Freiämterweg: Schongau - Dietwil

In the Lucerne region of Oberschongau, where the noteworthy pilgrimage chapel of St. Ulrich stands (information board), this section of the Freiämterweg begins. It lies on the sunny heights of the expansive Lindenberg, which separates—and connects—the Freiamt and the Seetal. Gentle ascents and descents, often shaded by the forest, offer magnificent views of the tidy villages, hamlets, and down into the Seetal that delight the eyes of hikers. At Horben, the land lies like from a high balcony at the visitor's feet. The abbots of Muri knew this well, as their “castle,” more of a large holiday home formerly belonging to the Muri monastery (now private), stands here. The chapel dedicated to Saints Wendelin and Ubaldus can be visited. Dreamlike views of the Pre-Alps, Lake Zug, and into Central Switzerland await! After Beinwil with the Church of Saint Burkard, one crosses a wide field to the Eichmühle, where grain has been milled since the 16th century. In a graceful curve, Auw is reached, where Saint Bernarda Bütler was born in 1887. She was canonized in 2008 and is the first “true” Swiss woman to be declared a saint. Via Oberalikon and Abtwil, Dietwil, the southernmost point of the Freiämterweg, is reached.