Unterwalden-Route
Overview
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Distance 23 km
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Ascent 360 m
Intro
Quiet reed meadows on the Sarnersee, the bones of St Niklaus von der Flüe in Sachseln, busy dairy farming on mountain slopes, brown farmhouses dotted over green pastureland and finally the bewitchingly wild Kernwald strewn with boulders.
Description
The first thing you spot outside Giswil railway station is Dr Schacher Seppli. This wooden sculpture marks the start of an adventure trail dedicated to the famous Swiss folk song and its composer, the yodeller Ruedi Rymann. The cycle path starts by following the railway line towards Lake Sarnen. Both conventional and stand-up paddling can be enjoyed on the water, while the surrounding slopes are packed with bustling dairy farms. The route hugs the shoreline as far as Ewil, from where you’ll pedal through a vast expanse of fields but always retain a view of the lake. The cycle path passes the Edisried chapel, which dates from 1592. The hamlet itself is home to many houses, a fair few of which have been preserved in their original condition and some of which are listed.
Right next door is Sachseln, nestled between attractive mountains beside Lake Sarnen and in the Sarnertal valley. However, your itinerary takes you above the village. Climbing slightly, the cycle path now leaves the lake shore behind and heads through wide green fields and past isolated farmhouses. Next you come to the Hohe Brücke, the highest covered bridge anywhere in Europe. Linking Flüeli-Ranft with Kerns, the 48-metre-long structure spans the barren Melchaa gorge 100 metres above sea level. Swiss history associates this gorge with a famous name, that of Niklaus von der Flüe – the patron saint of Switzerland. The peacemaker was born in Flüeli-Ranft and moved later on into the gorge, where he lived as a hermit. He had a significant impact on the 15th century as a politician, mystic and visionary. Not until 1893 was the gorge bridged.
After that, you’re brought back to the present day by the village of Kerns – not for long, though, as you’re soon turning off into the Chernwald, which marks the boundary between the Cantons of Obwalden and Nidwalden. The route plunges you into this fairytale forest full of massive boulders. It’s almost as if a fairy or gnome might poke their head out from the undergrowth at any time. The end of the beech forest marks the cantonal border with Nidwalden.
The destination for this stage is not much farther on. Specifically, the cycle route ends at the Winkelried Monument in Stans’s village square. It is an imposing statue of Arnold von Winkelried, who is said to have seized a bundle of pikes from the Habsburg knights at the Battle of Sempach on 9 July 1386 and impaled himself on them. With this heroic act, he opened up a key breach for the Swiss troops to exploit, which brought them victory over the hated Habsburgs under Duke Leopold III. In short, this Swiss cycle tour could have come straight out of a picture book.
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 |
Giswil
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|---|---|
| Destination |
Stans
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| Ascent |
360 m
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| Descent |
380 m
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| Distance |
23 km
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| Distance on tarred ways |
21 km
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| Distance on natural surface |
2 km
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| Physical requirements |
Easy
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Quick Facts
Route number
