Nidwalden High Trail: Stage 6

The final, relatively short stage of the Nidwalden High Trail to Niederbauen begins at the Brisenhaus Hut at 1,753 meters. With sweeping views of Mount Pilatus, the Rigi, and the Mittelland, the hut is beautifully situated below the Brisen. From here, the trail descends along a gravel road, passing the Upper and Lower Büelhütte on the way to Stafel. Continuing to follow the Ängibach stream, the trail runs along the Emmetten Wildlife Observation Trail from the next intersection. Along the way, information boards provide interesting facts about local wildlife and birdlife. If you’re lucky, you might spot black grouse, great spotted woodpeckers, mistle thrushes, or ibex.

After just under an hour and a half, you’ll reach Ronen, where the gravel road turns into a trail. Below the mountainside of Oberbauen, you hike uphill, past the beautiful waterfall near Ful Platten, continuing toward Faulberg. The Rigi, Queen of the Mountains, Mount Pilatus, and parts of the fjord-like Lake Lucerne—with the Mittelland plateau stretching behind it—compete for the viewer’s attention. A short while later, the Kleine Mythen and the Große Mythen come into view. Shortly thereafter, you’ll reach the stage’s destination in Niederbauen at 1,570 meters above sea level. To cap off the high-altitude trail, the local mountain inn invites you to enjoy some well-deserved refreshments—with a view of Lake Lucerne included. A cable car takes hikers down to Emmetten, about 800 meters lower. It is beautifully situated between Beckenried and Seelisberg on a pre-Alpine terrace above the lake’s southern shore.