Zug Back-Country from Menzigen into the Aegeri Valley

Saturday March 22, 2025 -- Because Urs had a previous commitment on this lovely day, we could only start on another walk in the afternoon. So it made sense to pick something close to home once again. This time we headed to the region of Lake Aegeri, just east of our local mountain Mt. Zug.

To get to the starting point of our walk in Menzingen, it was only a 30-minute bus ride from home, and from there we walked through the farming country of Canton Zug, over a small pass called the Kistenpass, to the look-out point above Lake Aegeri where we had great late afternoon visibility of the Schwyzer and Glaner Alps, and then descended along the "Aegeri Valley Panorama Trail". The bus ride home was just 24 minutes, but we just missed the 17:20 bus and had to wait 15 minutes for the next one. Luckily this was just before the sun went down!

Along the way we passed a "Besenbeiz", which is a private farm set up with outdoor seating and where the farmer serves refreshments. So to support our local hard-working farmers, we stopped there for a coffee and Panaché, our go-to refreshment on our summer hikes!

Starting in Menzingen at 2 p.m. It's a bit late for us to start a hike, but Urs had a commitment in the morning. Still, it's only a 30-minute bus ride from home to here. We had previously started two other hikes from here. (2018 and 2020)

The sign hanging on the house describes the business: Schwanen Hotel (Swan Hotel). 

We look back a the Monastery buildings as we head south from Menzingen. This is a Franziskan Abbey and the headquarters of the "Sisters of the Holy Cross" Order, founded in 1844 and now spread to 14 locations around the world. 

A close-up look at the town of Menzingen as we head south. (In retrospect, although we have started three hikes here, I have no photos of the church interior!)

We started in Menzingen at 2 p.m., and reached the bus stop in Unterägeri at 17:20 (just missed the bus, but there was one 15 minutes later). From there it was only a 24-minute bus ride back home. 

To the northeast, we can see all the way to Mount Säntis!

Just 20 minutes after starting on our walk, we came across this spectacular tree! I guessed it was a linden tree, which was confirmed when we later did an Internet search. The Menzingen community website lists this as a landmark called the "Dichterlinde" ("Poet's Linden"). Apparently, it was common during medieval times for survivors of the plague to plant linden trees in the hopes of preventing further calamity. 

The magnificent Dichterlinde

Our trail takes us up above that rise. 

Another close-up view of Mt. Säntis and the Alpstein range. 

Typical farmhouses in this region. 

View behind us to the north as we continue on the first small uphill stretch. This farm is called Schurtannen. 

Directly to the north and past the town of Menzingen, you can just make out the city of Zurich at the north end of Lake Zurich. 

Zoomed view of the city of Zurich past the Albis mountain range on the left, which separates Lake Zurich from the Zug region. 

To the northeast we can see Lake Zurich (close-up view). 

Having reached the top of the first small rise, a farm-cat joins Urs for some attention!

From here we can see the summit of Mt. Rigi (i.e. Rigi Kulm) almost directly to the south.  

And in the west, Mt. Pilatus looms large.

Our walks in the Swiss countryside are just the best when the cows are out in the pastures. These had no cow bells, so the whole sight was really quiet! 

Even the sections of forest trail are lovely today. 

Inside this wayside chapel (Fürschwandkapelle) is an inscription in old-time script, dated 1531, concerning a religious battle that took place nearby (at Gubel) where locals (Catholics) gathered to pray before the fight, which they won (as they believe) with the help of "Mary, Mother of God".

Around a corner the Schwyzer Alps loom large before us due to the effect of the Föhn winds today. We figure the mountain on the left is the Mythen, not readily recognized from this vantage point. 

We saw a sign called "Martha's Besenbeiz" at the Fürschwand farm near the chapel, and we stopped by for something to drink. There were picnic tables set up in the barn, and the farmer's wife took our orders for coffee and beer and prepared it in her kitchen!

We called these cement blocks "Toblerone", but they are part of a tank defense line. In fact, this region was the northern part of a defense region to prevent Germany from accessing the Alps. 

The landscape certainly looks like there might once have been a defense line here. (We ended up walking along the trail at the arrow, and then taking a detour back to the look-out point at the cross behind that row of trees). 

More of these beautiful snow-covered mountains, as we get to a small pass called Kistenpass. (From here we could have descended to Oberägeri further to the east along the lake, but we chose to go down to Unterägeri to the east with a detour to the cross at the look-out point). 

At just after 4 p.m. we decided to make a detour to the cross for a view of Lake Aegerisee. (We had already been past this look-out point once before, in April of 2018 (photos HERE). 

We had somewhat better visibility on this afternoon than we did last time we were here in 2018!

Lovely view of Lake Aegerisee

A zoomed view to the south: We think those are the Mythen mountains on the left, a view we are not familiar with. 

Toward the southwest we see past the houses in Unterägeri to the stretched-out hill that is Mt.Zug, and Mt. Pilatus in the center, Mt.Rigi on the left. 

We didn't stay long, just 10 minutes, as there was a bit of cold wind blowing up here. 

We passed this cross on our previous hike here as well, and from here we descended partly on the same trail as last time. It is one of several such crosses on the pilgrim trail between Aegeri and Einsiedeln. 

Heading down along the Alpine Panorama Trail, a section of trail we have walked before. 

Cool tree!

There must have been several babies in the pasture of sheep ahead, as the bleating was unbearably loud!

Most of these sheep are white with black necks and heads. These could be Dorper Sheep, a South-African breed. 

A sheep farm with lots of bleating!

VIDEO:

I took a video to try to record the loud bleating from the flock of sheep!

This is a weird skinny house!

We discovered we were walking on a trail called the "Aegeri Valley Panorama Trail"!

