Walking along the Eastern Shore of Lake Lungern

Friday April 18, 2025 -- For the coming Easter weekend (Friday to Monday), the weather forecast was all over the place (except for Saturday.... Saturday was to be nice everywhere), so it was a bit of hit and miss for where we wanted to walk.

After several days of rain (and about two meters of snow in Canton Valais, cutting off access to some valleys), it was a mostly cloudy day, but we did find a place that promised a bit of sunshine in the afternoon: Lake Lungern (Lungerersee) just north of the Brünig Pass (from where you access the Bernese Oberland). Since it only takes us an hour and forty minutes to get there, we didn't have much to lose to head out there for a short walk along the lakeshore.

We walked along the eastern shore of the lake from the town of Lungern to the train station at Kaiserstuhl, only a five-kilometer walk and part of a hike I had already done on my own in August of last year (those photos are HERE), but a path that Urs had not yet walked. He enjoyed the easy walk as much as I had, even though the water level on the lake was very, very low. (We have done many hikes near this lake, with full water level at other times). We had less sunshine than I had hoped, but behind us to the south, the Bernese Alps loomed large due to the Föhn effect.

Starting in Lungern at shortly before 3 p.m., we boarded the train again at 5:10 p.m., and were home 90 minutes later.

On the way from Luzern to Lungern, the train passes by Lake Sarnen. Here the clouds are still low over this lake.

Here in Giswil the sun was now shining at 2:40 p.m. The train now climbs up toward Lake Lungern.

Before reaching the town of Lungern, we can see the peaks of some of the Bernese Alps to the south.

The train heads south along lake Lungern. Unfortunately, it is still very overcast here.

By the time we got to Lungern to start our hike, we had bits of sunshine on and off. These flowering trees are quite fantastic.

Starting at Lungern at shortly before 3 p.m., we walked about 5½ kilometers along the east side of Lake Lungerersee, heading north. We got to Kaiserstuhl train station at 17:07, just three minutes before the train arrived! The trip home was 90 minutes. So we still managed a couple of hours outside.

Heading down through Lungern to the lake

More lovely flowering trees.

The town chapel was rebuilt in 1739 after a fire destroyed the original 17th Century building.

Some houses in Lugern

On the far side of the lake, we can see the Dundelbach Falls

Down by the lakeshore we are astounded at how low the water level is. The water should be covering all of these sandbars. When I was here at the same spot in August of 2024, the lake was absolutely full.

This mini-park with the trees and benches should actually be like a little island (it's actually an isthmus) completely surrounded by water!

Many people are walking and fishing on ground that isn't usually accessible!

A look behind us at the little "island" as we continue northwards.

Later, our trail continues via the farms and houses on the hillside up ahead.

Now we've reached the bell tower of the original Lungern church. The old bell-tower, built in 1385 and restored in 1991, is the only part of the original church still standing.

A massive storm in Juli 1887 destroyed most of the original church here, and only the 14th-Century tower was left standing.

Inside the entrance to the bell-tower. The first "placard" tells of restoration done 1989-91, and that the tower was put under Cantonal Protection on August 1, 1991. The other two panels are dedications (probably from the original cemetery) to two pastors who passed away in the latter part of the 18th Century.

During the renovations of 1989, a wooden staircase with 78 steps was built. The tower now serves as a look-out tower to admire the countryside.

Up top inside the 14th-Century bell tower! This is the oldest construction in the region.

View north from the bell tower. From here we continued along this main road and up past the houses straight ahead.

A look back at the bell tower as we continue on our walk.

Nice colours of the first leaves and blossoms in spring.

It would be faster to walk to Kaiserstuhl along the main road, but who wants to walk with the noise of traffic when there is an alternate route higher up?

Heading up and away from the lake for a bit, here's another look to the south to the bell tower of Lungern. The water level should be about 10 meters higher!

Pretty flowers in someone's garden.

Cows enjoying some fresh air on their own terrace.

Still higher now. The skies are clearing, we have more sunshine now, and more views of the Bernese Alps to the south.

Always these cute garden decorations.

Now we get some views of the northern part of the lake from higher up, and we can see the train heading north.

The first flowering meadows! It only gets better from here on.

Another look behind us.

Maybe the fishermen are glad they can get closer to the water like this?

A section of smaller footpath

I think these used to be bright yellow coltsfoot flowers, now gone to seed?

After crossing below the highway, we got back to the lakeshore, where we stopped for a coffee-break and to admire the view. The mountains south of the Brünig Pass look huge, because there is a Föhn Wind blowing this day in some of the major valleys.

How beautiful the mountains look! And another train of the "Zentralbahn" heading south toward Lungern, Brünig Pass, Meiringen and Interlaken.

The mountains on the east side of the lake.

Now we are near the end of our hike as the last part of the path heads into the village of Kaiserstuhl.

From the north end of the lake, a close-up look at the mountains to the south.

We did want to take the 17:10 train home from Kaiserstuhl, as the train passes here only once an hour. So we had to rush a bit to cross the railway tracks before the barriers came down! So we got here just at 17:07.