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The Vierwaldstätterweg is a hiking trail that runs all around Lake Lucerne - from Brunnen to Rütli - passing through the "city of lights". The path offers wonderful panoramic views and is mostly easy to walk. Furthermore, if you would like to complete the tour around the lake, you can plan your hike by combining it with the better-known 'Weg der Schweiz', the path that runs along the southern part of the Vierwaldstätterweg, starting at Rütli and reaching Brunnen via Flüelen. In this article, we tell you about our route from Weggis to Küssnacht am Rigi and give you some useful tips!
We love... the Vierwaldstätterweg!
The Vierwaldstätterweg is a hiking trail that runs along Lake Lucerne – from Brunnen to Rütli – passing through the “City of Lights”. The total length is over 115 km, normally divided into 7 stages. It is therefore perfect for a multi-day hike as well as for individual day stages. The trail is absolutely fascinating and for the most part easy to walk. It also offers magnificent views of the lake and the surrounding mountains and combines coastal paths with sections in the mountains or along rivers and lakes. For those who have more days available or who simply want to complete the tour around the entire lake, it is possible to continue the hike along the better-known ‘Weg der Schweiz’, the path that runs along the southern part of the Vierwaldstättersee, starting from Rütli and reaching Brunnen via Flüelen. We have walked part of both trails on day hikes and in this article we tell you about our route from Weggis to Küssnacht am Rigi, an easy and absolutely scenic section of the entire Vierwaldstätterweg. Moreover, we walked it both in Summer – when the lake is alive and deep blue – and in Autumn – when the foliage makes the forest landscape even more colorful! Your choice!
Hike overview & map
The walking route we propose is a linear route that starts from the town of Weggis – on Lake Lucerne – and following the shoreline and through meadows and forests reaches Küssnacht am Rigi, where it ends. Along the route, you can enjoy beautiful views of the lake and buy farm products and fresh fruit at one of the many self-services shops you will find along the way. The total route of 12.8 km can be walked in about three and a half hours at a relaxed pace. It is an easy trail, mostly flat or with slight ascents, and for a large part of the route runs in the shade of dense forest. Along the route you will find several dining options near the towns of Weggis and Küssnacht, where restrooms are also located.
- Central
- Autumn, Spring, Summer, Winter
- Easy
- 3:30 h
- 12.8 Km
- 288 m
- Central
- Autumn, Spring, Summer, Winter
- Easy
- 3:30 h
- 12.8 Km
- 288 m
Would you like to use our hiking map?
For a safe hike, it is important to have the support of maps and GPS. That’s why we plan and track all our hiking routes using Outdooractive, a platform for tracking outdoor activities such as hiking, cycling and more. By subscribing for free to the website you can browse the entire route database, copy our routes, edit them and create your own and of course share them with friends.
If instead you want to know why you should sign up for a PRO or PRO+ subscription and why we have already done it, we have told you about it here along with 5 other essential apps for hiking in Switzerland.
Walking route
From Weggis to the Haldi Hof farm
Our walk begins at the Weggis Ferry Terminal, on the shores of Lake Lucerne. The day is sunny, and during the Summer, Weggis is a lively and cheerful little town, the perfect destination even for a Sunday stroll (and if you are in the area, don’t miss the chance to have a lunch at the Seehotel Gotthard’s terrace restaurant!). In Weggis, we start our walk at the lovely lakefront, following the coastal road for about a kilometer. Here, a short climb among the houses leads us first to the hiking trail and then to a big farm – Hügerihof – where we find a small self-service shop with fruits and vegetables. During Summer, here you can fill up your backpack with cherries, which grow abundantly on the trees that surround this section of the path.
The next two kilometers run along lush green meadows in a slightly elevated position, and from there we can admire magnificent views of the lake and the Bürgenstock, right in front of us. A few more steps and the path reaches a dense forest. This section of the trail runs steeply over the lake for about 2 kilometers. But don’t worry! The path is wide and well-maintained, so absolutely safe. However, as always we suggest to wear good trekking shoes* and use trekking sticks*. At the end of the forest, a short climb takes us a little higher. Here we find a small café/restaurant and the little store of the Haldi Hof farm (organic products and some local alcoholic beverages). It is really worth a visit if you are in the area!
From the Haldi Hof farm to Küssnacht am Rigi
At the Haldihof farm we buy some jams and a small bottle of schnapps and start walking again toward our final destination. A few steps after the farm, the hiking trail meets the driveway and crosses it. From here we continue for about two more kilometers, passing just above the town of Greppen and crossing a small residential area. From here the trail runs smoothly on a gravel road and at one point crosses the cable car from Küssnacht am Rigi to Seebodenalp on the side of Mount Rigi. A little further on is the Restaurant Alpenhof, which offers traditional Swiss food, drinks and ice cream. Also a good destination for families. Here we take a well-deserved refreshment break and begin our descent to the small town of Küssnacht, back on the lakeshore. The historic center of the town is a little gem. If you have time, we suggest taking a stroll here and then stopping at a café or at one of the shaded benches on the tree-lined lakefront. From there, the train station is really close and is reached via a short climb up a paved road.
How to get there
Arriving by public transport
See the location in Google Maps. The starting point of this hike – Weggis – can be reached by public transportation. To find the best travel option for you, as always we recommend using the SBB website or the SBB App that you can also use to check the timetables and operating status of the lines and purchase tickets.
Arriving by car
See the location in Google Maps. Weggis can also be easily reached by car. To find the best travel option for you, as always we suggest you use Google Maps. In Weggis, a large multi-level pay parking is available just at the entrance of the town, at Parkstrasse 6353. Another two-level parking – smaller than the previous one – is available on Rigistrasse.
Tips
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As mentioned above, this section of Vierwaldstätterweg is also wonderful during Fall, particularly in the more scenic or wooded stretches. Absolutely not to be missed!
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If you are in the mood for adventure, near the Alpenhof restaurant – just above Küssnacht am Rigi and also easily accessible by car – you will find the adventure park “Seilpark Rigi”: bridges, ropes and climbing are the real stars here! You can find all the information at this link (german only).
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Are you planning an excursion here and have doubts or concerns? Leave us a comment below and we will give you a feedback as soon as possible!
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