Zug to Lucerne
Length: 18 miles (29 km);
Hiking time: 5.5 h;
Ascent: 2,500 ft (760 m);
Descent: 2,450 ft (740 m);
Fitness Level: Difficult.
Swiss Alpine Panorama Trail, Segment 10, #1 – Zug to Lucerne. Similar to Stage 6, the Zug to Lucerne hike has 2-parts. The first is a long, easy hike along Lake Zug. On a summer day, the lake is very inviting with long mountain views of Mt. Rigi and Zugerberg. Heading out of Zug you’ll find some public beaches and many small getaways with lake access.
Swiss Alpine Panorama Trail, Segment 10, #2 – Zug to Lucerne. Cham is the first city you’ll come across today and given that there were settlements in the Cham area as far back as 6000 years ago, it was the first city anyone came across on this travel along the Zugersee. Roman ruins have been found in Cham as well as mentions of Celtic and Alamannic settlements.
Swiss Alpine Panorama Trail, Segment 10, #3 – Zug to Lucerne. Modern references about the town of Cham began to occur starting in 858 when King Louis the German gave the town to his daughter Hildegard. These are the same two primary characters responsible for the Fraumünster Abbey in Zurich. The Habsburgs get their time of regional ownership in 1370. And the Swiss reformation unsuccessfully tried to make inroads in the 16th century. It was not until after Napoleon and the French Revolutionary Wars in the late 1790s that Cham was granted independent governance. Well, independent within the new Helvetic Republic which the country of Switzerland later emerged.
Swiss Alpine Panorama Trail, Segment 10, #4 – Zug to Lucerne. I discover that the town of Cham has much more to offer than I thought. What a great city. Comment if you have ever been to Cham or if you have a troll garden.
Swiss Alpine Panorama Trail, Segment 10, #5 – Zug to Lucerne. Every stage of this hike includes a rich western history. The names and dates are almost science fiction to the typical American. Walking past these historical gems is awe-inspiring. Only to be outdone by the visual beauty of the adjacent Alps.
Swiss Alpine Panorama Trail, Segment 10, #6 – Zug to Lucerne. These farms and the views of the Alps are so beautiful. Of interest is the Castle of Freudenberg – Big house after Hünenberg and the Castle of Buonas – out on the peninsula of Lake Zug built in the 1490s.
Swiss Alpine Panorama Trail, Segment 10, #7 – High on Rooterberg, the Kapelle Michaelskreuz provides a great view over Lake Zug. Looking down on the clouds and across toward Mt. Rigi, this winter scene in an Alpine Trail gem.
Swiss Alpine Panorama Trail, Segment 10, #8 – Zug to Lucerne. The Rooterberg (840 m) is a mountain that lies north of Lake Lucerne and west of Lake Zug, at the foothills of the Alps. Hiking above the clouds over Lake Zug makes for a dramatic experience.
Swiss Alpine Panorama Trail, Segment 10, #9 – Zug to Lucerne. The Udligenswil valley has about 2,000 inhabitants without train service. A growing suburb of Lucerne, the Swiss Alpine Panorama Trail is one of the best ways to see Udligenswil.
Swiss Alpine Panorama Trail, Segment 10, #10 – Zug to Lucerne. I’m not sure where the trail goes during golf season, but in the winter I walked through the golf course. For some reason, a grounds crew was snow blowing the greens.
Swiss Alpine Panorama Trail, Segment 10, #11 – Zug to Lucerne. The Franciscan Convent of St. Anna has been located in Lucerne since 1498. The new convent on the Gerlisberg was occupied in 1904.
Swiss Alpine Panorama Trail, Segment 10, #12 – Zug to Lucerne. The Lucerne lake front walk is a must-see. I was lucky to arrive while the sun was setting behind Mt. Pilatus.