From Willisau to Menznau via Ostergau Lakes

Sunday May 28, 2023 -- Urs has long talked about going to see the Ostergau Lakes near Willisau, a lovely region of peat bogs where these lakes were created by cutting out the peat during WWII when oil and coal were scarce fuels. This is a lovely nature reserve and was a good idea for this sunny day on the Pentecost Holiday weekend, as we encountered very few people in this area: Most others were probably at church services or in the popular areas in the mountains, which we were trying to avoid.

As I had done two long hikes on the two previous days, I didn't mind that this was going to be a short walk, just under 10 kilometers and about 2-3/4 hours with little uphill. This small hike had so much variety, with forest trails, the nature reserve, and a surprisingly nice narrow path along a short piece of the St.James Trail through the lovely agricultural region of the Luzern Back-Country. And a nice bonus is that it only took us just over an hour from home to get there with public transit.

As air clarity wasn't spectacular anyway, it didn't matter that we weren't doing a panorama tour, although in retrospect, if the air had been clearer, we might also have had some nice views of Mount Pilatus from the hill above the lake. 

Side Note: The train to Willisau from Luzern is a double-train with the two trains being separated in Wolhusen. The other part of the train continues in the direction of Bern to towns from where buses run to such popular hiking areas as Sörenberg, Napf, Marbach and Eggiwil. That section of the train was so full, there was barely any standing room left. And our section? We were almost the only ones going the other way.

A 30-minute walk from Willisau train station and up along a small forested hill, we come to a plateau where we get the first views over the Luzern countryside (and the Swiss-Krono factory below)

All around us the grass had been freshly mowed and it smelled so good!

A lovely spring day in the Luzern back country

Being watched...

On the upper left of the photo is the town of Willisau where we started on our walk. 

The bench instructed us: "Instead of rushing, you can rest here for a bit", which is what we did!

That is a huge linden tree up ahead. It will smell wonderful once these trees start to flower!

Our first glimpse of the Ostergau lakes below

This is a special breed of sheep called "Engadine Sheep". It is a very robust, rare and protected species of Swiss sheep originating from the formerly difficult to access regions of Engadine in Canton Graubünden. 

Lovely meadows

A better view of the lovely Ostergau Lakes. If the air had been clearer, we would have seen the whole range of the pre-Alps to the south. 

Heading down to lake level

Just above the farmhouse was a bench in the shade, and we sat here for a while admiring the countryside. 

Because the farmers were mowing the grass all around, birds of prey were circling below us, hoping to find mice scurrying in the cut grass!

After reaching the main road below, we headed left and then through the pond region. 

We started at the Willisau train station at 9:30, and caught the train back home in Menznau at about 13:30. It wasn't a long hike for us, but the weather was nice for walking, not too hot, and few other people in this area. 

We often pass some interestingly-decorated gardens

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Once we reached the little lakes, the frogs were croaking like crazy, I'd never heard anything like it. Try as we might, we couldn't actually see ANY frogs!

Making our way through the thick rushes next to one of the ponds, to try to find some frogs which we could hear croaking like crazy! We couldn't see a single one. 

Looking behind us past the pond to the upper area where we had walked from the forest on the left. 

This information panel explains how the lakes came to be formed: During the Second World War, oil and coal were rare commodities, so people began cutting out the peat in these peat bogs for fuel. The water level was reduced by six meters with strong pumps. Since then, nature has reclaimed the region. 

More lovely meadows

Heading back uphill past the Ostergau lakes on our way to Menznau, the next nearest train station. 

A lovely farmhouse. (Note, this ascent was in a bit of a "dip" and there was no breeze here, so it was very hot)

A lone tree far off on the hill. 

We had found a shady spot next to a farmhouse to eat our lunch, then continued southwards along what is officially the St.James trail, and in this section a surprisingly nice and narrow trail. Up ahead you can just see Mt. Pilatus

This looks like a field of cucumbers. And up ahead is the lone tree I photographed at close-up range.

We really very much enjoyed walking through the farm area of the Luzern Back-Country. 

Old farmhouses along the way

Final section before descending into the town of Menznau

Up ahead is the town of Menznau. The train station is right next to the church

On our left, the farmers are busy harvesting their hay

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This is how the mountain grass gets harvested in Switzerland. It is often a family affair in which even the kids have to participate

On our right is the HUGE SwissKrono Factory. They manufacture laminate wood products

The church in Menznau. We arrived here 10 minutes early for our train, so had time for a quick look inside. 

A quick look inside the church: The altar side

A quick look inside the church: The organ side

Interesting building next to the church. 

More lovely flowers

What our approx. 10-km walk looks like on Google Satellite Maps

Other hikes we have done in the area of the Luzern back-country

Where Willisau is located in Switzerland. 

From the Back of Sihl Valley to Lake Wägitalersee in the Wägital

Saturday May 27, 2023 -- With lots of sunshine in the forecast, we wanted to do a mountain hike, something that hadn't really been possible till now. 

In May of 2020 we did a very satisfactory hike starting at Lake Wägital, a lesser-known lake in Canton Schwyz not far from where we live, hiking up and over into the next valley to another lake called Sihlsee (Those photos are HERE). On that hike we saw a farm on a crest (this one HERE) and figured we'd come back one day and walk past there. Also, the backdrop of the Schwyzer Alps was spectacular. 

