Two Short Sections along Lake Lucerne near Beckenried and Vitznau

Tuesday June 4, 2024 -- Urs has to work again all week except Wednesday, and as there is still much rain in the forecast, I try to take advantage of good weather to do more walking. In particular, on these days when I walk alone, I am trying to complete sections of themed trails that we have been following, but which we wouldn't undertake on our joint hiking days. 

We live very close to Lake Lucerne, and there is a 115-km themed trail called the "Waldstätterweg" around the lake which we have almost completely walked along, with just a couple of exceptions. This day I wanted to "fill in" one of the missing gaps along the trail, a 6-km stretch along the south side of the lake between Ennetbürgen and Beckenried in Canton Nidwalden.  

From our map it looked to be a large part along paved roads, but it turned out to be quite a pleasant walk with lots of nice views. It was rather a warm day, but manageable. And as I reached the boat dock in Beckenried, the steam boat to Luzern was just coming in to dock, so on the spur of the moment I boarded the boat to cross the lake to Vitznau on the north side, where there happened to be a another 2-km stretch which we had not walked on a previous occasion, so I figured I would do that walk and catch a bus home from there. (We crossed two Canton Borders in the center on the boat trip there!)

So with these two sections I walked an easy 2-hour and 8½-kilometer stretch. There is now only one final 8-km stretch near Luzern which I need to complete, but I have been waiting for a clear day with perfect visibility, as this stretch provides wonderful views into the Nidwalden Alps. 

Considering this was quite a short walk, I made lots of beautiful photos, and it was hard to choose which ones I liked the best!

On this day I started my hike in Ennetbürgen at the Catholic parish church of St.Anton, where we had ended a separate section of the "Waldstätterweg" in JUNE 2019.

St.Anton is one of the few Neo-Gothic churches in Canton Nidwalden. Built 1892-1894.

Heading down toward the lake to join Trail no.98 "Waldstätterweg". Before heading off to the right, I took a detour to the cute little park here for a view. 

View of Lake Lucerne toward the east from the park called "Seeplatz". 

Looking across the lake to the base of Mount Buochserhorn where I will be walking to Beckenried.

This 6-km stretch along the lakeshore from Ennetbürgen to Beckenried is also part of two other national trails: "No.2: Trans-Swiss Trail" and "No.4: St.James Trail". (Well, the part between Buochs and Beckenried, in any case.) 

Cute chickens watching me walk past!

One of several small harbours along the way. 

The river Engelberger Aa (from Engelberg) enters Lake Lucerne here. Next to the river on the right is a trail and a detour to another small park on the lakeshore and lake access for swimming.  

In the background is the popular Mount Rigi, covered in low cloud. Also across the lake is the town of Vitznau where I took the boat to after reaching Beckenried.

In the small park there was a really lovely lily pond "guarded" by two meerkats and an "Ogopogo" (or "Loch Ness Monster"). 

Gorgeous pond lilies, and an Ogopogo. The sea monster is to "commemorate" a prank done in the lake back in 1976 (see this video in YOUTUBE)

Looking across this part of the lake to Mount Stanserhorn, and the city of Buochs, which is the next town I will walk through as I follow the lakeshore. Mount Stanserhorn is a popular summit for views, and also it is reached by the world's first open-topped double-decker cable car (we have been there a few times). 

A lovely lakeshore promenade in the city of Buochs, with the local mountain Mt.Buochserhorn in the background. 

Trying out some self-timed photos along the promenade. 

This is a hotel called "Rigiblick am See" ("Rigiblick" means "View of Mount Rigi"). 

A couple of nice restaurant terraces on this promenade. 

Continuing along the lakeshore.... 

Looking back past the rooftops of Buochs toward Mount Bürgenstock. 

I thought this was a very cool gate. 

Lots of really neat houses along the way. 

Now I'm across the bay from where I started in Ennetbürgen at the foot of Mount Bürgenstock. (Side Note: On the weekend of June 15-16, the Ukraine Peace Summit will be taking place there). The trees on the left are where the Engelberger Aa River enters the lake.  

In the back is Mount Buochserhorn, on whose summit we have also been before. (2018)

A lovely rose bush along the way. 

It's so cute how people in Switzerland mow there lawns AROUND the daisies growing there! 

Another nice park and lake access along the lakeshore. My goal of Beckenried is on the "promontory" in the center of the photo. 

Ahhh, the cutest little duckling near the shore!

The pyramid-shaped peak in the background is part of the Rigi range, and its name is disputed by the two towns at its base: Vitznau on the left (in Canton Luzern) and Gersau on the right (in Canto Schwyz). So depending on which side of the mountain you are on, it is either called the "Vitznauerstock" or the "Gersauerstock". 

Up ahead is a pilgrimage church called Ridli. Obviously I will look inside! The mountain is called Niederbauen, and we have yet to go to the summit of that one (although we have been up on it before; i.e. there is a cable-car). Also, the farmers are out mowing the meadows!

Originally there were two previous pilgrimage churches at this point since 1605 which had to be enlarged due to popularity. This Ridli Chapel was built in 1701 and is one of the nicest interiors of a Baroque building in Canton Nidwalden.

