On the Way of St. James in Switzerland
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Various ways of St. James (with brochures available in PDF- On the Way of St. James format) in Switzerland A -Constance - Einsiedeln („Way of Svabia“) B - Rorschach - Einsiedeln („Way of St. Gallen“) C - Einsiedeln-Flüeli-Ranft - Brünig („Way of Central Switzerland“) D - Brünig-Amsoldingen („Way of the Bernese Oberland“) E - Amsoldingen-Romont („Way of Berne/Friboug“) F - Romont-Lausanne-Genève („Way of Western Swizterland“) G - Lucerne-Rüeggisberg-Schwarzenburg („Lucerne Way“) H - Rankweil - Einsiedeln („Vorarlberg-Appenzell Way“) K - Schaffhausen-Tobel („Monasgtery way) Contact address: Verein Jakobsweg.ch Postfach 151, CH-3700 Spiez Tel 0041 (0)33 655 04 00 Mail: [email protected] Accomodation see: www.jakobsweg.ch Important pointer Helpers and association members walked the route themselves to inspect it. As volunteers, they edited the brief route descriptions based on the state as encountered. The accuracy of the contents and specially the correspondence with the official Way of St. James way-posting cannot be guaranteed by the association „jakobsweg.ch » and the authors, also in the sense of a product guarantee. Pilgrims are therefore asked to follow the official Way of St. James way-posts if discrepancies occur, and to notify us. (7) Lucerne-Rüeggisberg“ Many thanks. „„Way of Lucerne“ “ Texts : Winfried Erbach, Joe Weber and Klaus Augustiny (manuscript reader). Translated from German by Hans Bamert Pictures: Wolfgang Hörer / Winfried Erbach, and several others Itinerary and directions for pilgrims Copyright: Verein „jakobsweg.ch“ ©Copyright Verein „jakobsweg.ch,Spiez (Berner Oberland) Signalisation - Via Jacobi Lucerne-Rüeggisberg - Signalisation - Via Jacobi Lucerne route - Lucerne-Rüeggisberg 120 km, walking time around 33 hours Sign in the direction of Santiago de Compostela Pilgrims who use the Lucerne Route start from the lake of Lucerne and travel National Way of St-James No. 4 - Via Jacobi through Lucerne’s catholic hinterland and the reformed Emmental to the Gan- trisch region in the canton of Bern. The route from Lucerne via Willisau, Huttwil and Burgdorf to Rüeggisberg leads through a hilly landscape with pastureland and green fields cultivated by hardworking farmers. The small villages and towns along the route bear witness to a solid prosperity gained through hard and honest work by skilled and reliable business and trades-people. The trim villages, the wooden farmhouses with the broad roofs and the flower-decorated windows, but also the famous “Stöckli”( the small house beside the farmhouse, for the retired farmer after the farm has been transferred to a descendant); they all are Signpost - Via Jacobi sign reminiscent of old times as described in the narratives of the Swiss writer Jeremias on yellow background Gotthelf. Many a cosy inn lies beside the road and invites pilgrims to make a stop. Via Jacobi - shell shows in the Via Jacobi - shell shows in the The “Willisauer Ringli” (a hard pastry deemed fit as provisions for the road) and the left directon right direction “world-famous” golden-brown “Bauernrösti” (fried potatoes) and the meringues from the Emmental are a very popular and nourishing pilgrim’s food. Pilgrim stations, pilgrim’s way-posts, and the stone ritual On the Lucerne Route of the Way of St. James, we come across some pilgrim stations, pilgrim’s way-posts and instructions for the stone ritual, mounted over 10 years ago in the course of Returning way a project for the promotion of the Way of St. James. Regretfully, some of them have been Via Jacobi - french sign Via Jacobi Nr. 44 damaged or removed by vandals. In our route Shell shows in the left direction shell shows in the right direction description, we point to those that still exist. 4 - Brunnen/Lucerne - Rüeggisberg - jakobsweg.ch - Nr. 7 Nr. 7 - Brunnen/Lucerne- Rüeggisberg - jakobsweg.ch - 5 Section Lucerne-Willisau Lucerne - Werthenstein Section - Werthenstein - Willisau Lucerne - Werthenstein 21 km, walking time 5 hrs 45 min Luzern – Willisau (Lucerne – Obernau/Brunnhöf/bus stop 6.5 km, around 1 hr 35 min) For pilgrims starting in Brunnen: By boat from Brunnen to Lucerne takes about 2 hours. A s train ride is 45 minutes. us Re Willisau On the Bahnhofstrasse westwards along the river Reu- ss, we pass the “Kapellbrücke” (chapel bridge) with the Buholz Burgdorf Geiss Luzern/Lucerne water tower, the landmark of Lucerne. Built around Berthoud Malters Blatten 1300 as part of the town fortification, it is Europe’s Werthenstein oldest surviving wood-bridge. The pictures below the n Kriens e roof were painted in 1614. Many of them were destro- n n yed by fire some years ago. Some distance downriver, u r B the Rathaussteg (town hall footbridge) turns off to the right into the old city