Definitely panorama! This is the first time we walked on this path. It looks like it was created not too long ago. 

View across the town of Unterägeri. In the background is Mt.Rossberg, kind of a continuation of Mt. Zug. On the south side of that range is the town of Goldau, the victim of one of the worst rockslides in Switzerland's history in 1806. (Next to the Basel Earthquake of 1356, this was the largest natural disaster in recorded history). 

A look behind us at Lake Aegeri as we walk along this very nice panorama trail. At this point it was just after 5 p.m. 

This cat squeezed under the fence just so it could say "Hi" to Urs. 

At 17:17 we were headed down this last set of steps, but just missed the 17:20 bus at the bottom. Luckily we only had to wait 15 minutes for the next bus, for the 24-minute trip home!

What our hike looks like on Google Satellite Maps, starting in Menzingen at 2 p.m., and reaching the bus stop at Unterägeri at 5:20 p.m. 

All the hikes that we have done in the region of Mt.Zug and Lake Aegeri (Aegerisee). 

Panoramic Views of the Alps from our House Mountain: Zugerberg

Wednesday March 15th, 2023 -- For a change, Urs had to work this Wednesday, so I was on my own. On sunny days I usually like to enjoy the sun on my balcony, but sometimes I will go out for a walk on my own.

As the visibility was extremely good today, I decided on the spur of the moment to head up to our "house" mountain, Mount Zug (Zugerberg) for a short, 5-km walk from where I knew I would get some pretty good views of our local mountains such as Mt.Rigi, Mt.Pilatus, and even the Bernese Alps in Central Switzerland. We have done a lot of walks on our mountain, but there is a high spot called Hochwacht where I had not yet been. From there I walked on a short section of the Alpine Panorama Trail and caught the bus back on the road to Aegeri.

There is a look-out point down in the old town of Zug (called the Guggi), from where I know you can get a good look over the roofs and towers of our old town, and a particularly good view of the Bernese Alps far across on the other side of the lake, so to make sure I got the view before the clouds moved in, I made a stop there before heading up the mountain with the funicular.

Since I started relatively early at 10 a.m., it was still a bit chilly, especially when the clouds hid the sun, but otherwise a very nice and refreshing 90-minute local walk. Sometimes you don't have to travel far...

Heading by bus along the lake into the old part of Zug town, this view across Lake Zug and to the Alps of Central Switzerland (including the Bernese Alps) is just magnificent. 

This viewpoint is called the Guggi, and you can see the old city towers, the church towers, the lake and Mt.Rigi in particular, plus the Bernese Alps. This is at 10 a.m.

One of our old town towers

Across the roofs of old town Zug, and a better view of the Bernese Alps

Here is a very close-up view of the Alps of Central Switzerland, including the famous trio of Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau (Grindelwald/Lauterbrunnen in the Bernese Oberland). 

A 10-minute bus ride from "downtown" Zug to the funicular, and another 8-minute ride with the funicular to the top of the mountain

Zug funicular crossing on the way up to the mountain. It was a good time to go up here, we were only about 10 people in the funicular. 

Zug funicular crossing on the way up the mountain.

There is little wind right now and you can see all the reflections of the clouds on the still lake. It looked pretty neat. 

Starting on my walk from the summit station of the Zugerberg Funicular. Eventually I passed by that tower going left, but first I followed a road to the right, and came up from the forest on the other side. 

A short 5-km hike across the top of Mt. Zugerberg, via the look-out at Hochwacht, and catching the bus on the Aegeri road on the east side of the mountain. 

Mt. Zugerberg is not a very high mountain, and yet there was still plenty of snow in the forest on the east side. 

The sun-dappled forest and snow-covered trees were very pleasant to walk along!

Looks lovely with snow...

Near the tower now, a look down at the Montana International school which is near the funicular station. 

The tower which I saw from below

A view from the tower toward Mount Pilatus (Luzern's House Mountain), which is hidden in clouds

That small hill with the tree is called Hochwacht, from where you get some nice panorama views

Zugerberg Hochwacht. I took a few photos from up there but didn't stay long, as there was a cold wind blowing

From Hochwacht: The view to the East, to Unterägeri, Lake Aegeri, and the Glarnisch Alps in the background. 

Far-reaching view to the northeast, past Lake Zurich to the Toggenburg Region

To the northwest, the city of Zug is not visible, only the very west part of it where we live (in the circle) and the next town over: Steinhausen. This is the north end of Lake Zug.

And to the Southwest in the direction of the Bernese Alps in the center. Most prominent is Mt. Rigi on the left, which is at the south end of Lake Zug. 

Close-up view of the summit of Mount Rigi. (See the helicopter on the top left? Usually it's a fly or some other bug which appears on the photo).

Panorama view to the West from Hochwacht on Mount Zug

A red kite in flight

Sunshine on the frosted branches of the beautiful large trees on the Hochwacht summit

Another look toward Lake Aegeri (Aegerisee) as I head down the small hill

The only photo of me on this small walk; I put the camera on one of those fence posts for a self-timed photo!

A look behind me at the small hill with the big trees at Hochwacht

Now I've joined National Trail no.3, the "Alpine Panorama Trail"

From here my end goal is the bus stop at "Schmittli" on the main road between Zug and Unterägeri

There is still plenty of snow on these low mountains. Hopefully some warm weather will get rid of it soon!

This farm is called Brunegg, and there is a restaurant here as well. From here it's just another 15 minutes down to the bus stop on the main road. 

I really wanted to scratch this girl's forehead, but all she wanted to do was slobber all over my hands with her very long tongue!!

So many walks around our city of Zug and our mountain. The one in light blue is the 5-km walk I did this day.