Root: Museum, churches and hiking trails

Root brings together cultural history and trails through forests and countryside. The Root Museum brings together stories of homes and village life; churches, chapels and routes add to the picture. If Root is an option for your hotel stay, you can consider whether you are mainly looking for exhibitions, historic buildings or time outdoors.

Root Museum: Stories of homes and village life

The Root Museum is housed in the «Haus beim Brunnen», a Lucerne-style Tätschhaus dating from the 17th century. One part of the exhibition is dedicated to Josef Stücheli (1892–1967), the last itinerant shoemaker in Root. His largely preserved estate offers insight into the daily life of an independent craftsman shaped by poverty and deprivation.

The museum also includes Langjahr Film’s analogue film workshop. Editing tables, cameras and tape recorders offer a glimpse of the workshop’s equipment. Interviews with contemporary witnesses can be viewed on DVD on site. Other exhibitions explore Root through the ages and the history of Root’s inns.

Stories about houses are also part of the programme: the «Schniiderlilonzi-Haus» once housed Root’s first telephone exchange, a hair salon, a tailor’s workshop and a grocery store. These various themes trace the story from individual trades and business premises to changes in village life.

St. Martin’s Church and Morgenrot Chapel

St. Martin’s Church in Root was consecrated on 4 November 1708. The ossuary, church, porch and fountain form a cohesive historic ensemble. Morgenrot Chapel tells a different story of construction: it was built in 1888 to replace an older chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary and stands beside a stream in the middle of the village.

The two buildings offer different points of reference in time: the consecration date is recorded for St. Martin’s, while Morgenrot Chapel was built to replace an older religious building. The history of the area can thus be explored through specific buildings and their historical contexts.

Forests, routes and the Reuss riverbank

Hasliwald forest stretches for about 1.5 kilometres northeast from the Papierfabrik Perlen paper mill, from Buchrain to the municipality of Root. The forest has a Vita Parcours fitness trail, and various walking paths lead to places including a biotope. Before using the fitness trail, check its current condition and the state of the paths.

There are various hiking and biking routes on Rooterberg. A descent from Michaelskreuz to Root follows tracks, forest paths and meadow trails. The Rontaler Höhenweg offers sweeping views over the valley and passes through forests and along scenic ridges. This 14-kilometre route runs from Lucerne through Ebikon, Dierikon, Root and Gisikon to Honau; there are barbecue areas, playgrounds and viewpoints along the way.

The landscape changes along the Reuss, too: Root’s riverbanks and paths form a very popular recreational area of importance beyond the municipality. There are several settings to choose from for your route, such as the walking paths in Hasliwald, hiking and biking routes on Rooterberg, or the longer Rontaler Höhenweg.

Getting to the museum

The Root Museum is a ten-minute walk from Gisikon-Root station; bus route 23 also serves the Root Dorf stop. From Gisikon-Root, you can return to Lucerne by bus or train. Check the current timetables for your travel dates.

Discover more destinations: Perlen, Rigi Kaltbad, Schachen, Malters, Dierikon, Schwarzenberg, Meierskappel, Littau.

Back to the main travel overview: Lucerne.