with its painted guild-houses. Above the old city is the 870m long Musegg wall with Lucerne -“Kapellbrücke“ its imposing towers, erected as town wall around 1400. After the Kapellbrücke and the Rathaussteg we come to the baroque Jesuit church, built 1666-77, certainly worth a visit. We turn off to the left and come to the former Franciscan church, built 1270-80. The sumptu- ously decorated nave is also worth a visit. In the ve- stibule near the left-hand side entrance, a powerful and elegant group of figures in stucco can be seen. It represents the small Jacob as a child, with his brot- View from Dattenberg her John (the Evangelist). The well-marked Way of St James turns now off in a south-western direction and leads along the Klosterstrasse past the buildings of the cantonal administration, and past the railway tunnel to the Bruchmatt- strasse. We follow this street, pass the vocational school and turn off, at first to the left to the Berglistrasse, and afterwards to the right onto the Gigeliweg which leads to the southern rim of the Gigeli wood. We follow the wood but a short way and take a south-western direction through residential quarters of Dat- tenberg. The route passes the “Chupferhammer-Feld” down to Topographic maps of the section: the “Luzerner Hauptstrasse” in Kriens. We follow it some 300m Scale 1:25‘000: numbers 1129, 1149 and 1150 and turn off to the left to follow the Fenkernstrasse. Now we Scale 1:50‘000 numbers 234 and 235 head for Obernau, past the town centre of Kriens with its parish Obernau way church. Taking to the left and proceeding in a south-western direction on footpaths and town quarter streets (past the town- 6 - Brunnen/Lucerne - Rüeggisberg - jakobsweg.ch - Nr. 7 Nr. 7 - Brunnen/Lucerne- Rüeggisberg - jakobsweg.ch - 7 Luzern - Werthenstein Werthenstein - Willisau part “Hackerain”) to the hamlet of Geissrüti. Now along the slo- the way we come by the “Gnadenbrünneli”, a shrine pes of the “Schlossberg”, below the wood to the village quarter in a grotto to our right. We cross the river on a wood- “Brunnhöf” at the southern rim of Obernau. The bus line from bridge and, heading north-west, come to the railway Lucerne ends here. Pilgrims wishing to avoid walking through station. the city of Lucerne can ride the bus and start the pilgrimage stage from here. We start (or continue) westwards, and a hiking Werthenstein - Willisau trail takes us along the edge of the wood. Behind the hamlet 14.6 km, walking time around 3 hrs 50 min. of Rodel, the path joins the Obernaustrasse, on which we go back a short stretch in the direction we came, then we turn The route takes us over meadows, interspersed with off left into the Schachenwald wood. Through the wood, we „Gnadenbrünneli“ fruit trees. We walk partly on a quiet road, partly on follow the course of the brook Ränggbach northwards to the shortcuts past the hamlets of Rain, Wiprächtige and clearing Steibruchhof. Still along the Ränggbach, we come to Grofehuse until up to the Bielmüli. Here we descend on the right to the Bilbach (brook), Parish church in Kriens the footbridge of the hiking trail. We cross the brook and climb which we cross. After also crossing the road to Wolhusen, we walk on the opposite side the steep wooded bank of the “Ränggbachgraben” (trench). The northwards along the slopes of the hills, passing the hamlets of Büel (pilgrim waypost with path, secured by railings and wooden planks takes us past rock the symbol “being silent”) and Chriesbaumen to the village of Buholz. On the way, we also walls, waterfalls and small resting places. Solid footwear is re- come by the “Landsgerichtskapelle”, the chapel where until 1798 the criminal court was commended. Above the Ränggloch gorge, the path continues held. At the entrance of Buholz stands the baroque chapel St. Gallus and Erasmus with its through the wood, turns westwards and leads down to the even beautiful frescoes, and a few hundred metres above the village is the historical place of valley bottom. During the descent over sloping meadows, we execution. We leave Buholz westwards, pass the small “Armesünderchäppeli” (chapel of pass by the “Charehus” where we turn to the right, cross the Lu- the poor sinners) and on the right, climb over fields zernerstrasse and join a field road leading us past the farmstead up to the “Galgeberg” wood, steeped in legends. We “Unter Säntimatt” to a small canal in the plain. Here, we turn off traverse it in a northern direction, thereby enjoying to the left and, skirting the village of Blatten on its eastern side, a good view to the Soppen lake. We leave the wood we come to the baroque St. Jost chapel. Now across the field in and proceed north-westwards along the slopes of a northern direction, crossing the railway line, we come to the the hills until we come to the road leading to Geiss, Blatten-St.