Illgau Chäferliweg • Ladybug theme trail for children

The adorable Chäferliweg theme trail has little ladybugs painted on the ground to follow as you walk through alpine fields filled with wildflowers.

Along the way, there are two fun play areas for kids, nice picnic areas in the shady forest, and big views of spiky mountain peaks across the valley.

It’s a short, easy path, all downhill, but not suitable for strollers. We particularly like that it’s a quiet place, with a few local families but not crowded with tourists.

Quick info

Region	Lucerne Region • Muothatal
Starting point:	Illgau-St Karl cable car – Dorfstrasse, 6434 Illgau
By car:	Parking in Illgau village – see on map From Zürich 1hr, Lucerne 45 mins
By public transport:	Bus stop Ried (Muotathal) Seilbahn Illgau (instructions below) From Lucerne 1h30, Zürich 1h40

Trail:	1h30 • ⬇️ trail map
Distance:	2.7 km one way
Difficulty:	easy • 367m down
Condition:	mostly dirt paths, no strollers
Elevation:	1185m

Open:	May to October
Cost:	cable car one way • public transport to reach trail or parking fees
Discounts	no discount on cable car with travel passes
Services:	picnic areas with fire along trail
More info:	www.seilbahn-illgau.ch • webcam • weather

Video

Here’s a little video from our hike.

Trail Overview

To reach this trail, you take a small cable car from the Illgau village to St. Karl. At the top of the cable car, there is a play and picnic area with fire pits, wood and picnic tables.

Then the trail works its way down the mountain back to the village, following the lady bugs.

About halfway down, you’ll find another picnic and play area with fire pits. The path is easy walking, partially on the road, partially on dirt paths in fields and forests, not suitable for strollers.

Trail map

Here is a detailed trail map.

See trail map on Komoot.

How to get there

This trail is located in Illgau, a small alpine village southeast of Lucerne. You can reach the Illgau village by car or by bus + cable car. From Illgau, you ride the Illgau-St Karl cable car to reach the start of the trail.

By car:

You can drive directly to the Illgau village. There are a few parking spots directly across from the cable car. There is also a large parking lot right as you enter the town. Remember to pay the meter.

By public transport: 

If you are coming by public transport, take a train to Schwyz, then bus 501 to Ried (Muotathal) Seilbahn Illgau bus stop.

Then ride the Ried-Illgau cable car to the village. Then a short walk in the village to the Illgau-St Karl cable car, which will take you up to the trail.

Ried-Illgau cable car

If you are coming by public transport, you will ride the Ried-Illgau cable car to reach the Illgau village.

This self-service cable car runs on demand 7:00-18:00 on weekdays, 8:00-18:00 on weekends. It carries 6 people. Travel time 3 mins. Dogs are allowed, no bikes.

In 2026, a return ticket for the Ried-Illgau cable car costs CHF 14/adult and CHF 7/child. Half Fare Card, GA, and Juniorcard are valid. See current prices.

💡Best to buy your ticket on the SBB mobile app.

How to ride:

The Ried-Illgau cable car is self-service. If the green light is on, you can hold a valid ticket up to the scanner to open the entrance and cable car doors.

Then get in the cable car and press the “Start” button. A signal sounds, the cabin door closes automatically and you ride to the top.

If the light is not green, you can press the Call button to inform a staff member that you would like to ride up.

Illgau-St Karl cable car

To reach the trail, you will ride the cable car from the Illgau village to St Karl, the start of the trail.

The Illgau-St Karl cable car runs on demand from 8:45-11:45 / 12:45 – 16:45. Travel time 7 mins. Dogs are allowed, no bikes.

In 2026, a one-way ticket Illgau-St Karl costs CHF 11/adult and CHF 6/child, under 6 free. Discount for families. No discounts for SBB GA, Half-fare or Junior card.

Last time we went, we could pay by card or cash.

Photo story of the trail

Illgau Village

So you’ve made it to Illgau by car or bus + cable car. Congratulations. It’s a tiny, quiet alpine village with a beautiful setting. This pic was taken from the trail looking down on the town.

There is a small Volg grocery between the two cable cars in case you need picnic supplies.

Cable Car Tickets

In the Illgau village, walk to the Illgau-St. Karl cable car, which takes you up the mountain. On weekends, it runs on demand throughout the day, but closed during lunch 11:45-12:45. On weekdays, it runs once an hour on the 45.

Buy a one way ticket to the top since you’ll be walking back down the village. They don’t take SBB Half-fare or Junior cards. 

First play area

Right at the top of the St. Karl cable car, you’ll find a big play and picnic area. There are lots of things to climb on and explore.

We had lots of fun racing wood pieces down this chute.

There are two fire pits with grills, wood and picnic tables.

A witches house and spider tunnel.

On the trail

When you are ready to hike, follow the ladybugs down the mountain. The trail is well marked.

You’ll find these bells in the middle of the trail. You can play one of the songs printed below.

That’s Stoos in the distance on the left.

Second play area

After about 2 km, you’ll reach the second play and picnic area in the forest.

There are a couple swings, a zip line, and a mini suspension bridge that bounces.

There are two fire pits, wood, and picnic tables.

Hike down to Illgau

The trail continues through fields down to the village.

If you came by public transportation, walk back to the first cable car you took and use your ticket to open the sliding glass doors. Get inside the cable car and push the start button to close the doors and activate the cable car. The bus generally comes on the :23 and :53.

I hope you enjoy this hike with your little ones!