North-South Route
Overview
-
-
Distance 57 km
-
Ascent 400 m
Intro
From Aarau the way leads to the idyllic Suhrental river valley; with views of the Alps spotted south and Jura chain north. Through rich orchards and fertile fields alongside Lake Sempach, this stage finally takes you to Lucerne.
Description
Your journey starts in picturesque Aarau, the city of fine gables. The ride through the southern district is pleasant. Brügglifeld football stadium, where the local club has played at home since 1924, is now rather elderly. You reach the river Suhre, which flows through the valley of the same name, at the town of Suhr. This 34-km river emerges from Lake Sempach and flows into the Aare to the east of Aarau. The golf balls on the 18-hole Oberentfelden course have not emerged from a lake! They fly past your ears and, together with the irrigation systems, help to cool you down a little. Aarau, Buchs and Suhr run into one another almost seamlessly, but the building boom seems to tail off in the Mittelland and the ambience becomes calmer here. The Thatched House is a striking feature at Muhen: collections featuring various handicraft trades are on show (tours: see the commune's homepage).
The local raptors seem to be touring for a different purpose: awesome red kites and buzzards in search of prey circle above fields where maize, cabbages, asparagus, onions and other vegetables flourish. The path along the Suhre is pretty – and anything but sad, despite the many weeping birches and willows. The lovingly maintained town of Sursee is located at the northern end of Lake Sempach. Then come several pretty bathing spots, after which extensive sections of the lakeshore are closed to the public. Sempach, with its notable town hall dating from 1474, is also a pretty spot. To the north-east of the town, a chapel recalls the legendary Battle of Sempach on 9 July 1386. This place is also famous for the Swiss Ornithological Institute. This charitable foundation oversees local birdlife, researches the lifestyles of wild birds and tracks down the causes of the various threats they face.
The Rigi massif is already beckoning and welcoming you in the distance. You ride through the gently undulating Luzernerland region, through Rothenburg, down to Emmenbrücke and then to the river Reuss. The Reusszopf leisure area, with its own water meadow and island, has plenty of interesting sights. Amid motorways and railways, you may prefer to focus your thoughts on the graylings, German tamarisks and scarce blue-tailed damselflies that are also found here. The cycle path now passes the church of St. Charles, Mühlenplatz square with the Mill Bridge – and soon you are in the heart of Lucerne, one of the most visited Swiss cities.
An enjoyable tour includes the careful planning of the same. Please inform yourself in advance at the local information center about the route and weather conditions. Depending on the season and weather conditions, this route may be blocked or interrupted
| Start location |
Aarau
|
|---|---|
| Destination |
Lucerne
|
| Direction |
One way
|
| Ascent |
400 m
|
| Descent |
340 m
|
| Distance |
57 km
|
| Distance on tarred ways |
43 km
|
| Distance on natural surface |
14 km
|
| Physical requirements |
Medium
|
| Theme |
Along Water
|
Quick Facts
Route number
