Loop Hike via Mt.Bonistock and Tannalp on the Melchsee High Plateau

Sunday June 22, 2025 -- We hadn't been to Melchsee-Frutt for a while, a high plateau accessed mainly from the back of the Melch Valley, separating Canton Obwalden from the mountains of the Bernese Oberland. On this beautiful and again quite hot day, we knew there would be a lot of people, but because you ride a gondola cable-car to get there, the crowds move quickly up there. We also expected a full bus to get up the Melch Valley, but lucky for us they sent an express bus (most of the people crammed into that one), but we took the regular bus and had a comfortable ride.

At the top we expected the crowds to thin out, but unlucky for us, many other hikers picked the same route we took: A hike up to the summit of Mt. Bonistock, from where there is an exciting crest trail from which you get some stunning views of the Trift Glacier to the south, the Bernese Alps, and the lakes on this high plateau, as well as the mountain landscape of Central Switzerland to the North. With all the people, you are always concentrating on keeping out of the way of slow walkers, talkers, and people with walking poles. But on the whole, it was a beautiful hike, and with a cool breeze not at all a very hot day. Which is a good thing, because once you have returned to the lake level at Tannalp, there are no trees for shade anymore for the walk back to the cable-car station.

We don't often do popular hikes like this on Sundays, which we were again reminded of based on the masses of people at the main lake, and the overfilled bus heading back out of the valley. But it was a really good three-hour hike which we started at 9:40 and ended at 1:50 p.m. Travel time each was is about 2½ hours. 

Once again, on our way to Luzern past Lake Zug, we get a magnificent view of the Bernese Alps, including the famous triad of Eiger-Mönch-Jungfrau on the right. 

And now from the train on the way to Sarnen heading south from Luzern past Lake Alpnachsee, we can also see the peaks of Eiger and Mönch past the Brünig Pass.

From Sarnen we take a bus up into the Melch Valley, a similar ride we did just three weeks ago. The view behind us is the village of Kerns with Mt.Pilatus in the background. 

On MAY 31st we did a walk to the Hermitage of Brother Klaus down below in the Ranft ravine, and then to the village of Flüeli above, where Nicholas of Flue was born and raised a family. We got off the bus near here at the time, the same bus line, which we are riding to the end of the Melch Valley this time. 

That massif at the back of the valley, that's where we are headed. There is a large upper plateau there (Melchsee, 1900 meter above sea level) with several lakes, and a popular area for walking both in summer and in winter. 

The gondola cable car saves us almost 900 meters of uphill walking!

We left home at 7:20, and got to Melchsee-Frutt at 9:35. Starting here at 9:40, it should take us two hours to walk to Tannalp via Bonistock mountain. (And from there, about another hour-and-a-half to walk back along the plateau). 

The uphill section to Mt.Bonistock took an hour, then another hour over the crest to Tannalp, plus an hour and a quarter back along Lake Tannensee. There was a nice breeze so it wasn't too hot up here. And the uphill section wasn't difficult at all.  

Starting at the recreational village of Melchsee-Frutt, we head up the hill with a view of the village behind us, and the elevator which we took on the way back (which saves some uphill walking in the end). This lake is called Melchsee. 

At the east side of Lake Melchsee is a little church, a couple of restaurants, and the base station of the Bonistock cable-car, which brings people up to the summit which we are hiking up to.. 

Panorama view of Lake Melchsee. 

In August of 2023, we did a hike starting at the Melchsee-Frutt village and hiking up to the crest of those mountains in the back, and hiking to the summit of that mountain called Hochstollen. That was a fabulous hike, those photo are HERE. Side note: Right on the other side of those mountains is the geographical center of Switzerland. 

A close look at the elevator which saves a few steps from the lake to the village!

Getting near the top now. You can see the restaurant above, and the Bonistock cable car just arriving there from the plateau below. We can now also see Lake Tannensee. 

All of a sudden, three kids came up behind us quite quickly, then passed us, and disappeared up the mountain, no grown-ups in sight. 

Three kids whipped past us on the way up the mountain, no adults in sight. Then we caught up to them sitting on some steps just before the hotel, waiting, and shortly afterward, Dad showed up, all out of breath!

Now we see Lake Melchsee from the west. The rise we are walking on drops sharply on its south side, and those cliffs are popular for cliff-climbing. 

Further to the south we get a good look at the fabulous Trift Glacier. In August of 2016 we did a fabulous hike to the Trift suspension bridge across the Trift Lake which is at the base of the glacier. (Photos HERE). 

The first gentians of our hiking season, both the little ones and the big ones!

At 10:40 we got up to the restaurant, so exactly an hour after starting our hike. It was an ascent of 270 meters, which isn't too much. The kids that passed us earlier are sitting on the steps there, obviously waiting for someone still coming up the hill! (We did see their Dad catch up to them a few minutes later). 

