Vierwaldstättersee Kanu
Overview
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Distance 15 km
Intro
Leaving Brunnen, you cross the lake with magnificent views of the fjord-like Urnersee. From afar you catch sight of the history-steeped Haus zur Treib, today open to everyone as a guesthouse. You glide silently past cliffs and forested shores towards Beckenried and Buochs.
Description
In Brunnen, with its lovely lakeside promenade, you can catch a glimpse towards Lake Uri. Surrounded by towering mountains, it resembles a fjord. The pyramid-shaped Bristen dominates the scene.
At times, the strong, warm foehn wind – referred to as “Uri’s oldest resident” in the local parlance – sweeps over the lake from the south at speeds of up to 120 kilometres per hour. The great waves it produces are a welcome athletic attraction for sailors. By contrast, this area makes for hard or even dangerous work in your canoe. In the Gersau Basin, the foehn wind takes a somewhat more subdued form once again. During the summer, five nostalgic paddle steamers sail to and fro on the lake, making it one of the largest fleets of steamboats in Europe.
This canoe tour starts by crossing the lake with its characteristic arms and basins straightaway – from Brunnen, you will paddle across to storied Treib, which is joined to Seelisberg by funicular. Treib has long been a ferry port and safe harbour, including serving as a neutral territory where people on the run could stop over. They were allowed to stay for three days before being apprehended. For many years, there has also been an inn that serves regional cuisine (note the opening hours). There are other options too if you are looking to treat yourself: hugging the shoreline, paddle about two kilometres further and you will reach Schwybogen. The fish restaurant, which has its own fishery, is nestled in an idyllic spot and makes a delightful place to take a break.
Beneath the steep cliffs and ledges of the Stützberge mountains, surrounded by the Brennwald forest, you will paddle towards Risleten. Around the halfway mark, you will encounter the Härggis clearing, which still offers an (emergency) port for all vessels who get into trouble on the lake during the foehn winds.
You can already make out the floating dredging machine known as “Risleten”. The Choltalbach stream is spectacular too, crashing down into the lake over multiple cascades. It carved its way through the Risletenschlucht gorge over the course of thousands of years.
Rütenen is a public bathing area that you will pass before reaching Beckenried. Previously, the area provided accommodation for guest workers who helped to build the Seelisberg Tunnel and the Lehnen Viaduct. To symbolise these structures, Lucerne-based sculptor Rudolf Blättler created the massive sculpture Ubinas. This is also the site of a popular diving spot: rock faces, sunken statues, an old conveyor belt and a diving bell can all be explored in the depths. The little self-service pub is open between April and October, weather permitting. Like a giant millipede, the Lehnen Viaduct winds its way north along the A2 motorway and the Ischenwald woods.
Beckenried is a popular holiday resort and is also described as the “most beautiful village by the most beautiful lake”. A cable car takes visitors to the Klewenalp hiking and skiing resort. On the other side of the lake, Mount Rigi towers over the scene.
The Neuseeland swimming area, located between Beckenried and Buochs, makes for a lovely landing stage with a beach, sunbathing spots and toilet facilities. If you don’t want to stop here, you can keep going until Buochs, your destination for this stage. With the mild climate, lakeside location and Alpine panorama, it’s hard to resist pausing for a while.
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 |
Brunnen
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|---|---|
| Destination |
Buochs
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| Distance |
15 km
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| Technical requirements |
Medium
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| Physical requirements |
Medium
|
| Theme |
Along Water
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| More information | https://schweizmobil.ch/en/canoeing-in-switzerland... |
Quick Facts
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