All over this region you come across paintings of the three representatives of the original Swiss Cantons (Uri, Schwyz and Unterwalden) who signed the treaty which led to the creation of the Confederacy in 1291. 

This stretch of trail is not only part of the "Waldstätterweg No.98", but also part of the "St.James Trail no.4" and the "Trans-Swiss Trail No.2".  

On this one rare day of no rain, the farmers are out and busy finally getting the meadows mowed in the hopes the grass will dry before the next rain!

House in Beckenried

Old house in Beckenried

Last few meters as I reach the ship landing at Beckenried.... The boat toward Brunnen (eastward) is already docked, but the boat I want to take across the lake in the direction of Luzern is just coming in! 

Steamship toward Brunnen is just leaving the dock as I arrive here in Beckenried landing. I boarded here at 1:30 p.m.  

Here comes the steamship which I will board to cross the lake. It is the "Uri". (That's its name). 

VIDEO:

The impressive steam ship called "URI", docking at Beckenried. 

I boarded here to cross the lake to Vitznau.

The boat crossing from Beckenried to Vitznau takes about 20 minutes. The boat passes from Canton Nidwalden through Canton Schwyz to Canton Luzern! (Borders in pink). At this time, the trails all around Mount Buochserhorn (on the left) are marked as closed for the Ukraine Peace Summit taking place on the weekend of June 15-16. They don't want random people up there at that time! 

A look back at Beckenried and Mount Stanserhorn as we head across the lake. 

On the north side of the lake is the town of Vitznau on the left, and the road I will be walking on the second part of the trip. All the hiking trails on the part of the mountain on the left are closed due to landslides which happened a couple of days before. 

The renovated hotel Vitznauer-Hof looks really pretty!

Approaching the dock in Vitznau: There were lots of people waiting to get on the boat here! This is because one of the trains onto Mount Rigi has its station here, so people coming down the mountain board the boat to Luzern!

Vitznau-Rigi train station is a popular starting point for tourists going up the mountain, most of them coming or leaving by boat. There are new trains now going up the mountain, but the nostalgic ones are the best!

A look at Mount Bürgenstock from the north side, before I head out on my second "walk". 

I'm back on Trail no.98 here. There is only a small 2-km stretch which we didn't complete when we walked from Gersau back in March of 2018. This was a good day to complete the stretch just to make my map look better!

On the west flank of Mount Rigi (Hinterbergen), the trails are all closed because three days earlier there were landslides here, because of all the rain. Two farms had to be evacuated, and they are not sure when they can return. 300-400 thousand m3 of ground is unstable there. 

The muddy waters of the stream coming down from Hinterbergen is witness to the massive mudflow from the landslides further up. 

VIDEO:

Such muddy water coming down the mountain!

A look up onto the flanks of Mount Rigi called Hinterbergen. We did a fabulous hike up there almost exactly a year ago, JUNE 2023 starting with the train ride up from here. 

Along the 2-km stretch to the bus stop where we ended last time, I pass a cute little lake access off the main road. 

Further on is this wonderful look-out point! It would be a great place to linger awhile! The view across the lake is to Mount Bürgenstock. 

On the north side of Mount Bürgenstock is a unique "elevator", the Hammetschwand Lift, which is the highest outdoor elevator in Europe. (We rode it on that day in June 2019 when we did the section of the Waldstätter Trail which ended in Ennetbürgen, where I started this day). 

View along the lakeshore toward Vitznau, where I started on this short 2-km stretch. 

This is what my excursion on this day looks like on Google Satellite Maps. From the road south of Vitznau, I caught a bus heading eastward (on the right of this picture) along the base of Mt. Rigi, to get the train home from Brunnen. 

Heading east along Lake Lucerne, there are other boats taking happy passsengers along the length of the lake from Lucerne to Brunnen to Flüelen (south end of the Lake Uri arm of Lake Lucerne). 

A view up the Reuss Valley to one of our favourite mountains: Mount Bristen. 

This is one of my favourite things in Brunnen, where I got off the bus at 3 p.m. at the lakeshore bus stop (not the train station)

I still had 10 minutes before I needed to catch the next bus to the train station, so I walked over to the "Grand Tour of Switzerland" red frame.... In the background is the mountain called Mt.Fronalpstock, accessed by the world's steepest funicular, the Stoosbahn. 

Usually I get Urs to take a photo of me in the frames that we find during our travels, but this will have to do this time! 

Another one of our favourite mountains, Mt.Gitschen. This part of the lake is called Lake Uri, and the mountains are in Canton Uri. Brunnen where I am is in Canton Schwyz, and the Canton border is right here in the middle of the lake. 

Boat dock in Brunnen

The boat we passed earlier by bus is just coming in to dock, and it's time for me to head to the train station for the 40-minute trip home!

"Downtown" Brunnen. 

This map shows all the sections of Trail no.98 which we have done around Lake Lucerne (the trail around Lake Uri south of Brunnen is a separate themed trail called the "Swiss Path", Trail no.99). There is one small section missing near Luzern, which I plan to walk this year as well, in order to have completed our tour of Lake Lucerne. 

All the recent rains have caused Lake Lauerz to flood its banks (this is just south of Goldau). The area around the lake is a wetlands anyway but this just makes it more wet!