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Hard Hiking Trails in Lucerne

There are 10 hikes in Lucerne in our database that fit. They average 20.5 km and 528 m (1,732 ft) of ascent.

That is 3 percent of the 396 routes we map in Lucerne. They run noticeably longer than average for the area, 20.5 km against 2.7 km, so budget more daylight than a typical outing here.

Hard routes mean sustained ascent, long descents and a real need to watch the clock and the forecast. These lean toward the demanding end, so plan for a full day and check the forecast before you commit.

Trails

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Hard

Alpine Panorama Trail

Lucerne · Switzerland

Distance
29.0 km
/ 18.0 mi
Elevation gain
572 m
Typical duration
7 hr 19 min
  • Alpine meadow
  • Panoramic viewpoint
  • Waymarked route
Glaubenbielenpass at Giswil OW, Switzerland, with summit sign "Glaubenbielen Passhöhe 1611 m"
Hard

Trans Swiss Trail

Lucerne · Switzerland

Distance
18.4 km
/ 11.4 mi
Elevation gain
648 m
Typical duration
4 hr 54 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Inschrift über dem Portal zur Wallfahrtskapelle St. Jost, Blatten (Gemeinde Malters, LU)
Hard

ViaJacobi

Lucerne · Switzerland

Distance
19.0 km
/ 11.8 mi
Elevation gain
483 m
Typical duration
4 hr 48 min
  • Waymarked route
Kurzenhütten Road Bridge over the Waldemme River, Fluehli, Canton of Lucerne, Switzerland
Hard

Emmenuferweg - Etappe 2

Lucerne · Switzerland

Distance
18.6 km
/ 11.6 mi
Elevation gain
123 m
Typical duration
4 hr 10 min
  • Waymarked route
Malters von Schwarzenberg aus gesehen
Hard

Emmenuferweg - Etappe 4

Lucerne · Switzerland

Distance
19.1 km
/ 11.9 mi
Elevation gain
151 m
Typical duration
4 hr 20 min
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Via Gottardo

Lucerne · Switzerland

Distance
29.4 km
/ 18.3 mi
Elevation gain
347 m
Typical duration
7 hr 5 min
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Waldstätterweg - Etappe 1

Lucerne · Switzerland

Distance
14.8 km
/ 9.2 mi
Elevation gain
740 m
Typical duration
4 hr 12 min
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Waldstätterweg - Etappe 2

Lucerne · Switzerland

Distance
18.7 km
/ 11.6 mi
Elevation gain
800 m
Typical duration
5 hr 12 min
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Waldstätterweg - Etappe 3

Lucerne · Switzerland

Distance
17.0 km
/ 10.6 mi
Elevation gain
420 m
Typical duration
4 hr 14 min
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Waldstätterweg - Etappe 4

Lucerne · Switzerland

Distance
21.1 km
/ 13.1 mi
Elevation gain
1,000 m
Typical duration
6 hr 5 min
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Planetenweg Emmen

Lucerne · Switzerland

Distance
17.9 km
/ 11.1 mi
Elevation gain
394 m
Typical duration
4 hr 24 min

The shortlist, side by side

The ten highest scoring routes on this page, so you can compare effort before opening any of them.

Distance, ascent, walking time and difficulty for the top routes
RouteDistanceAscentTimeDifficultyBest season
Alpine Panorama TrailLucerne29.0 km572 m7 hr 19 minHardApril to October
Trans Swiss TrailLucerne18.4 km648 m4 hr 54 minHardJune to October
ViaJacobiLucerne19.0 km483 m4 hr 48 minHardApril to October
Emmenuferweg - Etappe 2Lucerne18.6 km123 m4 hr 10 minHardApril to October
Emmenuferweg - Etappe 4Lucerne19.1 km151 m4 hr 20 minHardApril to October
Via GottardoLucerne29.4 km347 m7 hr 5 minHardApril to October
Waldstätterweg - Etappe 1Lucerne14.8 km740 m4 hr 12 minHardApril to October
Waldstätterweg - Etappe 2Lucerne18.7 km800 m5 hr 12 minHardApril to October
Waldstätterweg - Etappe 3Lucerne17.0 km420 m4 hr 14 minHardApril to October
Waldstätterweg - Etappe 4Lucerne21.1 km1,000 m6 hr 5 minHardApril to October

If you only have time for one, start with Trans Swiss Trail, Alpine Panorama Trail, ViaJacobi. Those are the routes people come back to. Every route on this page links through to a full guide with the map, elevation profile, seasonal advice and what to bring.

Frequently asked questions

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