Stroll through the Park Forest

The hike leads past some architectural highlights and is ideal for exploring Vitznau on foot. Arriving in the park forest, you can enjoy the fairytale-like quiet atmosphere and the splashing of the waterfall.

The walk starts at the ship station in Vitznau. The listed station was built in 1912 and is located between Lake Lucerne and the Rigi Railway station. The design in the Heimat style comes from the internationally renowned Lucerne hotel architect Emil Vogt.

Passing the boat station, walk along the lake shore in a westerly direction to the wooden pier. The footbridge leads across the water, past the circular dining room with panoramic windows of the historic Hotel Terrasse. The dining room was built in 1929 by Lucerne architect Arnold Berger. Inside the hall there is a large mural by the painter Eduard Renggli.

Now you cross the Kurpark and turn right in the direction of Seestrasse. There you will find the former school building inaugurated in 1894. Today the regional museum is located there. St. Mark's Church is right next to the school building. It was consecrated in 1904 and is one of the first reformed churches in Central Switzerland.

Continue on Seestrasse and directly along the lake in the direction of the Vitznau boat harbor and Parkhotel. The former restaurant Schiff is slightly elevated on the right-hand side. In the meantime, it has become the pop-up restaurant Schiff Ahoi, which opens its hatches to guests in summer. A little look back into the past: Around 1900 the horses of the Parkhotel were housed here.

In the Villa Seemättli on the left, the composer Hans Huber from Basel spent the summer months from 1883 to 1919 with his friends, the Speiser family.

As soon as you have arrived at the impressive Parkhotel, the road is crossed and it goes slightly uphill towards Parkwald along the stream. At the beginning of the forest, near the parking lot, there is a small, natural cliff with a grotto. A long time ago there was an ice house. At that time the ice came from the Lauerzersee. Blocks of ice were produced there for the summer and transported to Vitznau by horse and cart. To prevent the ice from melting during transport, it was covered with straw. Until about 1880 there was a brewery on the site of today's Parkhotel.

Now we continue into the park forest. Once in the forest, hikers imagine they are in a different world. Here you can enjoy the peace, listen to the splashing of the waterfall, discover the winding paths through the rocks and over the stream. You will be enchanted by the beauty and the wonderful atmosphere. The ideal place to take a break.

Before heading back to the boat station, we recommend a detour up the mountain. As soon as you come out of the forest while hiking up the mountain, a wonderful view of the Parkhotel and Lake Lucerne opens up. The path continues up over sheep pastures to Wylenstrasse. Here it goes steadily downhill on the Wilenstrasse back in the direction of Vitznau Dorf.