Section Werthenstein - Willisau

14.6 km, walking time around 3 hrs 50 min. 

Werthenstein

The route takes us over meadows, interspersed with fruit trees. We walk partly on a quiet road, partly on shortcuts past the hamlets of Rain, Wiprächtige and Grofehuse until up to the Bielmüli. Here we descend on the right to the Bilbach (brook), which we cross. After also crossing the road to Wolhusen, we walk on the opposite side northwards along the slopes of the hills, passing the hamlets of Büel (pilgrim waypost with the symbol “being silent”) and Chriesbaumen to the village of Buholz. On the way, we also come by the “Landsgerichtskapelle”, the chapel where until 1798 the criminal court was held.

Büel way

At the entrance of Buholz stands the baroque chapel St. Gallus and Erasmus with its beautiful frescoes, and a few hundred metres above the village is the historical place of execution. We leave Buholz westwards, pass the small “Armesünderchäppeli” (chapel of the poor sinners) and on the right, climb over fields up to the “Galgeberg” wood, steeped in legends. We traverse it in a northern direction, thereby enjoying a good view to the Soppen lake. We leave the wood and proceed north-westwards along the slopes of the hills until we come to the road leading to Geiss, and on which we reach that village. Its parish church St. Jakobus with the beautiful altars in the late-rococo style is worth seeing.

Lake of Soppen

In the side-altars, we see on the left the Madonna, and on the right Saint James. The stately country inn “Ochsen” is opposite the church. We leave Geiss near the St. James fountain and follow the road to Elswil. We remain on the road and proceed westwards through the hilly landscape until we turn off to the right onto a field road leading to “Studeweid” (with small chapel) below a conspicuous hill. We cross the main road here and continue northwards along the chain of hills past the hamlet of “Badhuet” (with the pilgrim waypost “On the Way of St James” to the houses of Schwand.

Buholz chapel

Keeping to the left, we skirt the Schwandberg and come to Hinderwald at the southern rim of the Ostergau plain. Down to the left, on the plain, we see the big ponds of a fish-breeding farm. After the houses, we turn off to the right and, heading westwards along the edge of the wood, we come to the rivulet near Ischlagmatt. Here, we turn off to the right onto a footpath leading us across the plain and the small river Seewag to the Willisau road in the village-part Ostergau. We follow the road and after a short stretch, we turn off to the left to a shore-path on which, crossing the Seewag, we come in a north-western direction past the former LEGO factory and through an industrial quarter to a road bifurcation shortly before the roundabout at the eastern edge of the town of Willisau.

Willisau

Across the roundabout and crossing also the railway line, we come past the station and through the “Untertor” (lower gate) into the old part of Willisau.
This town with its historical fountains was destroyed by fire four times, the last time in 1704. The pastry “Willisauer Ringli” is word-famous. The catholic parish church St. Peter and Paul stands on a rise at the end of the main lane, on the left-hand side.

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