And then in May of last year we were in the region again, on another beautiful day with great visibility of the snow-covered peaks and the beautiful lake (those photos are HERE), and since those two trips I have wanted to go again. This day seemed like the perfect day, and we picked a different route, starting past the south end of Lake Sihlsee on the western side, and walking to the Fläschli Pass, and across the crest down to Lake Wägitalersee to the east. 

Perhaps we should have waited another month and not made it a May hike once again. From last year's hike I remembered that the trails were wet and muddy, and this was the case again (it is generally a marshy region). But it would have been OK if we'd only had the sunshine we were promised! For 90 minutes uphill through lovely forests we did have sunshine, but once we got to the pass, the sky was suddenly and quickly overcast, and a cold wind was blowing, and just on this day I had forgotten my jacket. 

At the end of the hike, on our last descent to the lake, is where we finally had the afternoon sunshine. 

From Einsiedeln we take the bus across Lake Sihlsee, which has so much more water now than when we were here in February (those photos HERE)

There are two valleys South of Lake Sihlsee, and this village of Studen is at the junction. Our hike to the Fläschli Pass (off photo on the left) starts just past this village in the Sihl Valley. We were disappointed that the air was so hazy, as we were hoping for clear views again. 

Our first goal is the Fläschli Pass (or Fläschlihöchi). 90 minutes is the general time it takes to walk up the 460 meters (altitude) to the pass. We did it in 1 hr. 45 minutes, with a stop to change into shorts!

Heading east across the pastureland toward the forest for our ascent to the Fläschli Pass

This was a very long hike for us, 4 hours and 20 minutes. We started at the final bus stop into the Sihl Valley at 10:15, and made it to the bus stop at the dam at the north end of Lake Wägital at 15:45. We didn't have any views of the lake until Eggstofel. The crest hike would have been more enjoyable if we had had sunshine there, and less wet trails. 

30 minutes after starting out, and following forestry trails, we reached the narrow forest trail up the mountain. 

The first section up the mountain was on a good forest trail along a kind of ridge. At some points it was quite steep. Looking down in the ravine to the North, we even saw a chamois.

One of just two glimpses we had of the Sihl Valley where we started on our hike (to the left of the village below)

After the first uphill section, we had a 1-km flat section along a forestry road, and there were dozens of these HUGE Roman Snails on the road (I moved a few to the side, but am never sure that's the direction they were planning to go!). Most of these were about 5 cm in diameter!

One kilometer along this road, with dozens of Roman snails on all sides, before the next ascent

A single view to the West past the other valley (called Alptal), and you can just make out the peaks of the Mythen mountains. 

On the second 10-minute ascent to the pass, we were already getting into marshy territory. These wooden walkways were good to walk on

Steps all the way up to the pass

With the sun at this point, it was a pleasant ascent

We got to the pass just after noon, and had our picnic lunch here. We were so hoping for a really clear view of the mountains to the east. But the low clouds over the lake were a real disappointment, and they soon blocked the sunshine. 

From the Fläschli Pass, we still had some uphill climbing to do. A lot of the trail was wet and peaty

It's always a thrill to see the first Gentians of the season

These wooden walkways were welcome in the marshy regions, but many of them were so rotted away that the boards were non-existent

A moment of sunshine

Finally a dry section as we make our way along the crest

Up ahead is the Eggstofel Farm, which had looked so idyllic from the hillside further north, where we had walked in 2020. There was sunshine there, but here we had shade and it was cold!

The popular Chli Aubrig peak on the left is all bathed in sunlight!!!! (That's where there were so many people up there on our 2020 hike). Our trail takes us to the right. 

Finally we have reached the "level" of sunlight, where the clouds were no longer in the way. This is the Eggstofel farm. 

Eggstofel Farm

To the south, the clouds are still low on the peaks. We caught a bus at the dam 20 minutes short of Innerthal, so 1 hr. and 15 minutes from here. 

First glimpse of Lake Wägitalersee as we make our final descent

Like snow in the fields

I looked all over the Internet to find out what breed of goats these are, but could not find any information. Many of them looked pregnant and fairly ready to give birth. 

A bit more of the lake, 

Continuing down a forestry road

Finally we reached lake level. Directly across is the village of Innerthal

Close-up look at Innerthal, where the bus ends its run up the valley from Lake Zurich. 

These goats are easier to identify, they are Boer Goats (Burenziegen) imported from South Africa

Another 20 minutes to go along this road, and across the dam

Water from the mountains enters the lake here

View from the bridge

Crossing the dam, a view to the back of the lake. We descended via that red building on the right

A look down the north side of the dam

Waiting for the bus at the stop near the dam. We got here at 15:45, slightly too early for the bus. We were already home just after 5:30 p.m.!

What our hike looks like on Google Satellite Maps. View is to the south. We started near Studen near the back of the Sihl Valley, and walked to the north end of Lake Wägital. 

The various hikes we have now done around Lake Wägitalersee

Location of Einsiedeln, Lake Sihlsee, and Lake Wägitalersee in Switzerland. This is under two hours by public transit for us. (Return was 90 minutes)