Beat Friedli’s hiking tip: Seelisberg round hike

Wanderlust: round and about

Beat loves round hikes.
His favourite hiking route is in nearby Uri Canton, close to the idyllic mountain village of Seelisberg, on a peninsula in Lake Lucerne. Maybe you have already guessed what Beat loves so much about this hike. The captivating views over the lake, mountains and landscape amaze him again with each visit. Not only is the view magnificent, the crystal-clear mountain lake is too. Known as the “Seelisberger Seeli”, it has a natural swimming pool where you will be tempted to while away some time.
In Seelisberg, the sun terrace of central Switzerland, breathtaking views meet secluded forests, exciting stories and enchanted glades. A trip with numerous, guaranteed highlights!

So stop daydreaming. You probably want to know exactly where Beat’s route leads, don’t you?

Seelisberg round hike

Arriving
By public transport:
take the post bus from Stans to Seelisberg and get off at the stop “Geissweg” near the natural pool on the Seelisberger Seeli. Alternatively, you could take a Lake Lucerne boat to Treib, then the funicular to Seelisberg itself. From there, it’s best to take the bus to the “Geissweg” stop, because it’s near the hike’s starting point.
By car: take the exit “Beckenried Süd” to get to Seelisberg. As you cannot park directly in the grounds of the natural pool on the Seelisberger Seeli, it is recommended you leave your car at the paying carpark (approx. CHF 5 per day) on Dorfstrasse, right by the entrance to the village, and walk the short distance to the pool.

Route
The round hike starts at the natural pool on the Seelisberger Seeli, going uphill and in the direction of Oberschwand. At the crossroads before Oberschwand, go right towards Scheidegg/Schwändli. On this stretch, you can enjoy the beautiful view over Seelisberger Seeli with its crystal-clear mountain waters, surrounded by verdant meadows. Then you continue towards Oberschwand. Branch off to the right from the path, towards Brandegg/Höch Flue.

This part of the trail has many great viewpoints over Lake Lucerne and the mountains Rigi and Fronalpstock. It is worth taking frequent breaks to allow your gaze to rove into the distance and enjoy the incredible view.
If, like Beat, you like to light a fire and bake bread on sticks and roast sausages, there are plenty of fire pits along the way that will be the very thing for your feast.

The hike then goes via Sunnenberg on towards Oberdorf. As well as the village shop and a cashpoint, Oberdorf also has a restaurant, in which you can enjoy a meal if you haven’t already stopped at a fire pit.

If you’re hungry for more hiking, you can leave Oberdorf and take a detour down towards Rütli. Rütli is an alpine meadow (approx. 480 m above sea level) on the west bank of Lake Urner, an arm of Lake Lucerne. It is famous for the “Rütlischwur”, the oath taken on the foundation of the three original cantons, Uri, Schwyz and Unterwalden (Obwalden and Nidwalden). If you would like to take a portion of Swiss history as well as views back home with you, you shouldn’t miss the descent to Rütli. However, don’t forget that your reserves of strength need to be enough to reascend and take the path back.

From Oberdorf, you hike through the forest in the direction of the cable car station Seelisberg Alp Weid. Just before you reach the cable car station, turn right and head down towards the natural pool Seelisberger Seeli, where a refreshing dip in the clear mountain lake awaits you.

Duration
Approximately 2 ½ hours, without breaks and without detouring to Rütli.

Degree of difficulty
Easy. Suitable for families and older people.

Information
The entire route is signposted as a round hike on the ground. You can also see the route marked on the map (PDF). Beat’s round hike departs a little from the forest trail around Seelisberg in a few places. However, the forest trail route description will give you useful additional information about the hike, as well as a map including information about the elevation profile.

Beat’s tips:

  • Arrive on the Treib-Seelisberg funicular
    Just travelling to Seelisberg can be an experience. Take the boat over Lake Lucerne to Treib, then take the historic funicular up to Seelisberg. While the Treib-Seelisberg funicular, which celebrated its 100th birthday in 2016, is carrying you over 800m above sea level to the sun terrace of central Switzerland, you can enjoy the gorgeous view over the lake and mountains. You can find more information including the timetable for the Treib-Seelisberg funicular here.
  • Tour of the village and visit to the mountain cheese dairy
    Before returning home, it’s worth taking a short tour of the village of Seelisberg, going past the cheese dairy and the historic pilgrims’ chapel of Maria Sonnenberg to the Schiller Balkon. This is a viewing terrace with a clear view over Rütli, Tellsplatte and Altdorf, where William Tell shot the arrow into the apple.
  • Rest and relaxation in Seelisberg-Seeli / natural pool
    What is nicer after a hike than cooling off in the lake? Treat yourself to some downtime in Seelisberg’s natural pool and revive yourself in the crystal-clear mountain lake that reaches a temperature of 24 degrees in summer. Whether you lie lazily in the sun on the banks, splash around actively in the water and swim, or take a rowing boat onto the lake – you can find wonderful ways to relax. If you can’t get enough of the mountain world at Lake Urner, you can spend the night at the car-free natural campsite beside the lake and listen to the crickets singing.

Beat’s stick bread recipe

(makes 10)

  • 500g spelt flour
  • ½ cube fresh yeast (1 packet dried)
  • 230ml lukewarm water
  • 2 ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon sugar
  • 3 ½ tablespoons virgin olive oil

Mix the half-cube of fresh yeast with the salt until the yeast becomes liquid. Add the flour and sugar. Then add the lukewarm water and olive oil and knead everything by hand or with the kneading hook at top speed into a smooth, soft dough. Cover and leave to prove for approximately 30 minutes. You can carry the dough on your hike in a bowl with a secure lid.
If the basic dough is too bland for you, you can pep it up with other ingredients according to taste. For example, knead in dried tomatoes, cubes of cheese, rosemary and, if you like something really substantial, a few cubes of bacon or ham, into the dough. If you prefer it sweet, then you can mix chocolate chips or raisins into the dough instead.
On the ground, knead the dough well with a little flour and divide into 10 equal portions. Form each portion into a log about 20cm long, then wrap it around a wooden stick or small twig. While you wait for the right glow from your fire, it’s best to leave the stick breads on a sheet of baking paper to rest. Preparing them will take a little patience and feeling in your fingertips, so the stick breads don’t catch or char over the fire. Other than that, it is quite simple – just hold the stick wrapped in dough over the hot embers of your fire and carefully bake it golden brown on all sides. The bread tastes best when lukewarm.
(Quelle)

Enjoy!

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