Over the Hilfere Pass from Flühli to Marbach in the Entlebuch

Thursday July 10, 2025 -- The temperatures are warming slightly now, but still too cold in the mountains, so we decided on a day-trip to the Entlebuch once again, one of Switzerland's 13 UNESCO World Heritage Sites and a region we can access in less than two hours. 

We have done many hikes in the Entlebuch region, for example up and down the valley from Schüpfheim to Sörenberg, and up and down the valley from Escholzmatt to Marbach and Kemmeriboden, but I wanted to walk over top of the hills that separate these two valleys, to join our trails from east to west. About half-way along the valley from Schüpfheim to Sörenberg is a town called Flühli, and heading westward from there is a relatively low pass called Hilfere Pass into the next valley near Marbach. The 10-km hike between the two valleys via the Hilfere Pass is just over three hours with an ascent of about 400 meters, very do-able for us. And today was the perfect day for this: Sunny but not at all hot. Even though about half of the distance is on paved roads, it was pleasant enough to walk as there are few cars that pass here, and the landscape is pretty and varied as we pass several farms and the deep gorge created by the Hilfere River. 

As we would have had to wait 30 minutes for our bus back home, we caught a bus in the other direction and went to buy some cheese at the fabulous mountain dairy in Marbach. 

We started at a bus stop just south of the town of Flühli (Thorbach), and crossed the Waldemme River, which has its source on the north slope of Mount Brienzer Rothorn. 

Information about the history of glass manufacturing in this region. In 1837, the last glass factory in the Entlebuch was erected here. The large house in the background was built for the workers in the factory and their families (glass-blowers, etc.).

Cute little wooden birdhouse, including a carved wooden bird!

We started just before 9 a.m. at the Waldemme River just south of Flühli and walked via the Hilfere Pass to the road between Wiggen and Marbach, which we reached at about 12:45. That means we took about four hours to walk the "three-hour" hike. 

Looking behind us as we start our climb toward the Hilfere Pass. The massif on the east side of the river is called Schwändiliflue. 

To our south is the north end of the Schrattenfluh massif. 

This view is up the valley of the Waldemme River toward Mt. Brienzer Rothorn. 

There was a farmer mowing on the hillside and his dog saw us walking up the road, and came running at us, barking like crazy, as I knew it would. These are farm dogs, though, so what can you do? This breed is called an Entlebucher, which is appropriate for this region! It is one of four dog breeds with this colouring: The smallest is the Appenzeller, a very nasty little dog which we encounter a lot in—where else—the Appenzell, then this the Entlebucher, then the lovable Bernese Mountain Dog, and the largest of the four, which we don't see often, the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog.

Continuing up the road toward the Hilfere Pass

The jagged peaks of the Schrattenfluh

Close-up view of the Schrattenfluh

At 10 a.m. we found a good place for a snack break!

After a short and pleasant forested section, we crossed a moor landscape just below the pass. 

Someone mowed a nice swath through the moor grasses, so that we would know exactly where to walk!

This is the sign-post indicating we are now at the Hilfere Pass.... 

....although the actual pass is right about here. It's not a very high pass! (1290 meters above sea level). 

Passing through one of several farms. 

This farm is called Alp Sammligen. 

Much of the trail on this side of the pass was overgrown, or trampled by cows. 

Here we are crossing the little Hilfere stream (Hilferebach), which then flows all the way down the same gorge we ultimately descended along. 

This next farm which we passed through is called Obere Mueshütte. 

Those little cows were unsure what to do about us, and ended up running off down the road, back toward the farm buildings. 

VIDEO:

The little cows running away from us!

The trail takes us right through the farm buildings

Farm house at Obere Mueshütte

All of those cows are observing us closely as we walk past.

Next we follow an overgrown pasture road down the hill to the next set of buildings called Under Mueshütte. (Ober = Upper, and Unter = Lower).

Far to the south is a peak with low clouds... this could be Augsmatthorn? In any case, it is part of the Brienzer Rothorn range which separates the Entlebuch from Lake Brienz. 

We are now pretty well on the west side of the entire north/south Schrattenfluh range, looking to the east again. 

Now we have reached the paved pass road, just above the farm called Under Mueshütte. From here on we simply follow the paved road westward for about five kilometers. 

We had no problems with the paved road, as only about three cars passed us on this stretch, and the landscape was interesting. For example, there were loads of huge linden trees, and the road followed the gorge where the Hilfere River flows far below. 

Another look behind us to the east. 

This cute little building looks like it might once have been a school-house, but if so, then rather remote!

At this farmhouse (I think it was called Dorbach), is a particularly nice linden tree! Also, the farmers were all busy cutting the grass for hay again (it must be the third or fourth cutting already!)

And now nearing the valley bottom near Marbach, more huge linden trees. The flowers are basically finished now, but I could still smell this one. 

In the Entlebuch, we have observed that many farms have their names inscribed in large letters on the buildings. This one is called Hilfernmätteli. 

Amazing that the farmers can cut the grass on these steep slopes.

Looking behind us toward the pass region where we crossed. 

And now the final stretch: We took a shortcut down the hill to that road below, which we had to follow to the campground at the back, which is on the main road along this valley, and the place where we caught a bus to Marbach, to visit the newly-built dairy buildings. 

To the south is the interesting gap between two peaks: It is called the Sichle Pass, one which we have not yet crossed, but would love to. The canton border between Luzern (here, in the Entlebuch) and Bern is just to this side of the pass. We haven't tried it yet because there is a long eight-kilometer stretch of paved road on the other side down the Justis Valley, and it's about a 5-hour walk from bus stop to bus stop.... 

Just on the other side of this farmhouse is the bus stop. We made it there once again with just a couple of minutes to spare. (Well, to catch the bus toward the Marbach Dairy to the south, in any case. For heading home, the next bus going north would have been about 30 minutes later). 

And now a final look behind us toward the Hilfere Gorge. It was here in February 2024, as I did a walk down this valley, that I first saw the gorge to the west, and determined one day to walk there. 

There is a campground here, and that lovely building is the reception center!

Another spectacular linden tree at the farm across the street from the bus stop. 

Here comes the 12:48 bus headed south, which we will ride for two minutes to the "Bergkäserei Marbach" (Mountain Cheese Dairy), where we will then wait for the bus headed north. 

Huge production facility at the Marbach cheese dairy. They now offer tours here as well. 

We stopped here once before at the end of a winter hike in 2019, but it looks totally different now, as they enlarged the shop area, added indoor and outdoor eating areas, and a playground for the kids. 

This is cute! A play area with a slide shaped like a milk can!

And now at 13:18 is our bus heading north, for the approximately two-hour trip back home. We started early and ended early!

The blue trail between Flühli and Marbach is the one we did this day. These are all the hikes we have done in this region of the Entlebuch Biosphere near Luzern. 

Location of the Hilfere Pass within Switzerland