Lovely Walk along the Engelberg Aa River from Wolfenschiessen to Stans

(This post completed April 18, 2025)

Thursday April 3, 2025 -- Lots of pleasant weather this week and an unimaginable amount of construction noise on all sides of our building means I can't enjoy my balconies and have to flee for the day. Which is OK right now as it's not too hot yet, but also not raining! So I hopped a train to Luzern and from there into the Engelberg valley, where I did a two-hour mostly riverside walk along the Engelberg Aa River, starting in Wolfenschiessen and ending in Stans. The weather was perfect for this riverside walk, not too hot, a bit of a cool wind, and great visibility of the mountains which form the backdrop of the valley near the popular city of Engelberg. Furthermore, it only took me an hour and 20 minutes to get to the start of my hike!

Once I got to the city of Stans, I wasn't in a hurry to get to the train station, so I spent some time admiring some monuments, a castle-turned-into-restaurant, and the grounds of the impressive church including an ossuary and a crypt. The trip home was only about an hour, and by that time construction was pretty well finished for the day. 

PART I: 8½-Kilometer walk from Wolfenschiessen to Stans

Having left home at shortly after 10 a.m., I got to Wolfenschiessen at about 11:30, and made it my first stop to look at the town's church, of course. 

Look at this really cute bakery right next door to the church!

The first building I reached was an ossuary, with an actual display of real skulls. This is always fascinating. 

Also fascinating inside the ossuary was this display of ancient metal crosses, very ornate, probably hand-made and maybe originally as grave markers. Dates displayed on these crosses were from the mid-17th Century! (i.e. deceased date ca. 1647 or so). 

A close-up look at the engraving on one of these metal crosses: It reads: "Deceased in 1688". Above that, the date of passing for Peter Kirchmeyer is listed as 1647!

Then I went inside the church proper: This is the Catholic Parish church, built in 1775-1777. 

I went up into the balcony next to the organ for a wide view of the interior. 

On either side of the sanctuary were these two pretty side altars. 

Two stories above the entrance is the organ.

Leaving the church now at 11:50, I make my way to the river to start on my walk northwards to Stans. 

Starting at 11:50 in Wolfenschiessen (after looking at the church buildings), I walked northwards along the Engelberg Aa river to Oberdorf and then to Stans, which I reached three hours later (lots of breaks and photos along the way), and caught the 15:40 train for the one-hour trip back home. So I spent four hours outside in the nice afternoon, and got home just as construction was wrapping up for the day. 

Starting out on my walk northwards next to the Engelberger Aa River. The mountain with the rounded top on the right is Mt.Buochserhorn. (We have hiked to the summit of that mountain once before, photos HERE)

You don't see many delta gliders any more. 

A look up the valley as I cross the Engelberger Aa River. The Delta Glider is preparing for a landing on the left. 

Always trying to find a place where I can take a self-timed photo! Here I have just crossed the bridge to continue my walk on the west side of the river. The mountain in the back is Mt.Stanserhorn. 

First look at the village of Dallenwil. It is from here that we have often taken a cable car up to the popular high plateau called Wirzweli.

The date carved into this old farmhouse, just below the peak of the roof, is 1780. 

Close-up view of the very back of the Engelberg Valley. From here on I had a long stretch along a paved road, into the town of Dallenwil. 

Another look behind me to the back of the Engelberg Valley. 

In June of 2016, I rode my bike along this trail, having started way back past Engelberg at the back of the valley, and ending in Stans. I remember it was a hot day, and at this bench here, where I have set up my camera, is where I had a nice break in the shade of a tree. (Photos are HERE)

Cute stone bridge crossing the Engelberg Aa River as I arrive in Dallenwil. 

I always enjoy seeing these little houses called Spycher, originally for storing grain, but were also used as residences. 

It's lovely to see the first blossoming trees. Japanese Cherries, I think. 

Lovely blossoms finally add colour to the drab post-winter landscape!

"Gasthaus zum Kreuz" in Dallenwil

A whole row of blossoming Japanese Cherry Trees as I make my way back to the river. 

After crossing the railway line in Dallenwil, I got back to the river and continued heading north along this wide dirt road. This is another look behind me. 

