Short Walk from Seewen to Brunnen at the foot of Mount Urmiberg in Canton Schwyz

Tuesday March 18, 2024 -- Taking advantage again of some nice weather but not wanting to go too far, I travelled just 40 minutes to the Schwyz train station (in Seewen) to walk along the base of Mt.Urmiberg to Brunnen (Ingenbohl), on what turns out to be called the "Brunner Panoramaweg", which it really was, a superb panorama. 

We've never walked here as it is just a short stretch (only five kilometers) on mostly paved roads, but ideal for this afternoon walk which I started at 1 p.m. (Currently the mornings are still quite cold, although the afternoon maximum was 17ºC). That way the later afternoon sun really lit up the two Mythen peaks, Mt. Fronalpstock and the Muota Valley to the east, plus some of the Uri Alps, although the air in that direction and to Lake Uri was somewhat hazy as I made the final descent toward Brunnen. 

Along the way I passed the typical farm buildings, little hamlets, and the first cows out in the pastures. There was only a small uphill section on a wide road next to the freeway, but then I found a view bench where I spent some time enjoying the sunshine. And in a little hamlet called Wylen, I discovered an ancient drawing well with a bucket and innovative technology for the 13th Century, and possibly the oldest stone-lined well in Canton Schwyz.

Side note: On February 2nd on our way to the Tessin by train, we saw a large house fire in exactly this region. As it turns out, I walked past that burned-out house on this walk. What a disaster. Two families lost their homes that day, but none of the nearby four houses were affected. 

One of my favourite views when the train leaves Arth-Goldau train station heading south toward Lake Uri. This is Lake Lauerz, and the two distinctive peaks are the Greater and Lesser Mythen mountains, backdrop of the town of Schwyz. 

It took only 40 minutes to travel to the train station in Schwyz (which is actually a community called Seewen). This view is just west of the train station, as I crossed under the freeway. The view of the Mythen mountains accompanied me on the 5-kilometer walk.

Heading up the road on the west side of the railway tracks, I came across this placard with an aerial photo of the town of Seewen from the 1920's and 1930's, which shows the changes in the past 100 years. With the begin of aviation in the early 20th Century, such aerial photos became popular. 

As I go higher, I can see more of the railway line below. There is a long cargo train just passing. 

There was a bench here from where I could look back along the road I had just cone up, and down to the community of Seewen. 

I started my walk at 1:45 in the afternoon (after traveling 40 minutes to Seewen), first ascending a wide road, before reaching the farms at the base of Mt.Urmiberg, and eventually catching the train back home from Brunnen shortly before 4 p.m. It was a short, 5-km walk, but I spent a long time sitting on a bench in the sunshine. 

The first part of my walk was up this road to a farm called Husmatt. The walk wasn't too bad (although it got quite warm on this uphill section!) because of the view of the Uri Alps to the south. 

Down below me is the Muota River Basin, framed by the popular Mt.Fronalpstock. 

After 30 minutes' walk from the train station I got to the Hüsmatt Farm, where I found a convenient bench with a view! I spent about half an hour here enjoying the sunshine (with breeze) and a fantastic view!

Husmatt farmhouse as seen from the bench. 

A sign next to the bench has been placed here by the Suter Family who owns this farm. They welcome people to use their bench but not to smoke here, and please to take your garbage with you!

Setting my camera up on the bench and trying to take a photo of myself with the Uri Alps in the background (Mt. Gitschen to the left). But I appear dark because of the backlighting. 

As I sat on the bench, I noticed a large bird of prey on a nearby tree. 

Close-up of what looks like a red kite, a common bird of prey we see on almost all our hikes in Central Switzerland. 

A look back at a barn being fixed up, as I leave the bench and continue on my walk southwards. 

Another view to the East to the two Mythen mountains and the town of Schwyz, capital city of Canton Schwyz 

One small section of soft footpath through the pastures!

First view of Lake Uri (part of Lake Luzern) on the descent toward the town of Brunnen. Unfortunately, the view of the Uri Alps is less clear than it was just a bit earlier.  

Down below I can now see the Muota River, which descends from the Muota Valley to enter Lake Uri at Brunnen. Many small farmhouses dot the valley bottom here, below Mt. Fronalpstock. 

