Emmenuferweg, Stage 1/4

The first leg of the Emmenuferweg is a place of wonder. The start on Brienzer Rothorn mountain is simply spectacular. Accompanied by amazing views of Lake Brienz and the Bernese Alps, the route leads to the source of the Emme river and enters the UNESCO Biosphere Entlebuch.

From the Brienzer Rothorn cable car station, the trail initially climbs a short distance to the highest point of the route at around 2,330 m. The Brienzer Rothorn itself, the highest peak in the canton of Lucerne, lies only a little way off the route. Immediately afterwards, the long descent across open slopes begins. The mountain trail, marked white-red-white, leads to the Eiseesattel; the small Eisee lake is also close by.

The descent continues to set the pace. At first, the open, largely treeless mountain landscape remains the defining feature, before the first sections of woodland appear lower down. After around two-thirds of the route, the trail becomes easier and follows yellow waymarks through pastures and woodland. Shortly before Sörenberg, the route passes Chalet Sörenberg.

After around 10 kilometres and a little over three hours, the hike ends in the village of Sörenberg. By this point, the descent totals approximately 1,250 metres, while only around 100 metres of ascent need to be tackled. The Sörenberg, Post bus stop is located directly at the finish.