The Swiss Path – commemorative trail around Lake Lucerne

To celebrate the 700th anniversary of the Swiss Confederation, the Swiss Path, aka “Weg der Schweiz” was built around the southern end of Lake Luzern or Vierwaldstättersee. The trail is broken into stages, each easily accessible by public transportation, so you can walk as little or much as you like.

Because of lower elevation, this trail is a great choice for spring (April and May) before mountain trails are ready for summer hiking.

We’ve hiked the whole trail, in four separate trips, each section with its positives and negatives. Below is an overview of the whole Swiss path, with descriptions of each stage.

Swiss Path Trail Overview

The full Swiss Path is 35 km, from Brunnen to Seelisberg, as shown below. You can see the official maps on the Weg der Schweiz website.

Here are the public transport connections along the trail. These allow you to start and stop at different points along the trail.

1. Brunnen train station and ferry
2. Rütli ferry and Seelisberg village above
3. Bauen – ferry 
4. Isleten – ferry and bus
5. Flüelen – train and ferry
6. Sisikon – train and ferry
7. Morschach – bus

Trail stages

The long trail can be divided into shorter stages and hiked separately. Our family hiked the trail in the following four stages, doing one segment each spring over a few years. We liked Stage 4 the best and have done that one a few more times since. 

Stage 1: Brunnen – Rütli – Seesliberg – Bauen
3h • 9 km • 500m up, 510m down

Stage 2: Bauen – Isleten – Flüelen
3h20 • 9.9 km • 110m up and down

Stage 3: Flüelen – Sisikon
2h • 6.8 km • 150m up, 120m down

Stage 4: Sisikon – Morschach – Brunnen
3h • 9.5 km • 470 m up, 500m down
can be shortened to 6.5 km

I’ll briefly describe the stages here and link to my detailed articles for more info.

Stage 1: Rütli to Bauen

This stages starts with a boat ride from Brunnen to Rütli, where you can see some historical sites related to the foundation of Switzerland. Then a steep ascent through the forest to the alpine village of Seelisberg.

The a stroll through the village, forest, and farm fields, with occasionally lake views. Then a slow descent back down to Bauen on the lakeshore, where you can catch the ferry back to your starting point.

This stages has wonderful views of the lake and mountains from Seelisberg. We liked the varied terrain, through forests, alpine meadows, under mountain peaks, past farms and through little towns. 

Get details for Stage 1: Rütli to Bauen...

Stage 2: Bauen to Flüelen

The trail hugs the shoreline of Lake Luzern, with lovely views of the lake and surrounding mountains. It also has lots of sculptures and art pieces along the way, celebrating the culture and history of Switzerland. The trail ends in a nice nature preserve, with adjacent swimming areas, playgrounds and restaurants.

This stage starts in Bauen, where the last stage finished. Or you can start in Iselten, making it a bit shorter. To reach the start, we suggest take the ferry from Flüelen, where you end the hike later.

The path is mostly flat, right along the water, the easiest stage of the Swiss Path. You could even do this section with an all-terrain strollers.

The views are nice and we really like the nature reserve near Flüelen. But this was our least favorite stage because much of the trail is next to a busy road. Plus you spend about 20 mins inside a car tunnel with sporadic windows to the lake, not my ideal hike. But we still had a good time and I would recommend it if you need a low-key, easy walk with a view.

Get details for Stage 2: Bauen to Flüelen

Stage 3: Flüelen to Sisikon

This section starts at the Flüelen and ends at Sisikon. Both sides of this trail have train stations and ferry connections. If you need to shorter the trail, there is also a ferry dock in the middle of the trail at Tellkappelle.

This stage has almost continuous views of the lake and surrounding mountains, which we loved. The main attraction is the Wilhelm Tell chapel and fun Glockenspiel (bells that play songs every hour) in the middle of the trail. I liked this section more than I expected and would definitely recommend it, particularly for spring.

Most of the trail is on dirt paths near the water, often in forest, with a few stairs and switchbacks but not particularly difficult. There are plenty of places to picnic and build a fire and a very nice playground near the start.

We didn’t love the few parts of the trail join a busy road. But the other parts are so nice, with such beautiful views that I’m willing to overlook that downside.

Get details for Stage 3: Flüelen to Sisikon

Stage 4: Sisikon to Brunnen

This last stage is our favorite, with the best views and quietest trail away from the roads.  It starts with a tough climb from the lake up the mountain, but that means you’re away from the busy roads that detracted on previous stages.

Much of the trail traverses the mountain through alpine meadows with views up and down the whole lake, never in the shade of the mountains above you.

You can shorten this stage to 2 hours, by stopping in Morschach and catching the bus the rest of the way (we did this once with the kids). The last bit is mostly in the forest, so you aren’t missing much.

Get details for Stage 4: Sisikon to Flüelen 

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