Another old barn along the way

Each farm has a resident cat!

If cows are kept in barns, they have access to an outside area where they can enjoy fresh air and sunshine!

The path heads down to the next hamlet called Schränggigen

Originally I had planned to head down to the river from here, and continue next to the river to the train station in Brunnen, but at this point I decided to stay higher up, which turned out to be a good idea!

I decided to continue along the upper road here, to walk through a couple of farming hamlets before descending into the town of Brunnen. 

I noticed what looked like a burned-out house ahead, and realized this was the house fire we witnessed on our way through the region heading south by train on February 2nd of this year. It's amazing that none of the nearby houses were affected. 

(The photo of the burning house, which is what we witnessed that day on February 2nd as our train passed by below, is taken from the police website: www.polizei-schweiz.ch. Four people were injured and two families lost their homes). 

The trail signs here indicate I am now on a trail called "Brunner Panoramaweg", so I know I chose well! From here it's just another 30 minutes to the train station in Brunnen. 

First blossoms! This large wooden house was right next to the one that burned out. 

It's nice to see the cows out in the pastures again! In the background, it is interesting to see the north side of Mount Fronalpstock which I descended on another hike I did on my own back in October of last year (see photos HERE). There was no snow there at the time. 

Another barn, looking up the flank of Mt.Urmiberg, which is actually the east side of the Rigi range. 

More views of Mt.Gitschen and the Uri Alps to the south. The grass is wonderfully lush and green. 

Finally found a good place to set up the camera for another photo of myself with the wonderful backdrop of the two Mythen mountains!

The little self-serve "farm shops" come in all shapes and sizes! (I didn't buy anything. It's usually Urs who buys something in these little "shops")

Up ahead I saw the little chapel in Wylen which I knew I would pass by. 

Before reaching the chapel, I was surprised by this structure across from an apartment building: It turns out this is a well which was built in the 13th Century!

A sign next to the Wylen Well explains that according to legend, this was a meeting place of the Crusaders in the 11th to 13th Centuries, and that this well was first mentioned in the 13th Century! It is assumed this is the oldest such stone-lined well in Canton Schwyz. The technology of the lever beam is unusual in Switzerland. 

A fun sculpture of a cow made with horseshoes!

Next stop is the little chapel in Wylen, built in 1595. 

The interior of the chapel has several ceiling paintings done in approx 1770 by an artist named Josef Franz Weber (no additional information on the artist). The chapel was fully restored in 1998, whereas several older houses in this hamlet were demolished between 1980 and 1995. 

On the last stretch down to the Muota river now.... Forsythias are blooming, and the palm trees indicate generally mild temperatures here! 

Trees are starting to blossom, and the daffodils are glowing!

Across the town of Brunnen looms a huge structure below Mt. Fronalpstock. This is called the Ingenbohl Abbey, originally built in 1888 (a teacher's college for nuns) but is now a private highschool. We passed through the grounds of this building in May 2024 on a hike we did along the St.James trail at the time (photos HERE). 

This lovely wooden bridge which crosses the Muota River is called the Wilerbrugg, and was built in 1716. It was originally located 15 meters downstream from here, and was moved here in 1974. The community here is actually called Ingenbohl. 

View up-river along the Muota River from the wooden covered bridge. 

Information panel on the east side of the Wyler Bridge. 

A 10-minute walk from the Wyler Bridge through Ingenbohl, and I reach the Brunnen train station at 15:50, just in time for the 15:55 train to Arth Goldau. With all connections and bus, I was home by 4:45 p.m.!

What my five-kilometer walk looks like on Google Satellite Maps, at the foot of Mount Urmiberg. 

Earlier in the day I was monitoring the webcams in this region, and this webcam which shows the base of Mt.Urmiberg shows that the weather is looking good. So that's why I went here for my walk!

A now-familiar view just before the train station in Arth-Goldau. 

Location of Schwyz/Brunnen within Switzerland. 

This beautiful region around Lake Uri is so close to where we live, where we have loads of opportunities for wonderful hiking. It is also the heart of the Confederacy, where the three original cantons of Schwyz, Uri and Unterwalden signed the documents to create the Confederacy in 1291.