We are a month into autumn & the weather has started to turn cool & the leaves are changing to orange, red, gold & yellow. It’s a glorious time of the year & the colours bring all sorts of feelings: warmth, nostalgia, awe, even melancholy & wistfulness.
Autumn symbolises change, transition and renewal not only in the local forests but also within us. It is a time that reminds us that change is inevitable & also required. It is a time for harvesting & foraging & is the season for thanksgiving that can be both in tradition with a celebration or a time for quiet reflection within.
Many forests around Switzerland have started to show their colours. Take some time out to visit some of these pretty vistages on view & connect with your inner Hygge, you may even see red deer, chamois or ibex. Spending time in nature can help us destress & during autumn it can also bring feelings of comfort & cosiness.
When you return home enjoy a pumpkin soup, chestnuts (Heisse Maroni), wild mushrooms & a wine from freshly harvested grapes to really feel in season as we start to spend more time inside with cups of tea or coffee, blankets & a good book.
The fabulous trees that show this seasonal change, & most often seen in Switzerland, are the Larch, Beech, Maple & Birch trees. Larch is a conifer that loses its needles after they have turned golden, unlike most conifers. The latter three are deciduous hardwood trees with distinctive bark & leaves.
And, if you have ever wondered how or why the leaves actually change colour it’s because the pigments that sit underneath the outer layer of the leaves during spring & summer come out in autumn due to the change in the sunlight as the summer sun wanes & the temperature drops the chlorophyll (that makes the leaves green) breaks down revealing the hidden colours.
Here are some places in & around Lucerne:
Most of the forests around Lucerne, & the Vierwaldstättersee, will be turning orange, red, gold & yellow right now with the best colours in mid-October.
- Dreilindenpark (Konsipark)
- Glacier Garden (Gletschergarten) + Alpine Park + Lion Monument
- Lake Rotsee walk + Schachewald forest
- Sonnenberg: Gütsch forest walk to Sonnenberg hill
- Meggerwald + Parcours
Autumn atmosphere Château Gütsch and Museggmauer Lucerne: www.luzern.com #visitlucerne @rogerhuegiphoto
And further afield:
- Pilatus & Rigi mountain sides – for a wide perspective of the autumnal landscape, it is worth hiking either one of these mountains.
- Villa Senar Park – Weggis
- Niederbauen Wildlife Observation Trail
- Schächental High Mountain Trail
- Klewenalp-Stockhütte
- Fronalpstock (Stoos)
- Stanserhorn
- Bürgenstock Cliff Walk
- Wild Hay Trail / Eggberge / Flüelen area
- Seelisberg–Bauen Lake Trail
- Eggberge–Altdorf Ridge Trail
- Buochserhorn – Autumn Foliage Walks:
- Golden Larch Path: A gentle 2-hour stroll through sun-dappled larch forests.
- Viewpoint Circuit: A moderate 3-hour loop showcasing the best autumn panoramas.
Check out the Foliage Map from My Switzerland that shows the dates you can expect the best foliage & viewing points around the country. Zoom in to see around Luzern.
Another one is SRF Meteo showing Herbstfarben (Autumn colours).
For more information & ideas see the following articles from MySwitzerland: Take the train through the autumn panorama, Best hikes to see the most colourful foliage & an article from LivingIn Luzern from 2022 on Autumn hiking around Lucerne.
For more ideas what to do in Autumn in Luzern, see the following video: 6 things to do in Autumn in Lucerne.
Also, from Swiss Family Fun that always has great posts with comprehensive details about all the best things to see & do in Switzerland:
10 Best Places for Golden Larch Trees in Switzerland
10 Best Autumn Hikes near Zurich for Fall Colors
20 Best Autumn Hikes in Switzerland for Fall Colors
From @packedagain: POV: Driving the coolest road in Switzerland during autumn 🍂
And for a bit of fun Beautiful Autumn with Halle Berry and Roger Federer | Switzerland Tourism
Header image from My Switzerland: Foliage map
