Huttwil to Willisau - Napf Gebiet – BE/LU – Time – 4 ˝ hours, Distance – 16 Km, ca. 600m Uphill, ca. 680m Downhill The starting and finishing points of this walk can be reached hourly by public transport. We left our car in Willisau, went by train to Huttwil and set off from there.
It’s a good idea to stock up with food and drink in Huttwil if you haven’t already filled the rucksack. At least two of the bakers’ shops in Huttwil are open until 17.00 even on Sundays. The only village we passed en route had a church, a post office, a bank, a school, parish council buildings, a great many parking places, but, as far as we could see, no restaurant open.
This is an up-and-down walk as the Profile shows. No difficulties and the path is, for the most part, well-marked. A few short stretches are on minor roads, some on meadows not very clearly defined. I think maybe the rain (this is one of the wettest areas in Switzerland) may have something to do with the fast-growing vegetation.
The large farmhouses with the low roofs are typical of this region with masses of geraniums at the windows. One has the feeling the farmer’s wives are in competition with each other to see who can produce the best display. Cows are everywhere, a couple of dogs announced our presence as we passed through ‘their’ farmyard, a few goats greeted us in Ufhusen and we met just a couple of hikers.
An unusual sight were the enormous heaps of gravel and chippings, all sorted by size and colour, at Stoss. When I think what one pays for a few handfuls to use in flower arrangements!
On reaching Willisau, famous for the
Willisau Ringli, a biscuit speciality, it’s worth making a short detour to go through the old town before making for the station. The centre, between the two archways, has retained much of the old character of these towns. The sign over the shop selling clocks, a large pocket watch, caught my eye. Here, several restaurants line the ‘pavement’ and give the hiker a chance to relax and simply watch the world go by. A satisfying end to the day.