Hiking the Alpine Panorama Trail – Stage 14 Napf to Lüderenalp

Stage 14 of the Alpine Panorama Trail (Route 3) is a 12 km hike with 560 m ascent and 820 m descent that goes from Napf to Lüderenalp. We did this hike and the previous stage (17 km, 1100 m ascent and 280m descent from Wolhusen to Napf) as a two-day hike with an overnight in between at The Berghotel Napf (german) on the Napf summit.

We did these two stages together because there are no transport options (public or private) to the Napf summit, the start point of this stage. Luckily, there is a very lovely hotel, The Berghotel Napf (german) on the summit. In a previous post I covered day one of this hike (stage 13) and my experience with the hotel. In this post I will cover day two, stage 14 and getting back.

Despite the extra planning required to hike the previous stage and book the hotel for the night before, this was one of my favorite stages so far. The views of both the Alps and the Mittelland were incredible and the restaurant at the end was chef’s kiss delicious!

Detail Summary

Where:	Napf to Lüderenalp Cantons Bern and Luzern, Switzerland
Train/Bus:	There are no transport options (public or private) to the Napf summit, the start-point of this stage. Recommendation is to hike stage 13 the day before and stay at the Berghotel Napf located on the Napf summit. Then continue with stage 14 ending in Lüderenalp the next day and get the bus from there. Lüderenalp -> Zürich HB -> 2 hr 31 min Check bus service carefully as it is rather limited and does not run all year or every day.
What:	Alpine Panorama Trail – Stage 14 Napf to Lüderenalp (SwitzerlandMobility) Yellow trail markers – Alpine Panorama Trail Route 3
Skill:	Easy – About 4 hrs Length 12 km, Ascent 560 m, Descent 820 m

Additional Info

Alpine Panorama Trail – Stage 13 Wolhusen to Napf (SwitzerlandMobility)
Alpine Panorama Trail – Stage 14 Napf to Lüderenalp (SwitzerlandMobility)
The Berghotel Napf (german).
Napf Summit Webcam
Bärensicht hotel restaurant

Day hike options to the Napf Summit?
There are many trails (german) that lead to the Napf Summit, but if you plan to use public transportation at the start and end, be aware that service is very limited. Please check schedules very carefully before heading out. I tried to find a good way to do this as a day hike, but nothing seemed to work. In the end, we had a great time staying at the hotel and so I recommend just doing that.

Photo Stories for Other Stages

Stage 1 – Rorschach to Trogen
Stage 2 – Trogen to Appenzell
Stage 3 – Appenzell to Schwägalp
Stage 4 – Schwägalp to Stein, SG
Stage 5 – Stein, SG to Amden
Stage 6 – Amden to Siebnen
Stage 7 – Siebnen to Einsiedeln
Stage 8 – Einsiedeln to Unterägeri
Stage 9 – Unterägeri to Zug
Stage 10 – Zug to Luzern
Stage 11 – Luzern to Malters
Stage 12 – Malters to Wolhusen
Stage 13 – Wolhusen to Napf
Stage 14 – Napf to Lüderenalp

Getting There

The Alpine Panorama Trail is best done with public transportation as each stage starts and ends at different points. Unlike most stages, this stage doesn’t start at a train or bus stop. Rather, it starts at the end-point of stage 13, the Napfberg Hotel on the Napf summit which can only be reached on foot. We had hiked the previous stage the day before and stayed overnight at the hotel. After getting up in the morning, we had a quick breakfast of a coffee and croissant. (The room came with a buffet breakfast but we wanted to get on the trail quickly.) Still, we took some time to take one last photo from the summit.

Then, we were on our way.

The Trail

The trail starts right at the hotel and begins a quick descent into the forest. As the trail generally follows along the top of a ridge, there are no shortage of fabulous view to either side.

One odd thing we came across on the trail was a somewhat threatening gate decorated with bones and a warning sign saying cows are in the area and to keep dogs away from any calves. We took a picture and continued through the spooky gate.

When we got to the next farm and the next gate, the cows were there waiting. We took our time deciding how best to get by as we needed to open the gate for us but not the cows.

After carefully opening the electric fence, we scooted around them and all was ok. What lucky cows they are! Just look at the views they have from their pasture.

This trail had a few steep climbs but nothing too strenuous, it mostly wound its way down along the ridge top. I was surprised at how popular this trail was for mountain bikers, the restaurant in the fourth picture below was packed with bikers on tour.

I really loved the views on this trail. So pretty!

When we reached the end of the trail, it was lunch time and we had about two hours before the next bus, so we decided to grab a drink and a bite at the Bärensicht hotel restaurant. What a lovely place with great food. The view over the infinity pool was just outstanding!