Your favorite hikes in Zermatt, Wengen, Luzern?

My husband and I will be in Switzerland next week, and we'd like to do several moderate hikes while we're there. We'll be in Zermatt, Wengen, and Luzerne and would love to hear about some of your favorite hikes in those areas. I don't want anything too challenging, but we can do some moderate hikes (although I wouldn't some easy ones too!).

Hi Blairp -

How do you pronounce that? "Blairp" I mean. ;-)

The best easy walk in all of Switzerland, some say, is Männlichen to Kleine Scheidegg...in that direction. I agree with the "some" who say that. ;-) Needs clear weather.

www.myswissalps.com/hi king/maennlichen-kleinescheidegg

Here are some more data:

www.myswissalps.com/fo rum/topic/tips-about-wengen-and-the-jungfrau-region-by-kim

and,

www.jungfrau.ch/en/som mer/tourism/destinatio ns/kleine-scheidegg/hiking-trails/

Check this link:

www.myswissalps.com/hi king

Luzern (German) or Lucerne (French) or Lucern (English) has some nice hikes around the lake. Here is one that I like:

www.myswissalps.com/fo rum/topic/the-swiss-path-and-southern-lake-lucerne

Don't know enough about Zermatt to offer comments.

Slowpoke

Thanks Slopoke. And it's my first name followed by first letter of my last name - so it's really Blair P.

Hi Blair -

Please also check these links:

www.myswissalps.com/lu cerne

Look under "what to do"

On the Rigi, walk from Rigi Kulm to Rigi Kaltbad by the trail that runs out to the overlook at Känzeli ( Chänzeli). Easy- follows the rail line as far as Rigi Staffelhöhe ( not just to Rigi Staffel) , swings out to the west over the meadows to the viewpoint at Känzeli , then back to Rigi Kaltbad.

Here is a link to a very detailed map:

map.geo.admin.ch/?topic=ech&lang=en&bgLa yer=ch.swisstopo.pixel karte-farbe&layers=ch.bav.ha ltestellen-oev,ch.swisstopo.swiss tlm3d-wanderwege&layers_visi bility=false,true&X=21 1167.50&Y=677565.00&zo om=8

it is the yellow (easy) route; less than 4 km start to finish.

Also:

www.myswissalps.com/ju ngfrauregion

and,

www.myswissalps.com/ze rmatt

Slowpoke

Hi,

Slowpoke covered the Lucerne/Wengen part very nicely. As far as Zermatt goes, try taking the train to Gornergrat, then walking back to Riffelalp to catch the train back to town. The view from Gornergrat is superb! You can, of course, walk all the way back, but after Riffelalp the path goes through a lot of woods and there isn't that much to see.

map.geo.admin.ch/?topic=ech&lang=en&bgLa yer=ch.swisstopo.pixel karte-farbe&layers=ch.bav.ha ltestellen-oev,ch.swisstopo.swiss tlm3d-wanderwege&layers_visi bility=false,true&X=94 640.00&Y=626030.00&zoo m=6

For another excellent, but longer, walk, take the cable car to Schwarzsee at the base of the Matterhorn and walk back via Staffelalp and Zmutt. This walk is mostly downhill. You can shorten it a bit by catching the Furi cable car for the last leg to Zermatt.

map.geo.admin.ch/?topic=ech&lang=en&bgLa yer=ch.swisstopo.pixel karte-farbe&layers=ch.bav.ha ltestellen-oev,ch.swisstopo.swiss tlm3d-wanderwege&layers_visi bility=false,true&X=94 650.32&Y=621458.51&zoo m=6

A couple of tips. Zermatt sits in a very narrow valley so you will need to take some form of mountain transport to get to the areas with the best views, but it is well worth the expense. If you are planning to catch a cable car/train back to town, check the time of the last service before you start. Some of them close quite early.

Watch out for mountain bikers on the trails, particularly below the treeline where the paths can be very narrow. Zermatt is very popular with riders looking for 'Extreme' runs and a lot of the time they will barely be in control. If you hear one coming, try to move off the path because they may not be able to stop or manouver around you.

Have a great time!

Thanks Alan!