Sometimes the magic is around the corner
A scenic bike tour around Mt. Rigi
Goldau – Immensee – Küssnacht – Greppen – Weggis – Vitznau – Brunnen – Lauerz – Goldau
52km, 3h30min
A scenic bike tour around Mt. Rigi (1798m) and three lakes with too much traffic to our liking, but with a hard to beat the setting: The imposing Rigi peak, the Lauerzersee, the Vierwaldstättersee, the Zugersee and the charming village Brunnen.
The bike tour starts unexpectedly with a historical site: a Chapel of the most famous Swiss legend Wilhelm Tell, a legendary Swiss freedom fighter who killed the foreign tyrant Gessler after he forced Tell to shoot an apple on his son’s head.
Within the story, the phrase “He will come through this hollow alley!” is known to every Swiss, even to those who do not know the story’s content. And here we are in this hollow alley. A quaint well-maintained chapel leads to the narrow, mossy stone-paved atmospheric path which conjures up the very scene of Tell shooting Gessler with a crossbow. The story is illustrated at an info center pavilion next to the alleged murder scene. I am a bit of history buff so this visit alone made my day!
Biking along our first lake of today, the Lake of Zug, and seeing the imposing Rigi’s north flank at left, we continue south. Soon the scenic Lake Lucerne comes into view. We had to share the narrow road with many fancy open cars, motorbikes and what we like to call “combat cyclists”.
At Weggis, a charming café floating on the lake is perfect for our coffee and tea break. It makes “Sailor” Philippe feel like being on a boat, which he loves, but this swaying makes me (a non-sailor) almost seasick. In any case, after two months of the gloomy corona crisis, it is nice to be able to sit in a café for a break, while seeing others enjoying the summer day out.
To me, the stunning Lake Lucerne, its fjord-like coastline with the backdrop of towering mountain peaks is one of the most dramatic sceneries in Switzerland.
We arrive in Brunnen, an attractive little resort town which lies on the shore of Urnersee. On this sunny Sunday and a lot of people are enjoying a leisurely walk at the lakeside and a Mediterranean feel lingers in the air. We put our feet in refreshingly cold water and enjoy the fantastic views of Stoos-Fronalpstock and other mountaintops as well as the Rütliwiese, the birthplace of Switzerland.
Looking up at two characteristic peaks of the Mythen in the east, we biked the final stretch along today’s third lake, the Lauerzsee, a lovely small lake, on the other side of Mt. Rigi.
It is great to look at Mt. Rigi from every angle and visit three lakes. Despite the persistent traffic, this is one of the most scenic bike tours we’ve done.
Fly Fishing? Really?
I have never fished – at least I never caught anything. But I have always been fascinated by the aesthetics of fly fishing. The setting, usually beautiful nature spots, and the graceful movements of a fisher casting lines. The first video shows an aspirational fisher casting lines not so gracefully, yet…
Aabachtobel Hike on a former coal mine site
12km, 2h40m / Horgen – Hegimoos – Steinacher – Au – Horgen
This afternoon we made a pleasant walk into a gorge in Horgen (Aabachtobel). The moist banks of the little stream Aabach were full of bear garlic flowers and distinctive garlic smell was in the air. We made a plan to return next March to collect these fragrant leaves for pesto.
Flaacher Asparagus
Flaach is an area in north-eastern Switzerland known for its production of vegetables and in particular for asparagus. After our bike tour, we dropped-by two “Hofläden” (unattended farm shops) and bought the produce for the week…
Biking along the River Rhein & Rheinfall
4h, 38 km / Alten – Marthalen – Neuhausen am Rheinfall – German border (closed) – Rheinau – Ellikon am Rhein – Alten
Today’s bike tour is full of highlights.
In the chilly morning air we start almost alone from Alten towards Marthalen, a village we have never heard of before. Surprised by all those timber-framed, red and white houses, I decide to make a first impromptu sight-seeing detour. I could spend hours looking at these charming old houses, wandering into those small alleys, gazing at carefully maintained details, and totally forgetting time. A happy day is starting… Read More
VERKAUFT: Mini Vision von Mibo / Rucksack- und Wandermodell
Ein ungewöhnliches Angebot. Das Modell ist auf Leichtigkeit und geschützte Transportfähigkeit im Rucksack, auf Fahrrad, Boot oder Auto ausgelegt.
Angebot mit Fernsteuerung und Antriebsakku, programmiert und ausgewogen. Schönes, komplett Flugbereites und gut ausgerüstetes Wander- oder Rucksack Modell in gutem Zustand.
