Short Afternoon Walk in the Zug Back-Country (Neuheim to Baar)

Tuesday March 4th, 2025 -- After so much fog, we are finally having a week of sunshine and warmer temperatures, so I try to take advantage of time outside, preferably with a short walk. 

On Monday I spent a short amount of time at the lakeshore, but there were too many barking dogs and people on their cell phones. So for Tuesday, since I had something I needed to pick up in a shop at the north end of the neighbouring town of Baar, I planned to take the bus to Sihlbrugg (further to the north) and walk back the five kilometres to the shop, mostly on a forest road at the base of a small hill called Baarburg. 

Because of a bus delay that the passengers weren’t informed of, I missed my connecting bus, which turned out OK for me, as only a few minutes later a different bus arrived, headed to a nearby village called Neuheim, which surprisingly was a village we had never actually been to yet! From there I joined my originally-planned trail, with nice views over the village all the way to the snow-covered mountains in the eastern part of Switzerland. Along the way there were three church buildings to check out. And how surprised was I to see the forest floor already sprouting with bear garlic, a sure sign of spring!

I started my walk shortly before 2 p.m. at the bus stop in Neuheim. Obviously, the first thing I am doing is heading to that church. 

Houses in Neuheim

Main square in front of the church. The building on the left is the "Gemeindehaus" or Town Hall. 

Across from the square was this very beautiful half-timbered house. Unfortunately the Power Company was doing some work there and parked the truck right in front of the building. 

Next to the church is a smaller chapel. According to the placard on the wall, there was an ossuary here in 1509, but the current cemetery chapel was built in 1724. The door was locked. 

This is the inside of the church in Neuheim, called "Maria Geburt" (Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary). Since medieval times, this has been a pilgrim church.

Back of the church with the organ. 

A look back at the church and a fun playground, as I head out of the village. 

The route I took from Neuheim to Baar was about 30 minutes longer than I had originally intended, as I was going to start in Sihlbrugg. Descending from Neuheim, I joined the trail I was planning to walk anyhow, at the Ruessenhof farm near Walterswil. I then walked along the forest road on the west side of Baarburg. 

Outside of the city of Zug is a lot of agricultural land, with lots of farms and loads of green grass, even in winter. I am headed to the left. 

On a rise to the west of the town you get this view over Neuheim and far away to the hills to the east. 

In the back are the mountains in eastern Switzerland close to the border with Liechtenstein. 

Far to the east you can see all the way to Mount Säntis, on the left (close-up view). 

An even closer view of Mt.Säntis

After spending some time admiring the views to the east, I descended through the forest toward Sihlbrugg. 

What a surprise to see the forest floor all covered in bear garlic! This is a definite sign of Spring on its way!

Enjoying the trail through the sun-dappeled forest. 

At 3 p.m. I got to the farm at Ruessenhof. We passed this farm once before on a hike we did through here in 2017 when we started on the Lorze River near the Baar Caves  (photos HERE). 

A look back at the lovely half-timbered house at Ruessenhof.

The next stop is the church in Walterswil. It sounded and looked like a school here, and I discovered later it is currently the site of an International School. This site was once an important Health Resort and Spa from the 1700's onwards. 

A very cool and very old covered walkway joins the school building with the church. This whole site is under Federal Monument Protection. 

Although the building itself is fairly new (built in 1903 to replace the original chapel here, which was an important pilgrim stop on the trade route between Zurich and the Gotthard region), the interior fixtures were taken over from the original building, especially the Pièta above the left side altar, created in Zurich in 1520. (Of which I didn't make a photo).  

An interesting corner organ and a beautiful stained-glass window. 

More details of the inside of this church. It is apparently very popular for weddings. 

I discovered a bunch of snow-bells in the grass next to the church. So exciting! Another sign of Spring. 

After Walterswil, I entered the forest on the west side of the little mountain called Baarburg, and walked on this road for about two kilometers. 

At this junction, just 15 minutes from the bus stop in Baar (near the shop which I first went to), the trail descended into a cute little gully, before emerging into a clearing at the Heiligkreuz Chapel.  

A short section of lovely footpath through the woods, only five minutes to walk. 

And a little bridge, which I love. 

Out of the forest now at a clearing called Bruederhus is a lovely large wooden house. Also here is a small detour to a chapel called "Heiligkreuz" (Holy Cross). 

I did a little detour to the Holy Cross Chapel here. 

Heiligkreuzkapelle (Holy Cross Chapel). The first chapel here was built in 1642.

Inscription above the door on the inside informs us that the cross above the altar was created in 1737 by a wood carver from Schwyz. 

A look behind me to Bruederhus and the Holy Cross Chapel as I make my way to the main road now. I finished my walk at 4 p.m., so it was just over two hours of walking, and about 7 kilometers.  

What my walk looks like on Google Satellite Maps, starting in Neuheim and walking to the north side of the town of Baar. From here it was a 20-minute trip back home, bus/train/bus!

These are all the hikes we have done in the region of Baar and Sihlbrugg. The only other time we got close to Neuheim was at the end of the 2015 walk from Finstersee (see photos HERE), although we caught the bus below the village on the main road.