This hike leads to hidden alpine meadows high above Lake Lucerne. You’ll pass right below the towering Pilatus peak, a dramatic setting for such an unassuming trail.
It’s a steep climb from the lakeside, but well worth the effort. And great for spring, with the snow usually gone by end of March and the fields filling with flowers around late April.
The trail is second half of Waldstätterweg Stage 4. For a longer hike, you can simply start with the first half, Luzern to Horw, then continue with this trail.
Keep reading for all the details for this hike.
Quick Info
| Region | near Lucerne city |
| Start: | Horw train station |
| End: | Alpnachstad train station |
| By car: | Parkhaus Bahnhofstrasse in Horw From Lucerne 10 mins, Zürich 50 mins |
| By public transport: | Horw train station From Lucerne 8 mins, Zürich 58 mins |
| Trail: | 4h • ⬇️ trail map |
| Distance: | 11.4 km one way |
| Difficulty: | moderate • 671m up 680m down |
| Condition: | mixed: footpaths with uneven terrain and stairs, gravel and paved roads |
| Elevation: | 432m to 886m |
| Open: | best May to October • trail status |
| Cost: | train to connect ends of trail |
| Services: | no services on trail, toilet at train stations |
| More info: | SchweizMobil • weather • webcam |
Gallery
My pics are from our hike the second weekend of May. You could do this hike earlier, but we prefer the look when the trees have filled in and fields have wildflowers.
Trail overview
The trail described here is the second half of Waldstätterweg Stage 4, from Horw to Alpnachstad (red line on the map below).
This trail starts at the Horw train station, a short ride from Lucerne city. After a short walk to the edge of town, it’s a steep climb into the foothills below Mt Pilatus.
Then traverse through several beautiful meadows, often with views down to Lake Lucerne and the mountains beyond. At the end, it’s a steep descent back to the lakeside and short walk along the water to the Alpnachstad train station.
Hiking map
The map below shows the trail starting at Horw. We think the views are best hiking in this direction.
See map on Komoot • SchweizMobil • OutdoorActive
Shorter version
With a car, you can drive up the mountain and do a shorter hike to some of the nicest viewpoints. Here are some of the parking areas:
Longer version
For a longer hike, simply add more of the Waldstätterweg 98 to the start or end of this trail:
- Option A: start in Lucerne and hike to Horw (3 hours), then continue on this trail.
- Option B: when you end the trail in Alpnachstad, continue on Waldstätterweg: Stage 5, about 3 hours to the Stanstad train station.
How to get there
This one way trail starts in Horw, just west of Lucerne city. The trail ends at Alpnachstad, where you can take a train back to your starting point or home base.
By public transport:
Take a train to Horw train station to start the hike.
By car:
The Horw train station does not have parking. So we parked at the Parkhaus Bahnhofstrasse in Horw, which allow longer term parking (coins only for the meter!!!). The other public parking near the train station is 2 hours only.
When you end the hike in Alpnachstad, ride the train back to Horw to get your car. The train departs every 30 mins. Check schedule.
Planning your day
When to go
This hike is usually snow-free from mid April thru early November. We think it’s prettiest starting early May when the tree leaves have filled in and flowers are blooming.
Costs
Your only costs are for the train to connect the ends of the trail and parking if you drove.
In 2026, we spent CHF 8 for parking. The one-way train tickets from Alpnachstad to Horw were CHF 7.80/adult full fare.
Where to eat
There are no restaurants along this route. Best to bring a picnic.
There are several picnic areas with fire pits along the way (no wood provided, bring your own). Some of the picnic areas belong to private cabins, so investigate before settling in.
Photo story of trail
From the Horw train station, the first 2 km are unremarkable, just wandering through a neighborhood on your way to the hills.
Follow signs showing the green “98 Waldstätterweg” label, direction Alpnachstad. After about 10 mins, you’ll pass through this tunnel under the main road.
Getting closer to the real trail.
Now the trail climbs uphill, first on this private road.
Now thru this cute gate labeled “Wanderweg” and up lots of stairs.
The views just get better with every step.
Thankfully the hard work is mostly in the shade.
Now passing through a series of meadows, some with animals.
Walking on a few service roads for the farms.
Some nice lake views.
At Bruust, we passed this free parking for hikers. At nearby picnic areas, we saw a few groups that clearly did not hike up the hill like we did.
So many flowers this time of year.
Looking back on the trail.
First view of Mt Pilatus
Cooling off in the forest.
Another parking area, this one near the shooting range on Grossäschi.
Hiking towards Mt Pilatus for awhile. Such nice photos from this field.
We were surprised to pass by the Alpgschwand cable car, where you can also park. I suppose you could ride this cable car up and hike down to see a lot of the same scenery. We’ll try that next time.
Many benches with a view along the way for your picnic.
No end to the pretty meadows.
Passing by lots of cute huts and farm buildings.
Last uphill stretch
Last stairs and climb up to the pass. We were pretty tired at this point.
Now a steep descent to the lake. This part had lots of loose rocks that made it slow-going.
A brief walk on a service road.
Then a rather miserable section with lots of loose rock, very slow-going here.
When you reach the road, you have about 25 mins walking time to the Alpnachstad station. Check the train schedule to see if you need to hurry to catch the next train, or take your time.
When you reach the main road, don’t miss the sign pointing left (away from the train station) so you can hook around to the lakeside path. It’s a bit noisy with car traffic, but pretty views still.
Walk through this tunnel to reach the Alpnachstad train station. Toilets, vending machine, and cafe here.
If you want to keep walking, follow Waldstätterweg signs to Stansstad, about 3 hours.
Hope you enjoy this hike!