Just north of Dallenwil, at a community called Büren, I crossed the river to walk along the east side, because the path there was a much nicer, narrow, footpath. Also, this is where I crossed the river when I did a hike down from Niederrickenbach (across from Dallenwil) in July of 2024

Another place for a self-timed photo, looking up the valley. The small footpath I am following can be seen on the right. 

To the east is Mt.Buochserhorn. I walked down the flank of this mountain, coming down this lovely hillside in July of 2023. 

First view of Mt. Pilatus to the west. Ultimately, I will be walking toward the houses and the church steeple on the right. 

Another look behind me at the footpath I had been following. That bench would have been a nice place to take a break as well, but I continued on. 

This canal was parallel to the river, and has to do with a small power plant nearby. Here I crossed again to the west side to head toward Stans. 

A look up the valley again, as I cross the bridge over the Engelberger Aa River. 

Beautiful view to the large massif this side of the town of Engelberg. From here I followed National Trail no.4: "St. James Trail" into Stans. 

Cute babies!

A lovely walk through the pastures with the magnificent Mt. Pilatus always ahead of us. 

There was a bench here where I took a long break. It was also a good place to set up my camera for aother self-timed photo!

Beautiful landscape. 

The train of the "Zentralbahn" is coming from Engelberg and heading to Stans. The mountain in the back is Mt.Stanserhorn. 

This trail on which I am currently walking is part of National Trail no.2: "Trans Swiss Trail", Trail no.4: "St.James Trail", and local Trail no.570: "Nidwalden Center Trail" (A loop trail which passes through the geographical center of Canton Nidwalden, a spot I visited on a hike in July 2024.)

The trail passes by a small chapel called St.Heinrich. 

Up ahead is an interesting building, and I decided to go up and have a closer look. It turns out it is a highschool and is called St.Fidelis 

On my way into the town proper, I first passed the Capuchin Monastery (I would have liked to walk through the grounds but a sign informed me that it was private property), then I walked through the cemetery. 

Up ahead down a small alley, I can see the bell-tower of the parish church in Stans. 

PART II: Historical Buildings in Stans

The parish church of St.Peter and St.Paul was built in 1671-1677 in early Baroque style. 

To the south of the church grounds is the Arnold Winkelried monument. 

According to legend, Arnold von Winkelried threw himself on the spikes of the Habsburg soldiers when the Confederates' fight turned in their favour, allowing them to beat the Austrians. (Battle of Sempach in the mid 1400's). 

The 67-meter high bell tower of the parish church dates from the year 1200

VIDEO:

As I got to the church at exactly 3 p.m., the church bells started ringing.

Front side of the large church. On the right is another building which is actually the ossuary, with a crypt room in the bottom part, and another chapel room in the top, both of which I visited later. 

A beautiful main door, both inside and outside. 

All the arches and walls have stucco designs

A second organ in the sanctuary near the main altar

A look at the sanctuary with the two (or four?) side altars

If access to the balcony is not blocked, I like to go up there to get a panorama picture of the entire interior of the church, for a better grasp of what it really looks like. 

Here are lots of close-ups of the details in this beautiful church.

The Ossuary on the church grounds. Originally built 1482 with just the single lower level, where the bones were kept, and then expanded in 1560 with an upper level which served as a sanctuary. 

Fresco on the outside of the ossuary chapel. 

Upper level of the little building. The interior has two side altars and a main altar, and some interesting artwork. 

This fresco is called "Deposition of Christ" and is assumed to be done by a local artist from Luzern. The date on the painting is 1570!

In the lower level of this little chapel is, what I found out later, the ossuary (built originally in 1482, so I'm not sure why the date above the door reads 1552 (or 1559?)). It turns out that behind the wooden lattice on the left is apparently a nice exhibition of skulls... and I didn't even go look there to peek in! (I guess I will need to go back soon).

Main square in Stans as seen from the front steps of the church.

Looking up at the main square as I continue to the train station. 

The lovely top of the bell-tower

This building used to be a castle

The former castle is now a restaurant. 

The mountains further to the south loom large behind the buildings of the city. 

At 15:31 I got to the trainstation, with plenty of time for the 15:40 train to Luzern. In all, it was about an hour to get home. 

What my walk looks like on Google Satellite Maps

All the hikes we have done in this region of the Engelberg Valley near Mt.Stanserhorn and Mt.Buochserhorn. 

View of the Central Alps on the train ride back to Luzern.