Buochs on Lake Lucerne
Accommodation in Buochs
Buochs lies directly on Lake Lucerne. When choosing where to stay, the village combines activities on the water with trails, a strong tradition of celebrations and traces of local culture. Depending on your interests, you could visit the lido, take a walk or attend an event celebrating local customs.
Water, the lido and SUP
Buochs-Ennetbürgen Lido has a large children’s playground and a shallow paddling pool. The lido also includes a sandy beach, a diving tower and a raft on the lake, as well as a play lawn and beach volleyball. The playground and paddling pool offer activities for children; the other facilities add to the range of amenities at the lido.
The Seemeile is a lakeside promenade in Buochs on Lake Lucerne, offering access to a range of watersports experiences and activities on the lake. SUPoint is a SUP rental and sales station in Buochs. Its services include rentals, sales, courses, tours and repairs. SUP yoga, SUP Pilates and SUP full-moon activities are also on the programme; specific offerings and operating arrangements may change seasonally. One excursion idea on the Nidwalden lakeside route also includes a canoe trip in Buochs on the Lucerne shore of the lake.
Trails with different levels of difficulty
The “Around Buochs” circular trail is 11.0 kilometres long, rated moderate and listed as suitable from May to October. The trail climbs gradually, with increasingly expansive views across the lake. Numerous tall-stem fruit trees line the route, which passes the Loreto Chapel on the Ennerberg. Check seasonal trail conditions before setting out.
The Aawasserweg offers a different kind of walk. It starts shortly after Dallenwil railway station and leads to the lake at Buochser Aawasseregg. It is one of the few flat trails with a natural surface in the canton of Nidwalden, is accessible year-round and is family-friendly. For seasonal planning, the two routes offer different options: the “Around Buochs” circular trail is listed as suitable from May to October, while the Aawasserweg is accessible year-round. Along the way, the Aawasserweg passes the covered Faden Bridge, built in 1855 and bearing the Nidwalden coat of arms, then runs along both banks of the river to the lake. Since summer 2008, hikers and other forest visitors have been able to use the rest area at Ebnet-Rain-Hüsli.
The Buochserhorn route climbs from Buochs to Ochsenweid. A 2020 cycling brochure described it as one of the most frequently ridden mountain bike routes in the canton of Nidwalden. Check route conditions and signage before setting off.
Mystery trail, airfield and gliding
The Buochs crime trail centres on the theft of portraits by Buochs portrait painter Johann Melchior Wyrsch; the paintings date from the late 18th century. Allow around 1 hour 15 minutes to 2 hours for the trail. It starts at the Buochs municipal administration building at Beckenriedstrasse 9, 6374 Buochs. Booking arrangements may change, so check them in advance.
The Nidwalden Gliding Group gives visitors aged 15 and over the opportunity to try gliding at the controls of a glider, without any formalities. The age requirement may be subject to the operator’s rules, so check the latest requirements. Buochs Airfield welcomes walk-in visitors without prior registration on Saturdays and Sundays from mid-March to the end of October. Check these seasonal visiting hours before you arrive.
Traditions and buildings
The Ă„lplerchilbi in Buochs was celebrated even before the Ă„lplergesellschaft was founded in 1862. It takes place on the fourth Sunday in October and has retained its traditional form and character to this day. Since the beginning, responsibilities have been handed down from generation to generation each year. The celebration is organised as a way of giving thanks for a good summer harvest and as a festival for the whole village.
The Samichlais procession takes place every year on the first Friday of Advent, weather permitting. At 6:45 p.m., Samichlais arrives at St. Martin’s Church as the Bishop of Myra; he then proceeds through the village with Treychler, Iffele and lantern bearers. As exact start times may change, check the date and time before your visit.
The Catholic parish church of St. Martin was built in Oberdorf between 1802 and 1808 to plans by Niklaus Purtschert. A predecessor church is mentioned in an 1157 document from Engelberg Abbey and has been confirmed by archaeological excavations. Beside the marina in the delta of the Engelberger Aa stands the Wassertor, a bronze-coloured steel sculpture by Johanna Näf.
Getting there and places to stay
Buochs is directly accessible via the A2 motorway. Destinations in the wider area can be reached by boat, postbus, mountain railway or car. In Buochs, places to stay include a campsite, hotels and holiday apartments.
Discover more destinations: Beckenried, EnnetbĂĽrgen, Ennetmoos, Stans, Dallenwil, Wolfenschiessen, Stansstad, Hergiswil.
See the main travel overview: Nidwalden.
