Lake Lucerne Summer Family Vacation Fun Along the Swiss Path. The well marked - easy to walk, Swiss Path trail system frames Lake Lucerne and captures the essence of Switzerland’s history framing it with intoxicating Alpine beauty.

Here’s the scoop. ECHO Trails offers guided day treks along sections of the the Swiss Path – an almost 22-mile (35-km) trail system paying tribute to each of the 26 Swiss cantons. The trail contours the Lake of Lucerne/Urnersee and is easily accessible from Lucerne or from Fluelen in Ticino to the south.

Follow the Wanderweg 99. This section weaves through villages, forests, green meadows, and granite outcroppings. Walking along the Fluelen to Brunnen segment one can sense how it must have been during the legendary Wilhelm Tell 13th century days. The walking history lesson provides reasons why Switzerland was formed and has prospered.

Discover the birth of a nation. At the beginning of the Swiss Path is the Ruetli - the meadow where Switzerland was founded in 1291.  Three men, representing Uri, Schwyz and Unterwald, raised their swords to swear a peaceful allegiance with another. They swore to defend one another if attacked by a foreign power. This banding together to protect and defend is still one of the core values of Switzerland. 

Create your own family fun. The lakeside route is easy to walk and can be explored at any pace. We hiked the trail from Ruetli to Bauen with ECHO Trails - an English speaking guide service which made our entire day stress-free. Our day excursion included time at several of the William tell historic sites and trivia about the ledgend which was entertainig. The trail portion took about thee and a half hours and we had time for refreshments along the way before catching a boat for the return to Lucerne. The pathway is well-marked and offers great photo ops at almost every turn. Interspersed along the way shady spots, benches, quiet coves and local eateries with delightful snacks and drinks . I encountered several families along the way including a dad hauling a stroller up to the final segement of the route - not such a good idea. The trail is a pleasant way to get exercise and absorb the almost hypnotis beauty of Lake Lucerne. Bonus Points: Along the way there are many opportunities to connect with one of the boats offering a connection to another port or a return to Lucerne. The Swiss Path map and on the web site (www.weg-der-schweiz.ch).  

Make it happen. While is true that the trail is easy to follow it may make much more sense to use ECHO Trails to organize your day adventure. They have the resources and provide English speaking guides to ensure a perfect out - no missed connections or restaurant challenges. More details from ECHO Trails  based in Lucerne.

Train schedules www.sbb.ch 

Lake Lucerne boat timetables www.lakelucerne.ch    English version Swiss Path www.weg-der-schweiz.ch