🥾 Show Trail Info 🔽
- Arrival: Accessible by car (parking available at the church in Lungern) or by public transport via the panorama train from Lucerne.
- Equipment: Sturdy shoes, walking poles, food, and water.
- Difficulty: I’d call it medium overall manageable for most hikers with a bit of stamina.
- Start and End: The hike starts at the Turren cable car station and ends in Kaiserstuhl, Obwalden.
- Time: Plan for about 4 hours, but with all the photography stops and breaks I took, I’d recommend setting aside 5 hours.
- Ascent and Descent: The hike includes an ascent of 370 meters (1,214 feet) and a descent of 1,200 meters (3,937 feet). Your knees will feel it, but the views are worth every step!
- Underground: The trail includes 5 km on a mountain road, 6 km on a mountain trail, and 2 km across green meadows. It’s wonderfully varied.
- Animals: It’s a butterfly-themed trail, and during the summer months (June to August), you’ll see Switzerland’s most beautiful free-flying butterflies. Truly magical!
- Tip: If butterflies aren’t your thing and you’re here just for the stunning panoramas, I’d recommend coming between September and October. When I started at Turren around 3 PM, I didn’t meet a single person on the trail. It was pure serenity.
- Restaurants: There’s a cozy restaurant at the Turren cable car station. After that, you’re on your own until Kaiserstuhl, so pack enough snacks.
- Highlights: For me, the absolute highlight was the breathtaking view of the turquoise Lake Lungern with the Jungfrau mountains in the background. Don’t miss the stunning vista over Sarnersee, either—these moments are what hiking dreams are made of.
The hike starts at the Lungern–Turren cable car station, but it’s worth taking a few moments to explore the village of Lungern first. You’ve probably seen those iconic pictures and videos of Lungern with the winding mountain road now’s your chance to see it in real life. 😊
Once you’ve checked off all the must-see spots in Lungern, it’s just a short walk to the cable car station by Lake Lungern. The cable car takes you up to Turren, a true butterfly paradise. This area is famous for its remarkable butterfly diversity including some of the largest day butterflies in Switzerland. One impressive species spotted here even reaches a wingspan of 75 mm!
Important: From now on, always follow the small hiking signs marked with the number 575 and labeled “Butterfly Path” (Schmetterlingspfad). Right after the Turren mountain station, the trail leads gently downhill for about 15 minutes.
While hiking down, you can already see the opposite slope where the trail zigzags upward. At first glance, it might look a bit intimidating but don’t worry: it’s much easier than it seems. Almost anyone can do it!
Once you reach the top, you’ll be rewarded with breathtaking panoramic views over Lake Lungern and the surrounding mountains. A well-deserved highlight for all nature lovers and hikers!
Once you’ve completed the 30-minute walk through the forest, you’ll be greeted by a stunning panoramic view with the Jungfrau mountains rising majestically in the background.
After soaking in the scenery, the trail continues with one last gentle uphill climb—the perfect finale before the descent begins.
A short stretch takes you across a meadow directly to the summit of Dundelegg at 1,739 meters (5,705 feet). Once you’ve reached the summit, you can put the climb behind you — from here on, it’s all downhill. At the summit, you’ll be rewarded with a breathtaking, wide-ranging landscape. Visible in the distance is the Fluonalp, a charming summer mountain restaurant where you can buy some exceptionally fine cheese. (Tip for every cheese lover: the best cheese comes fresh from the farmer!)
The hike continues from the summit of Dundelegg through meadows and rocky terrain into the next forest. Eventually, you reach the Sädel viewpoint, where a bench invites you to pause and enjoy a stunning panorama of Lake Sarnen and part of Lake Lungern. From here, you can clearly see the contrasting colors of the two lakes.
As you continue hiking through the forest toward Kaiserstuhl, occasional glimpses of the shimmering turquoise lake appear through the trees. After around 2 hours, you emerge from the forest and are rewarded with a breathtaking panorama: Lake Lungern in all its glory, beautifully framed by the majestic Jungfrau mountains in the background.
On the other side, a fantastic panorama of Lake Sarnen awaits you, with Mount Pilatus rising majestically in the distance. The trail remains wide and easy to walk, making it suitable for most hikers.
After a 180-degree turn, you’re rewarded with one of the most breathtaking panoramas of the entire hike. By this point, it was already around 6:30 PM, and I had been walking for about 3 hours. For me, the evening is always the best time to take photos—the light is simply magical.
