Walenpfad Trail

At only 45 minutes from Lucerne, Engelberg is a perfect mountain destination away from the city. The main highlight of the Walenpfad is the wide-open views over Lake Bannalp and the surrounding mountain peaks.

The hike starts at Ristis, at 1600 m altitude. You can try the Rodelbahn, an installation that allows you to go sledding in summer. When you are ready to hike, you will climb towards Brunnihütte SAC. The path there is quite steep, but once you reach the top, you will be rewarded by a small blue lake. You can take your shoes off and try the barefoot trail around the lake.

After walking on a flat section, you will climb again until you reach Walegg at 1952 m altitude. From there, you will see a narrow path along the edge of the mountain. Even if it looks impressive, don’t worry, this path is secured with steel cables. Once you reach the end of the path, you will be rewarded by the best views over Lake Bannalp.

Then, you will walk on a ridge and start descending towards the Alphütte Oberfeld. The path doesn’t go near the lake and goes directly to the Berggasthaus Urnerstaffel. From there, you will quickly reach the Chrüzhütte. The cable car is just nearby. The cable car is totally automated, so you can just go inside the cabin when it arrives.

Logistics

From Engelberg, take the cable car to Ristis. The hike starts right at this station. For coming back, take a gondola at Chrüzhütte directly back to Fell, where you can take the bus.