set up a picnic table AND a kiosk, with a fridge nicely stocked with drinks and ice creams, plus potato chips and cookies. We really enjoyed a couple of nice cold panachés and ice creams for dessert!

The single drawback was: Once we got back down to the Kleine Emme River where it flows into Wolhusen, the closest public transport was the train station in that town, a 2-km walk in the heat along a busy road through a town with rather little charm....

Heading by bus from Menznau to the final stop on this run: Menzberg, where we are going to start our hike. In the background to the southeast are the mountains in the Entlebuch

Our plan is to walk to Wolhusen. Because we took a couple of detours to viewpoints, our walk ended up being 3:30 hours instead of 2:50. From here you can also walk to the summit of the Napf (a very popular destination) in three hours, although most of the people started a couple of stops back.

This is a look back at the village of Menzberg as we headed slightly South for the first spectacular views of the Bernese Alps

This picture is a cliché of Swiss landscapes!

The effect of the Foehn winds this weekend make the mountains look close-up and very clear. These are the famous Bernese Alps with the distinctive Eiger North Face, and Mt. Jungfrau on the right. 

I forgot my tripod, so this is the best I could do for a self-timed photo, balancing the camera on a fence post!

A view to the West to the Napf region, a very popular hiking area. The highest peak, Mt. Napf (1406m) can be reached from many different directions. From here, it would be a 3-hour hike. (We had just as good a view, and much fewer people here!)

Finally some colour after a long winter!

Look how pretty!

On our way to the next look-out point we came across this, the first of many farm shops (they are called "Hofläden"). There wasn't anything of interest in this one for us, but it was cute!

This small hilltop near the farm called Oberlehn afforded a 360-degree view. It was fantastic!

For a while we were alone up here. Several panorama drawings by a local artist gives us the names of all the mountains

To the southeast and right in the center is Mt. Rigi, which is called the Queen of the Mountains because you can see most of the Alps from there. Also, you can see it from almost anywhere! The view today is so good that we can see all the way to the Alpstein Massif (Mt.Säntis) in Eastern Switzerland on the left.

VIDEO:

There was a 360-Degree view from the hill at Oberlehn
This video is a panned shot of the Southern part

From here at Oberlehn we are walking North along Trail no.3: "Alpine Panorama Trail". The name does not disappoint!

The view to the northern part of Switzerland, in the direction of Aarau (you can just see the steam column from the Niedergösgen nuclear power plant)

Our trail takes us past several farms

There are also some comfortable forest trails

To the South is Mt. Pilatus (the distinctive mountain of the city of Luzern). This is an unusual perspective and shows that the mountain actually has a long "tail"

We did a horseshoe loop and can view the town of Menzberg from the North now, from the direction we came by bus.

Heading along the easy trail past all kinds of pretty farms. We were pleasantly surprised to still see some blossoming apple trees.

This farm offered us a perfect picnic location. The table was in the shade, and there were all kinds of offerings in the self-service shop. The cold Panachés were a welcome treat, as were the ice cream bars which we took with us as we continued on our walk. (Cheese and sausage were from the farm shop in the Diemtigtal from the day before).

After our picnic lunch we had a short uphill climb from where we got another good look at the farm and Menzberg in the background. 

Following Trail no.3, we had these fantastic views for most of our 13-km hike. 

Another close-up of Eiger / Mönch / Jungfrau

Ahead of us is the Mt. Pilatus Massif

Other people enjoying a walk on this beautiful Mother's Day Sunday

Soft meadow trails are always welcome! This is shortly before our descent to Wolhusen

The pastoral landscape of the "Luzerner Hinterland" (Luzern backcountry)

Far to the East you can see the Alpstein Massif (Mt. Säntis)

We encountered a group of people taking some llamas for a walk!

The final descent to Wolhusen was steep, and at the bottom, the final 2 km were through the city.

An interesting guesthouse? or playhouse?

Below us is the Kleine Emme River which makes its way through Wolhusen and then toward Luzern. I love the roofs made of solar panels. It looks very neat and sleek.

A splash of happiness

Our 13-km, 3.5-hour hike in the "Napfbergerland" starting in Menzberg, and walking down to Wolhusen. 

Our trail as viewed on Google Maps. The Napf Region is a very distinct set of hills and valleys radiating out from the central peak. It is a very popular hiking area.