Hiking & Walking Alpine Trail Emmental - Switzerland
This wonderful self-guided hiking trip passes through the Emmental area in the heart of Switzerland. Just like the other areas in Switzerland, Emmental is also home to milk and cheese, folklore, cherry pie, gold panning, pretty mountain tops and a winegrowing culture.
For most of the way, the route passes through farmland in the Alpine foothills, where dairy farming has long been tradition. Cattle grazing in pastures and cheese dishes served in mountain taverns are two constant companions on the Alpine Panorama Trail.
The Alpine Panorama hiking route passes through some Switzerland’s most attractive areas at the foothills of the Alps on its way from Lake Constance to Lake Geneva: Appenzell, Toggenburg, Zugerland, Lucerne, Napfgebiet, Emmental, Greyerzerland, Lavaux and Côte d‘Or are all home to milk and cheese, folklore, cherry pie, gold panning and a winegrowing culture.
You can hike this route in 5 trips from East to West through Switzerland. This third part of the Panorama Trail is called the Emmental and it takes you from Lucerne to Guggisberg.
Trip Highlights:
- The Werthenstein complex, a pilgrimage place
- The magnificent view from the Napf ridge
- The impressive ruins of Rüeggisberg Monastery
- Great variety of landscape
Day 1 Arrival in Lucerne
Arrive in your hotel in Lucerne. Thanks to its attractions, its souvenir and watch shops, the beautiful lakeside setting and the nearby excursion mountains of the Rigi, Pilatus and Stanserhorn, the town is a destination for many individuals on their journey through central Switzerland.
Day 2 Hiking tour: Lucerne - Malters - Wolhusen
Walking time: 6 hrs. Superb views of Lucerne and its outlying districts from Sonnenberg. Once you have crossed the forested Sonnenberg, it’s time to enter the pure wilderness of Renggloch. Then the Ränggschlucht gorge offers an insight into the geology of the region. The last section to Malters lets you follow in the footsteps of St. James. The highlight is the Werthenstein complex, a place of pilgrimage with a famous Bernese pietà and a small pietà fountain, which is said to help mainly with eye problems.
Day 3 Hiking tour: Wolhusen - Napf
Walking time: 7 - 8 hrs. The Baroque church in Werthenstein is well worth a visit. In Menzberg, you can enjoy the beautiful views of the Napfgebiet and Bernese Alps. Many paths lead to the Napf - but no roads! One of the most beautiful approaches to the summit is the scenic range of hills via Menzberg. The panorama of the Alpine chain, Mittelland and Jura from the Napf is one of the most magnificent in Switzerland. Today's hiking trip is a true highlight of this week.
Day 4 Hiking tour: Napf - Lüdernalp
Walking time: 4 - 4.5 hrs. This fantastic ridge walk from Napf to Lüdernalp requires care and a steady foot. A perfect panoramic route through the typical rolling landscape of old-world Emmental! Continually up and down along a mostly wide range of hills from the Napf, past small farmsteads, alps and woodlands to Lüderenalp.
Day 5 Hiking tour: Lüdernalp - Moosegg
Walking time: 5 - 5.5 hrs. This gentle mountain ridge walk takes you through woodlands and meadows to the Greater Emme valley. The route leads through the heart of the Emmental via a long mountain crest with scattered farmsteads and varying views down into the wide valley of the Grosse Emme, then on up to the equally scenic Moosegg.
Day 6 Hiking tour: Moosegg - Münsingen
Walking time: 5 hrs. The villages become larger and the hills rounder and lower until they disappear completely in the Aare valley. After a short climb to the Blasenfluh, the rest of the hike is almost merely a pleasant downhill stroll to the wide Aaretal valley at Münsingen.
Day 7 Hiking tour: Münsingen - Rüeggisberg
Walking time: 6 hrs. From the wide Aaretal you can enjoy panomaric alpine views again on the Belpberg mountain. After this mountain, standing in the landscape like a huge island, you go into Gürbetal vegetable country and up the Längenberg to the impressive ruins of Rüeggisberg Monastery. Repeated spectacular views of the Bernese Alps.
Day 8 Hiking tour: Rüeggisberg - Guggisberg
Walking time: 5.5 - 6 hrs. The legendary Guggershörnli peak can be seen from far and wide. A last look at the ice-crowned Bernese Alps then down into in the Schwarzwassergraben (dip) to the world’s oldest concrete bridge. From the Schwarzenburg plateau through forests and fields to the Guggershörnli with its scenic views and famous Vreneli.
Day 9 End of program
Your hiking tour in Switzerland comes to an end after breakfast. You can also expand your trip to hike to Lausanne.
Included:
- 8 nights on B&B basis, all rooms with private en-suite bathrooms (for an image selection, please see Flickr)
- Luggage transfer
- Telephone assistance from 8 in the morning till 8 in the evening
- Detailed travel documents and maps in English
Not included:
- Flights and public transportation
- Travel insurance
- Postal bus transfers
- Aerial cable cars
- Any items not mentioned in the program
Optional services (to be booked in advance):
- Airport or station arrival and/or departure transfers
- Additional nights at any of the accommodations
- Transfer to the first and from the last hotel with mini-bus
- Single supplement
Additional information:
The trip is moderate to intermediate. It's about 5 to 6 hours hiking with climbs each day.
How to get there:
Best arrival and departure airport is Zurich International Airport (also named Kloten).
The starting point in Lucerne can be easily reached by train from Zurich in 50 minutes. At the end of your trip, take a taxi from Guggisberg to Schwarzenberg (about 6 km) and then take the train to Zurich (114 km, 71 mi) in about 2 hrs.
Tip: For online rail connections and reservations visit Rail Europe.
