Day 4 – Brunnen to Rütli, Tellsplatte & Sisikon Lake Trail : Switzerland (Sep’26)
10 September 2026
Our second day in Brunnen started much more slowly than the previous days of our Switzerland trip. After all the travelling and walking, we didn’t rush in the morning. We started our day around lunchtime, without a very packed plan, and that actually made the day feel even more enjoyable.
Today was all about experiencing Lake Lucerne from the water and exploring some of the beautiful places around the lake. Our route eventually took us from Brunnen to Rütli & Tellsplatte, followed by a beautiful lakeside walk towards Sisikon, before returning to Brunnen in the evening.
And surprisingly, this became one of those simple travel days that I really enjoyed.
A Slow Morning in Brunnen Village
Since we were staying in Brunnen, we first spent some time walking around the village.
Brunnen is not a big place, and that is part of what I liked about it. Everything felt peaceful and easy. The lake was nearby, the streets were quiet, and there was no feeling that we needed to rush from one attraction to another.
While walking around, we found a very good pizza shop and decided to have our lunch there.
The pizza was quite big, and even the two of us couldn’t finish it. Instead of wasting it, we packed the remaining pizza and took it back to our Airbnb.
At that moment, we thought it could become our dinner later.
And that is exactly what happened.
Walking to Brunnen Pier
After lunch, we walked towards the pier.
It was within walking distance from where we were staying, which made travelling around Brunnen very convenient.
Our main plan for the afternoon was to take one of the bigger boats across Lake Lucerne and visit Rütli.
The boat journey was included with our Swiss Travel Pass, so we could simply enjoy the ride without worrying about buying another ticket.
Boat Ride from Brunnen to Rütli
The journey from Brunnen to Rütli took around 30 minutes.
Travelling by boat in Switzerland is a completely different experience from simply taking a train. You are surrounded by the lake, mountains and small villages along the shoreline.
After spending several days travelling around Switzerland, I was already impressed by its landscapes, but seeing the mountains from the middle of the lake gave us another perspective.
Soon, we reached Rütli.
Hiking Around Rütli
After getting off the boat, we started walking uphill.
We hiked for approximately 1 kilometre towards the mountain, stopping along the way whenever we found a beautiful view.
The scenery around Rütli was peaceful and naturally beautiful, and we took plenty of photographs during the walk.
We didn’t plan a very long hike here. The idea was simply to explore the area, enjoy the surroundings and then continue our journey by boat.
After spending some time walking around Rütli, we returned towards the boat landing and waited for the next boat.
Rütli to Tellsplatte by Boat
Our next destination was Tellsplatte.
We boarded another boat and continued across the lake.
When the boat reached Tellsplatte, something interesting happened—only the two of us got off there.
That immediately made the place feel different.
There were no crowds following us and no busy tourist groups around us. We were basically on our own.
From Tellsplatte, our plan was to walk towards Sisikon.
Walking the Tellsplatte to Sisikon Lakeside Trail
This became one of the most memorable parts of the day.
The walking route was approximately 3 kilometres, following the lake towards Sisikon.
For much of the walk, it felt like we were the only two people on the trail.
The path was narrow in places and passed through wooded areas beside the lake. On one side there was nature and forest, while the beautiful lake remained close to us.
It was quiet—really quiet.
There were moments when it felt like we had this entire part of Switzerland to ourselves.
This wasn’t a busy tourist attraction where everyone was trying to take the same photograph. It was simply the two of us walking beside Lake Lucerne, surrounded by nature.
Those are often the travel experiences I remember the most.
Reaching Sisikon on Foot
Eventually, after completing the trail, we reached Sisikon station.
By this point, we had already walked quite a lot during the day.
We caught the train from Sisikon back to Brunnen. I remember thinking it might have been one of the last convenient trains for us that evening, so the timing worked out well.
It was already close to 6 PM when we returned.
Our legs were tired, but the day wasn’t finished yet.
Pizza Dinner Beside Lake Lucerne
After reaching our Airbnb, we picked up the leftover pizza that we had packed after lunch.
We also bought some drinks and then walked back towards the lakeside.
Instead of eating dinner inside the Airbnb, we decided to sit beside the lake.
And I am glad we did.
We found a place to sit, opened our pizza and spent around an hour beside Lake Lucerne.
The weather had become cold by then, but the atmosphere was beautiful.
There was no need for an expensive restaurant or complicated dinner.
Just leftover pizza, some drinks, cold Swiss weather and the lake in front of us.
Sometimes travel gives you these very simple moments that become more memorable than the expensive ones.
An Evening Walk Around Brunnen
After eating, we continued walking around the lake for some time.
I really loved Brunnen.
It was quiet, beautiful and peaceful, especially in the evening.
After visiting bigger Swiss cities and famous tourist destinations, staying in a smaller lakeside village gave us a completely different experience.
There was something relaxing about simply walking beside the water without having another destination to reach.
Finally, at around 8 PM, we walked back to our Airbnb.
It had turned into a long day considering how late we had started.
We had travelled by boat, hiked around Rütli, walked the lakeside trail from Tellsplatte towards Sisikon, taken the train back to Brunnen and finished our evening beside Lake Lucerne.
We were tired—but we had really enjoyed the day.
My Thoughts About This Day
What I liked most about today was that nothing felt rushed.
We didn’t start early.
We didn’t try to cover ten tourist attractions.
Instead, we had pizza in a small village, travelled across Lake Lucerne by boat, walked into the mountains around Rütli, got off at a quiet boat stop in Tellsplatte, followed a peaceful lakeside trail to Sisikon and ended the day eating our leftover pizza beside the lake.
For me, Brunnen was becoming one of the places in Switzerland that I really loved.
Quiet places sometimes leave the strongest memories.
FAQs About Brunnen, Rütli, Tellsplatte and Sisikon
1. Is Brunnen worth visiting in Switzerland?
Yes. I particularly enjoyed Brunnen because it was peaceful, beautiful and located directly beside Lake Lucerne. It also worked well as a base for our boat and hiking trip.
2. Can you travel from Brunnen to Rütli by boat?
Yes. We travelled directly from Brunnen to Rütli by boat, and our journey took around 30 minutes.
3. Was the Brunnen to Rütli boat included in the Swiss Travel Pass?
During our trip, our boat journey was included with our Swiss Travel Pass, which made exploring the Lake Lucerne area very convenient.
4. Can you hike at Rütli?
Yes. After arriving at Rütli, we walked approximately 1 km uphill into the mountain area and stopped at several places to enjoy the scenery and take photographs.
5. How did you travel from Rütli to Tellsplatte?
After exploring Rütli, we returned to the boat landing and took another boat to Tellsplatte.
6. Can you walk from Tellsplatte to Sisikon?
We walked from the Tellsplatte area towards Sisikon along a lakeside route of approximately 3 km. Parts of the trail were narrow and passed through wooded areas beside the lake.
7. Was the Tellsplatte to Sisikon trail crowded?
Not during our visit. Only the two of us got off the boat at Tellsplatte, and for much of the walk we felt like we were alone on the trail.
8. How did you return from Sisikon to Brunnen?
After completing our walk, we reached Sisikon station and took the train back to Brunnen.
9. What was your favourite experience of the day?
The quiet walk beside Lake Lucerne and our simple pizza dinner beside the lake in Brunnen were probably my favourite moments. Both experiences felt peaceful and very different from crowded tourist attractions.
10. Is Brunnen a good base for exploring Lake Lucerne?
Based on my experience, Brunnen was a very convenient place to stay. We could walk to the pier, use boats to explore places around the lake and return easily by train from Sisikon.