East Flank of Mt.Rooterberg from Udligenswil to Küssnacht

Friday February 13, 2026 -- The only nice day this week, so it was important to take advantage of it! 

I hadn't made any plans for an "official" hike, as I was headed to the house in Küssnacht for the weekend, so after arriving, I simply caught a bus for the 15-minute ride up the hill (Mt.Rooterberg) on the north side of Lake Küssnacht to the village of Udligenswil (from where we have started other hikes) for an easy 8-km walk through the pastoral landscape, ending back down in Küssnacht. The views of the Alps is quite magnificent from here, as well as from the lakeside promenade in town. 

Most of the walk was on paved roads, which is not an issue currently as it has been raining quite a bit, and meadow trails are very muddy. I was alone for most of my walk, but when I got back to the lake, there were quite a few people on the lakeside promenade, and almost all the benches were occupied.

After returning to the house and taking a coffee break, I then headed out to Greppen to pick up some firewood from a local farmer, and ended up doing another kilometer walk, so in all it was 9-1/2 kilometers of walking this day!

View of Mt. Rigi from my little house, as it looms above the town of Küssnacht. 

At 11:24 I am waiting for the bus to Udligenswil. Mt. Pilatus looms large from near where I live!

There was a children's carnival parade taking place this weekend in Udligenswil, and one family brought their castle float along, in the bus!

From up here in Udligenswil, though not quite at the highest part of the mountain, you get a really good view of the Bernese Alps. Right in the center are the famous Eiger/Mönch/Jungfrau mountains. 

This is a close-up view of the north face of Mt.Eiger. On its left is the Mönch, and I am not sure if Mt.Jungfrau is hidden behind the Eiger North wall, or whether it's that peak just to the right.

Starting in Udligenswil at 11:45 (after a 15-minute bus ride from home), I walked via several farms northwards along Mt.Rooterberg, and then descended back to the lake. I was home again by 2:30 p.m. after this ca. 8-km walk, with a detour into the town to buy some groceries. 

As is often the case, I spotted a large bird of prey... this is probably a buzzard. 

Somewhat to the southeast are the mountains of the Uri Alps. 

Now Mount Rigi looms up ahead of me as I make my way toward Haltikon. This is a large factory here, EBL Energy Center, which provides district heating with renewable resources, in this case wood. This factory used to be called Ecogen, but was acquired by the same company whose factory we had seen on a hike in January along the Rhine River in Canton Baselland (photo HERE). 

To avoid walking along the main road, I took a longer detour around the wood-recycling plant through a forested section, which was quite nice, but as expected, the trail was muddy. 

Then I reached the chapel at Haltikon, which we had visited once before on a hike almost exactly two years ago (photos HERE), but I popped in once again. This chapel dates from 1636, but there seems to have been a chapel here since 1485, as that is the date engraved on the smaller of two bells in the turret. 

The Haltikon Chapel was built in 1636 in honour of St. Katharina after a plague epidemic. The building was completely renovated in 1971-1973. At that time remains of the original wooden ceiling were found, and the ceiling was reconstructed. 

Particularly pretty is the wood-paneled ceiling. 

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When I walked in the door of the church, a tape of organ music started playing, which was kind of interesting as I saw no organ, but apparently an organ was installed in 2009.

Typical farm houses in this region. 

Heading north now along paved roads and past a variety of farms. At the house straight ahead were two large dogs on the terrace, and for the first time these were dogs who did not bark at all when people passed! (Barking dogs in the countryside are a pet peeve of mine). 

What a surprise to see these crocuses bursting through!

A cute fountain and waterwheel! I checked, but the water didn't seem to be going anywhere, except sickering into the ground. 

One single self-timed photo on this walk! (I didn't particularly pay attention as to where I could set up my camera along the way). 

There are so many of these little shops / farmers' stands along most trails. This one called "Most-Hüsli" is mostly offering various homemade fruit juices. 

Always a nice view of Mt. Rigi

At the northernmost point of my loop, I could actually see Lake Zug and the city of Zug at the north end of the lake. 

Now hiking back toward Küssnacht on the lake. This is passing a farm called Nühus.

Looking back at the farmhouse at Nühus. 

An easy walk mostly on paved roads. 

Just as one reaches the first houses at the northern end of Küssnacht, there is this little chapel called Rotchrüz, or the Rotkreuz Chapel, built in the 17th Century, and renovated in 1990/91. 

