Adventure on the Herzroute: from Huttwil to Wattwil on a FLYER e-bike
I already spent part of last year's summer holidays on the Herzroute on a FLYER e-bike. Back then, we started in Lausanne and spent a week cycling along the Herzroute to Huttwil. This year, our plan is to tackle the second section of the route that will take us to Eastern Switzerland.
I will be riding with Janine and Beatrice again and, on a rainy Saturday, we meet in Huttwil. We rent two FLYER e-bikes at the FLYER rental station: I choose a Gotour5, Janine picks a Goroc3, and Beatrice is going to be using her own FLYER Gotour5. We set off with full panniers and spare batteries, and soon reach our first stop, which is the historical small town of WIllisau. We take part in a guided tour of the town and find out, among other things, how to break the famous Willisauer Ringli biscuits correctly.
After spending the night at the Wellsberg farmhouse, we enjoy a lavish breakfast with all kinds of products from the farm. Feeling energetic after our meal, we go on a guided tour of the farm in glorious sunshine before getting back onto our bikes. Despite the blazing summer sun, we enjoy our ride through the picturesque depths of Canton Lucerne, but soon find ourselves hankering after something to cool us down. We see Lake Zug in the distance and, after a strenuous leg, reach our destination for the night: a smart apartment with a swimming pond in the garden, which is very welcome after 70 kilometres in the saddle.
We start our third leg in a leisurely manner, treating ourselves to a dip in Lake Ägeri en route, then enjoying the views over the impressive peat bog around Rothenthurm, before reaching Einsiedeln, our destination for the day, in the late afternoon. The following day is a rest day and we make the most of our time by visiting Einsiedeln and its famous abbey.
Feeling well rested, we start our next e-bike leg on Day 5. Although the Herzroute dedicates a special loop to Lake Zurich and winds its way around the whole Obersee part of the lake, it is not actually that far to the end of this leg in Rapperswil. However, we ride on a little further as we are going to spend the night in a circus caravan by the Archehof Rüegg farmhouse in Ermenswil. We cycle along in fairly inclement weather, looking forward to our hot pot dinner at the farm.
The following morning we buy a few necessities in the farm shop and recharge our batteries with the farm's sumptuous breakfast. As it is still raining on and off, we don't always stick to the Herzroute and take a few short-cuts, which means that we reach our day's destination a little earlier than originally planned. On a break in Wattwil, we meet up with a good friend of mine who lives in the area and then ride on to Ganterschwil. Our overnight stay in a pod house on an organic farms is also a unique experience.
And then the last day of this year's e-bike adventure is already upon us. We celebrate Beatrice's birthday by presenting her with gifts and enjoying a lavish breakfast. We pack our bags one last time, load up our FLYER e-bikes, and put on our rainwear – the last day is going to be another wet one. We ride to Wattwil railway station at a leisurely pace. Exhausted but with our minds full of so many beautiful impressions and memories, we board the train, already planning when we will take on the sections of the Herzroute from Wattwil to Romanshorn that we have not yet covered.
