Luzern Backcountry from Luthern to Willisau

Sunday May 19, 2024 -- We picked well again this day for our 12-km hike in the Luzern backcountry. Originally we wanted to do a hike either in the mountains or with good view of the mountains, but the clouds hung around there all day. So our pick for a "crest hike" in the rolling hills in the Napf region between Luthern and Willisau afforded us lots of panorama views in all directions, even to the mountains, although overcast there.

This region is always a favourite, as it is pretty quick for us to get to, and not too strenuous to walk, although there are often uphill and downhill sections. The rolling hills and pastoral landscape is always attractive. The trail we picked had very few paved sections, and many small trodden paths, just as we like it.... although we did have a hard time on a particular 2-km stretch where the path is hard to find as it winds its way through pastures, which were currently not mowed. We had to beat our way through 80-cm tall grass and our shoes got very wet!

The highlight of the day came near the end of our hike when we passed one of the largest Linden trees we have ever seen. A small chapel next to the tree had a date of 1540 on it. An Internet search revealed that this tree has a name: The Honegg Linde. It is 480 years old, and one of the 10 largest linden trees in Switzerland! What a nice unexpected surprise that was!

To travel into this valley there is a bus from a train station called Zell, and it only runs every two hours, so we had to leave early from home, at about 7 a.m., for the two-hour trip. Heading south toward our starting point of the town of Luthern, the day was looking promising (at 9:10 right now).

But just as we reached Luthern at 9:20, the sky got overcast. So we decided to look at the main part of the village, and then have a coffee in one of the Gasthauses while waiting for the sunshine.

First a look at some of the buildings and artwork on the buildings!

This here is where the main street passes in front of the church. (Standing in the church courtyard).

Some of the details of the church in Luthern, typical Baroque style. (Photo of the church tower was taken just as we started on our hike, when the skies cleared up.)

We popped into the Gasthof Krone for a coffee while waiting for the sky to clear.

We sat for about 20 minutes in the Gasthof Krone and enjoyed a coffee and pastries. Next to us was a table of about seven men enjoying a morning beer and animated conversation (it's called the Stammtisch, or "Regulars Table"). There seems to be a focus on wood in this community, as they hold an event called "Wood Sport Championships", which includes sawing wood, dragging logs etc. The interesting tool near the window is what they once used to strip bark off logs.

Heading off now on our hike at 10 a.m.

VIDEO:

Church Bells Ringing for Pentecost Sunday Service

Gasthof Krone, a last look as we head out on our hike

A final look at the village church as we head out on our trail for the day.

We don't have a large climb ahead of us, just to the top of that hill in the back.

Starting at about 10 a.m. in the village of Luthern, we walked 12 km along the top of one of the many low hill ranges in this area. Instead of walking all the way to the train station in Willisau (this would have been an additional 45 minutes), we caught a bus along the parallel valley at 14:40, and were back home by 4:30 p.m.!

A look back down at the village of Luthern as we head up the hill.

Far on the other side of the valley sits a chapel on the parallel range

And up ahead is the first of several Linden trees we passed on our walk.

Up on the crest now. It took about 30 minutes to the highest point. Then we started heading north.

It seems there was no other way to mount this trail sign! There was no text on the other side, and if it had been mounted the right way around, you'd have to walk around the post to see what the directions were!

In all directions we got these wonderful views. This is to the south to the expansive hills of the Napf region.

View to the northeast

We even saw a small deer far off! Before I had a chance to take a second photo, he ran off, but still peeked out at us from the tall grass.

All around the meadow grass is pretty high. Due to lots of rain lately, the grass grows, but it's never warm long enough to cut and dry it.

Heading down to a farm called Chrüzstigen. The trail continues up at this elevation.

I guess they like garden gnomes here!

A beautiful wisteria bush

And a lovely golden shower tree. As pretty as it looks, it is actually an invasive plant.

This is where the 2-km section of trail started, which led through beautiful pastures, but the meadow grass was so high that we had a hard time finding the trail, and really had to slog our way through the grass!

Those little cows watched us carefully

The cows were so funny, they raced up to see us and followed us all along the fence as far as their enclosure allowed them to.

VIDEO:

The cows are following us!

This is as far as they could go, so this is good-bye!

My favourite photo

Finally got out of the high grass...

Oh, oh, here we go again!

This large tree might be another linden

At one point we were looking to the west to the Jura mountains.

The meadows with the yellow flowers are so pretty!

A different kind of cow...

To the south is the Mt. Pilatus Range. It's too bad that the sky wasn't clear.

I wonder if these guys can see anthing through their mop of hair!

Isn't this the cuddliest-looking creature!

And then a trail of rain passed across the mountains to the south, but it didn't reach us!

And then before us appeared a humungous linden tree! We knew this must be a special tree, so we looked it up on the Internet, and it is called the Honegg Linde, and it is one of the 10 largest linden trees in Switzerland!

The date on the chapel next to this tree reads 1540, and we read later that the tree was indeed planted in 1540 (while Martin Luther was still alive), making it 480 years old! The trunk has a diameter of 2.5 meters!

20 years ago,three steel anchors were used to prevent the large crown from ripping apart. And more recently in 2020 the crown of the tree had to be secured with belts, and to relieve some of the weight, eight climbers swarmed the tree!