First sighting of the lake from the level of the train station in Küssnacht. 

A close-up view of the east side of Lake Küssnacht (which is an arm of the Vierwaldstättersee). A long time ago, only the two little chalets stood there, but now the entire neighbourhood has been rebuilt into all those apartment buildings. 

And now I've reached the lakeside promenade, a very nice walk all along the north end of the lake. 

Lakeside promenade in Küssnacht am Rigi. 

Looking in the southwest direction down the lake, you can see all the way to the Bernese Alps. 

Close-up look at the Nidwalden Alps, as well as all the way to the Eiger north face. 

The parish church in Küssnacht. It is a very large building that dominates the landscape here. 

Considering that this is a very large building, it is surprisingly "empty" inside. The organ is particularly impressive. 

Next to the church is the town's city hall building. 

On the other side of the church facing the lakeside square is the Seehof Hotel. 

I've never seen this interesting sculpture before. 

This part of the lakeside promenade is right across from the town's elementary school, and the stairway up to my house. I got here just before 2:30 p.m. 

These are the two chalet buildings which you can see from the train station across the lake. The house used to belong to my grandfather, since about 1947. The house is now almost 100 years old!

Great view from the balcony of my grandfather's house in Küssnacht am Rigi. 

I took an hour coffee break and then caught another bus southwards along the lakeshore (a 7-minute bus ride) to pick up some wood I had purchased for my woodstove. Walking to the farm and then to the next bus stop in Greppen took about 20 minutes. 

By 3:45 p.m. the sky has started to cloud over, but the mountains south of Lake Luzern loom hugely here in Greppen. It was about 10 minutes to walk to the farm to pick up some wood for the woodstove. 

Another farmhouse with a little self-serve shop, where I purchased 10 kg of wood which I had ordered and was able to carry home. Exactly two years ago (right to the day!) I did a hike which also took me past this farm, and I bought some Fig-Mustard here! (Photos HERE). 

This trail is part of the "Waldstätter Trail". I only had to carry the wood for a little over 10 minutes to the next bus stop!

A look down at the village of Greppen from the bus stop along the main road. I was back home again by about 4:15 p.m. after a four-minute bus ride. Back in November I had done a ca. 5-km walk from Küssnacht to here. 

What my 8-km hike looks like on Google Satellite Maps

All the hikes we have done around the region of Küssnacht, on the northern arm of Lake Luzern (Vierwaldstättersee). 

Panorama walk on Mt.Rooterberg East of Lake Zug

Tuesday April 29, 2025 -- This is the second of four walks in a row that I am doing this week, as the sun is shining all week and the temperatures are like in summer, 24 to 27 degrees C. (By the weekend, a drastic drop in temperature is expected, and even snow to elevations as low as 1300 meters).

Not having decided where I wanted to go, I was a bit late in getting started, so I went to Mt. Rooterberg, which is a low range elevation on the west side of Lake Zug, and a hill from where you can get some really good views of the Alps to the south and which only takes me about 35 minutes to get to. I chose the starting point for my 9-km walk at Udligenswil (at about the middle of the range) heading north toward Meierskappel, and then down to the main road to catch the bus back to Rotkreuz.

With this great weather, all the farmers were up in force mowing the meadows so the grass can dry before the weekend, so at some times the noise of the mowers wasn't much better than the construction going on in my neighbourhood. But I saw lots of happy cows and goats, and was surprised that there were still many blossoming trees (I thought the blossom season was over). It was not at all hot, and the views of the mountains and the lake were fabulous. 

I started at the bus stop in the center of the village of Udligenswil at 10:10, after a 35-minute train and bus ride from home. There are lots of pretty houses up here. 

Look at this beautiful flowering bush! These are apparently called Anemone Clematis. 

Before heading north along my chosen trail, I walked up the road in the other direction for a bit, to see this fantastic view of the Bernese Alps! Always a spectacular view which is never boring. 

And always I have to take a zoomed photo of the Eiger North Wall and the mountains Mönch and Jungfrau to its left. 

So much colour now. 

Typical farmhouses in this region. 

Flowers growing in the stone walls. 

Blue Gentians in someone's garden

Past the houses of Udligenswil, I get out into the country landscape, and this is the view to the south!

