Attinghausen-Seelisberg

Pius and Miriam with Mia (from 02.07.18):

This morning we are up very early. We want to continue our hike as soon as possible to escape the heat. In addition, some pedestrians are already walking past our camp for the night and are looking at us in amazement. After getting up we both feel a sore muscle in our calves and thighs from yesterday's descent. Fortunately, today's stage will not be too long.

At 7.30 a.m. we have emptied our sleeping place and we continue walking on the gravel path along the Reuss river. After 45 minutes we reach the shore of the beautiful Lake of Uri after Seedorf. From now on we are on the "Swiss Path". On the occasion of the 700th anniversary of Switzerland, a 35 km long hiking trail was created around the Lake of Uri, which was designed by all Swiss cantons. Each of the cantons has been entrusted with a section of the path marked by boundary stones, whereby its length depends on the number of its inhabitants with 5 millimetres per person. On the way we pass various boundary stones, the first one belongs to the canton of Bern. The route leads comfortably along the lakeside, partly on asphalt and partly on a gravel path. Moreover, it is not as noisy as the day before, as the road traffic disappears in the Seelisberg tunnel and the railway takes the other side of the Lake of Uri.

One hour later we reach the small settlement Isleten. Here we lie down in the meadow on the lakeside and go for a swim. Mia enjoys this break to the full and follows us joyfully into the water. After we have dried ourselves in the sun, we treat ourselves to a delicious breakfast on the terrace of the restaurant Seegarten right next door. Afterwards we continue our hike at 10.40 am. The path continues along the shore of the Lake of Uri. Twice we walk through a tunnel with several rock breakthroughs, which always offer new, fantastic views of the lake and the mountains. In the rock niches there are even sheltered barbecue spots. Here, one could easily barbecue in snow or rain, what would surely be a very special experience.

Finally we reach Bauen. At the end of the village we come to the house of Alberich Zwyssig, the composer of the Swiss national anthem. Here the ascent through the forest towards Seelisberg begins. On an old mule track we climb adventurously up about 850 steps. The ascent is partly quite steep and with the heat and our sore muscles it is also very exhausting. As the forest thins out, it offers a magnificent view of the lake and the Fronalpstock opposite. From time to time there is also a bench where you can rest for a short time. At the top, Mia refreshes herself at the small hamlet Brunni in the well. A toilet is also available here.

We continue to follow the signpost. The trail follows the asphalt road, but it is possible to use a grass strip for most of the way. Again and again we enjoy the view of the beautiful landscape of the original Switzerland. At Gwand we turn left into a gravel path and after about 25 minutes we reach the Schlössli Beroldingen, the highest point of the entire "Swiss Path". It dates from the 13th century and can unfortunately only be visited from the outside. The gravel path now leads relatively steeply down until we reach a small tarred road. From this point we have a beautiful view of the Seelisberger Seeli, where you can swim and camp in summer. Without any ascents or descents worth mentioning, we continue walking through the forest and across meadows until we reach the very well equipped rest area on the Marienhöhe. Next to a large fireplace there are tables, benches, water and a toilet. The wonderful panorama and the sight of the turquoise shimmering Lake of Uri call for a short break. Afterwards we walk on the Vater-Unser path through the fir forest until we reach the edge of the forest. Here you will find a large, pretty playground. If there are children involved, a rest is definitely worthwhile. After a few minutes we finally arrive at Oberdorf and a little later at Seelisberg. This beautiful village is situated 400 m above Lake Lucerne in the heart of Central Switzerland and in the immediate vicinity of the cradle of Switzerland, the Rütli. It is also the most northern municipality of the canton of Uri.

As it is almost unbearably hot and sore muscles are still plaguing us, we decide not to walk the last bit down to Lake Lucerne but to take the Treib-Seelisberg cable car. Accordingly, we leave Seelisberg at 2.25 pm by funicular down to Treib, from where we take the boat to Lucerne as the conclusion of our adventure "Jakobsweg Graubünden".

In Treib, the Graubünden Way of St. James meets the Way of St. James of Central Switzerland. If you are hiking on the Central Swiss Way of St. James, you can take a boat from Brunnen across Lake Lucerne to Treib. The trail leads from the boat station at Treib up to Volligen and from there along the Seerücken to Emmetten. There is, however, an easier variant, where you take the funicular railway from Treib to Seelisberg and hike up to Oberdorf.

Today's final stage was about 16 km long, except for the 850 steps there were no ascents worth mentioning. In Seelisberg we said goodbye to the Graubünden St. James' Way. It is simply magnificent what we experienced together with our dogs on the several day stages. The scenic beauty of the canton of Graubünden, the remoteness of some places and the many nice people we met along the way will remain in our memories for a long time.