Walking around to the back of the Bonistock mountain hotel, we were awed by the view to the north and decided to find a place in the grass to have a snack and enjoy that view, instead of sitting with the noisy people on the restaurant terrace on the south side of the hotel. 

Instead of heading up to the restaurant terrace, we found a nice place near the restaurant to sit and eat our picnic lunch. What a fabulous view down the Melch Valley and over the hills of Central Switzerland to the north, including Mt.Pilatus. 

From a rise in front of the restaurant, we can see all of Lake Tannensee, and the small group of buildings on Tannalp (upper left).  

Another look to the north before we head off on the exciting part of the hike. I love the little globe flowers. 

The next section of the trail passes over the crest of this range. I couldn't believe how many people suddenly appeared here. Whereas when we walked up to the restaurant, there were already quite a few people on that trail, but here the cable-car has brought up so many more!

This was a fun part of our hike. 

One spot required a chain handhold to help pull us up!

A look behind us toward the Bonistock Hotel, and all the people on the trail behind us! (This makes it hard to stop to take photos, as they pass you, and then you have to pass them again!)

Further up ahead is a pass where the trail descends and continues below the cliffs, before ultimately heading down to Tannalp. 

Look at all the people behind us! (These were mostly "locals", with quite a few French-speaking people. Foreign tourists don't really know about this). 

Some are now going up, while others are going down. 

Lake Tannensee

One final look behind us at the crest trail we just completed. This was fun!

Up ahead is the "pass" where there are a bunch of people siting. We then headed down a bit and continued below that outcropping of rock.

The flowers are so pretty!

Admiring the view before startnig our descent to Tannenalp. In the background in the center is the summit of Mt.Titlis, a popular excursion goal for tourists, and a snow-covered peak all year round. 

Lake Tannensee

Now we are walking below the cliffs further to the east. 

In the background you can see the highest peaks of the Bernese Oberland. 

Up above at the arrow is the "pass" where we descended, and continued below the cliffs to the right. And on the left of the pass is the ridge which we walked over. 

A close-up of the houses (including a chapel and restaurant) which make up the Tannalp farm. Here there is also a dairy where they make their own cheese from the milk of the cows which graze up here in the summer (they were not here yet). In September 2016 we did the popular Four-Lakes Hike up here, and at that time we visited the dairy and purchased some cheese. 

Close-up of Mt. Titlis

We got to the little cluster of buildings at Tannalp at 12:20. Again, the restaurant was too busy for us, so we sat here in the shade of the veranda of the little church (which was locked) to eat our picnic lunch. 

The "view" from my lunch spot

Continuing on now back toward Melchsee-Frutt and the gondola cable-way at 12:45, a look behind us shows lot of people heading out to Tannalp. 

To the south we see a passage that is familiar to us: In August 2022 we crossed that passage from the Gadmer Valley on the other side and hiked on that trail along the mountain flank. Another superb hike, although fog in the Gadmer Valley blocked our view of the Trift Glacier that day. 

Our trail follows the south side of Lake Tannensee

There is a stone and earth dam at the west end of the lake. In the background is the ridge we walked at the start of the hike, heading west to east. 

The sign says that we still have 1¼ hours to walk from here to Melchsee-Frutt! It's now just after 1 p.m. and we have been out here for 3½ hours. This part of the trail is also part of the Four-Lakes Trail which we walked in September of 2016. 

Getting closer to Lake Melchsee, there are lots of people walking on this trail as well!

Shortcut, so we didn't have to walk along the road. 

Look at all those people along the lake on this Sunday afternoon! We haven't often done walks where we have encountered so many people. 

Looking behind us we see the Bonistock cable-car heading up to the Bonistock restaurant. 

Back at the elevator tower now. We are glad to use this to get up to the level of the Melchsee-Frutt village. 

View from the look-out platform at the top of the elevator. [Side note: I did a 7-km loop walk with friends to Lake Tannensee and across the dam in October 2023. The photos of this landscape in late autumn are interesting to look at, to compare the colours (in particular, THIS PHOTO.)  Also, almost nobody else up here at the time!]

At just after 2 p.m. we were headed back down into the Melch Valley, hoping that not too many people were headed out of the valley at this time of day, on the 14:40 bus. As it turned out, it was packed full, and I had to stand uncomfortably for about half the ride down, until a seat became free.  

On the other side of this range to the west of the cable-car line (I believe the peak is called Haupt), is the geographical center of Switzerland. 

The parking lot below is pretty full! Generally we don't go to popular places like this on weekends, but because of the heat wave we are having, it is difficult to find places where we can get higher up to cooler destinations, as many cable-cars start running only at the end of June. The air temperature was definitely more bearable up on the plateau than down in the valley. (The weather forecast had been for 30ºC or more at lower elevations, 22ºC up here).  

What our hike looks like on Google Satellite Maps. 

All the hikes we have done in te region around the Melchsee Plateau and northwards of there. 

Location of the Melchsee high plateau within Switzerland