This walk was about 9 kilometers, 2¼ hours of straight walking. But I started at 10:10 in Udligenswil (35-minute trip to get there), and got to the bus stop at 13:25, so I spent a little over three hours on this trail. In 2017, we did a similar hike along Trail no.3: "Alpine Panorama Trail", also starting in Udligenswil and pasing through Meierskappel. At that time we had more blossoming trees, but not nearly as nice weather! (photos HERE). 

The farmers are busy cutting and drying the meadow grass. 

Because the mowing disturbs mice in the grass, there were many such birds of prey circling the fields. 

The grass is mown, and is now being flipped over to dry. 

I can't get enough of this view. 

Also looking south behind me on the road I have walked since leaving the town, Mount Pilatus looms large in the background!

Always looking for a place to set up my tripod for self-timed photos. 

These friendly goats wanted to say hello. I had to laugh because I'd never seen goats in an enclosure where the grass was so high that they could barely see above the grass!

This is an official hiking trail, and the farmers, who receive subsidy from the government for walking paths through their properties, usually try to make sure that the trails are cleared!

Still some beautiful trees in full bloom here!

A look behind me again at Mt.Pilatus past this spectacular high-growth fruit tree!

The mountain at the back looming behind that house is Mt.Stanserhorn. On the right and further south are the snow-covered peaks of the Bernese Alps, some over 4000 meters. 

The trail took me right through this pasture. The cows are watching me carefully. One of them even got up and came running toward me, not something one really likes to have happen.... 

Here's that mean old cow, facing off with me!

Those are the highest peaks of the Bernese Alps. The one on the very left is the highest, Mt. Finsteraarhorn, 4274 meters a.s.l.

Close-up look at these peaks, I believe they are called the Rosenhorn, Mittelhorn and Wetterhorn. 

And here, Mt. Rigi looms large. 

The buildings at Mittel Robmatt (?)

Every meadow has its resident farm cat (they always think they are hiding from me!). On studying this photo, I see there is a second cat in this meadow. They're probably looking for the mice which were chased out by the mowers. 

A first view of Lake Zug to the north

Here I passed through a large region of meadows where three mowers were hard at work! (It was almost as noisy as the construction going on in my neighbourhood!)

There was a very nice amount of footpaths on this trail!

Looking south to the south end of Lake Zug between Mount Rigi (on the right) and Mount Rossberg on the left. The mountains in the back are the Uri Alps. 

Looking behind me where I had been walking along the fence, the newly-mown grass covering the trail. 

Finally the noisy mower turns around and heads south, after running alongside me for about 10 minutes of my walk!

Such a lovely landscape. 

These cows were so excited to see me! They started mooing and ran in my direction, as far as the fence would allow them!

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The cows are following me!

View to the south end of Lake Zug, past the industrial neighbourhood of Küssnacht. 

Now I'm arriving into the village of Meierskappel, where I had to walk through the outskirts a bit into the center (before then starting on my way down the mountain). 

Another fabulous anemone clematis tree!

I sat on a bench here for a while with this view, and had a snack (at 12:30). I would have stayed longer, but below me were a small herd of cows (about 6) and one of them was outfitted with a sheep's bell (the others had no bells), which makes an annyoing, high-pitched clinging sound. The little meadow is right in the center of town, and the bell would bother simply everyone! (Well, it would bother me, worse than construction noise, in that case)

This is the cow with the little bell, much too small for cows! I think this is a male, and he gave me a mean look! (It was only when he was observing me, that the bell was finally quiet!)

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I have to record the sound of the annoying sheep's bell on this cow!

Next stop: Village church in Meierskappel

Inside of the Meierskappel church

Looking up at the church from the bus stop at the village center. From here I now head downhill eastward toward the lake. 

Another lovely house on my way down the hill. 

The drying grass is shaken up to make sure the lower layers dry out as well. 

Now that's a spectacular farm machine!

A look behind me where I descended from Meierskappel, the white buildings at the back. 

Just short of getting to the main road which runs from Küssnacht to Rotkreuz, and where I caught the bus to the train station in Rotkreuz. 

A heron randomly walking through the pastures. 

A view across the north part of Lake Zug to the city of Zug. 

And to the south we see the summit of Mt. Rigi, past the full-flowering rapeseed fields. 

What my hike looks like on Google Satellite Maps. 

All the hikes we have donw in the region of Küssnacht, Mt.Rooterberg and Zug.