Walk out of the Melch Valley from Stöckalp to St.Niklausen

Saturday June 29, 2024 -- Leaving very early from home again and traveling less than two hours, we were once again able to enjoy a 10-km morning hike before the forecast storms would start some time in the afternoon.

Another hot day meant trying to find a location in the mountains but not too high up, as we didn't want to get caught in a storm up there. We were already on our way toward Lake Sarnensee south of Luzern (we were going to do a hike near the birthplace of Switzerland's Patron Saint Nicholas von der Flüe, also known as Brother Klaus) when we decided on the spur of the moment to just ride the bus all the way to the back of the Melch Valley, to the valley station of the Melchsee-Frutt gondola cableway. The intention was not to ride up to the high plateau of Melchsee-Frutt (where we have been often), but rather to walk out of the valley from there, a stretch we had not ever done before.

Whereas the rest of the people on the bus did take the gondola, we were the only ones once again walking down the valley. Even at 8:30 a.m. it was already hot in the sunshine, but most of our walk was next to the Grosse Melchaa River and through lots of forested sections, so it wasn't a bad hike at all. The only negative aspect again was that the skies became overcast quickly, and the views up the valley as we neared its exit were not as great as they could be.

We ended the hike at the small chapel at St.Niklausen, just above the village of Flüeli where "Nicholas of Flüe" grew up, and the ravine where he spent the second half of his life in self-imposed isolation, to pray and meditate.

In Sarnen just south of Luzern, we take the bus into the Melch Valley. This is a look back down to Sarnen, and Mount Pilatus in the background.

More of the lovely landscape here in the area of Lake Sarnen (Sarnersee).

Before heading into the Melch Valley, we pass the St.Niklausen church, which is going to basically be the end of our hike when we walk back out of the valley in this direction.

Passing through the village of Melchtal, which is the main village (or really only village) in this valley of the same name. We both started and ended hikes here in the past.

We got to the back of the valley (Stöckalp, the base station of the Melchsee-Frutt gondola) and the start of this day's hike at 8:15, less than two hours' trip. The town of Melchtal is the first main goal, an hour and 10 minutes from here. The last time I was here was by car with our friends from the USA, last fall. (Those photos are HERE)

Starting off on our hike down the valley, we have to pass through the parking lot, which is a huge parking lot and so empty! We have to try to imagine how full this is in winter, as Melchsee-Frutt (accessed with the gondola cable-car from here) is a very popular winter playground! (Here are the photos of our winter hike up there in February 2019)

For a spur-of-the-moment decision, this was actually a pretty good hike! We started at 8:15 at Stöckalp, and caught the 12:56 bus in St.Niklausen (we knew we would miss the 11:56 bus by 10 minutes, so we didn't hurry). It ended up being a 3-hour and 11 km hike, and not a strenuous one. And we were done the hike just as the skies became overcast.

Starting off on our 11-km hike down the Melch Valley. It was already hot at 8:30 in the morning!

Lovely buildings along the way.

A look behind us as we continue down the valley.

The river here is called the Grosse Melchaa (i.e. the Large Melchaa River) and there was a lot of water flowing here, like in most places in Switzerland right now.

From far down the valley we are being observed!

Always checking out the view behind us.

Here at this farm we joined a paved road before heading down to the river.

A single Martagon Lily plant (Türkenbund). We saw no others....

Crossing the Grosse Melchaa River to walk along its right side for a while.

VIDEO:

Crossing the Grosse Melchaa River

After crossing the river again, a sign indicated that there was a waterfall detour. This was not on our map, but we gave it a try!

Detour to a waterfall on a feeder stream called Tumlibach. It was only about a 20-minute detour but worth doing.

VIDEO:

The Waterfall

Farms on the east side of the valley.

Now we are right at the level of the village of Melchtal, which is higher up on the right. We did not do a detour to the village, as we have been there three times.

Lots of water in the Melchaa River

Crossing the river again at the small power plant (the river went underground from here), and a look up the valley to the village of Melchtal.

We once walked from Melchsee-Frutt to Melchtal in June of 2022, and once we crossed a pass to the east and ended up here as well, in September 2020.

Lovely barns....

After crossing the river, we had a lovely forested section where there was a display all about "Luck". They called it the "Glücksweg", or "Luck Trail" and there was all kinds of information about items that people in various parts of the world consider good luck: Four leaf clovers, obviously, but also lucky pigs (Glückschwein), lucky mushrooms (Glückspilz), lucky frogs, and even fish scales (in Poland, they eat fish on Christmas Eve, and carry the fish scales in their wallets the whole year for good luck).

At some point the river started up again from some side streams. This is the last section before reaching the main road. This whole time we were on the west side of the main road, but would soon be crossing to the east side and going uphill from there.

A quick look at the wooden bridge over the Melchaa River near the entrance of the valley.

Heading uphill now on the east side of the main road, we get some nice views from higher up.

Back in June of 2016 we did a short 2-hour hike on the other side of the valley, starting in the village of Melchtal, and ending in Flüeli-Ranft, the birth-place of Switzerland's patron saint, better known as Bruder Klaus. (photos HERE)

The first views out of the valley, and there were two little cows on the path, who were unsure about what to do about us!

And then the little cows watch as we continue along the hillside.

Continuing along a nice trail along the east side of the Melch Valley, heading northwest now.

It is always fascinating to watch how the farmers harvest the grass on these slopes. They use leaf blowers sometimes to move the grass down the hillside.

Another look back into the valley.

We had a bit of a climb to a paved road which led us all the way to the end of our hike at the little St. Niklausen church. The final look behind us into the Melch Valley shows how high up we are now. On the left is a saddle on the ridge, that is the Storegg Pass which we crossed back in September 2020.

At 11:50 we reached the St.Niklausen Church. No need to hurry now, as we cannot make the 11:57 bus anyway. The bell tower of the church is separate from the main building. Built in 1350, it is the oldest fully preserved building in the region.

Always the pretty geraniums.

We took our time eating our picnic lunch here in front of the church.

First glimpse into the church, with some Baroque touches, but what a lovely ceiling made of painted wood panels, displaying pictures of Saints (I didn't know there were that many!)

Behind the altar was a separate ceiling, also with painted wooden panels, and lots of very pretty medieval frescoes on the walls.

Looking to the back of the church, to the organ. What a beautiful ceiling!

Other details of the St.Nikolaus Church

I went to check if the door to the bell tower was locked (which it was). This is looking down at Urs from the bell tower, and behind him on the next hill is the village of Flüeli. We had considered walking to there, but that would have taken too long at this point.

A zoomed view of the village of Flüeli, which I had a close-up look at on a hike I did on my own in May of 2023. (Those photos are HERE). Hidden behind the trees is the house where Nicholas von der Flüe had his family of 10 kids before he retreated to the ravine between us and this village.

In the background you can see Lake Sarnen (Sarnersee). That other large building is a hotel called Paxmontana. The road on the left leads down into the ravine where Brother Klaus spent the last 20 years of his life. We didn't have time to go down there this day, but I did check it out on a hike I did on my own in MAY 2014.