Fruttli Trail – A Fun Path Around Lake Melchsee

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Melchsee-Frutt is a charming car-free village in Kerns, Obwalden. It’s about 1,920 meters high on a high plateau in the Swiss Alps. Near Lucerne, Melchsee-Frutt is in Central Switzerland. There are also other mountain resorts like Hasliberg and Engelberg nearby.

Kids can go on the Fruttli Trail around Lake Melch (Melchsee) in Melchsee-Frutt to learn about marmots. You’ll enjoy this easy, beautiful hike whether you’re young (for the playing) or old (for the gorgeous views).

Age Group	All ages
Category	Hikes
Expected Duration	1 hour
Cost	- Cost of the gondola ride, trail itself is free - Adult - CHF 29.00 to 39.00 - Child - Free until 15 years old when accompanied by adult with a valid ticket
Address	Sarnerstrasse 1, 6064 Kerns
Website	https://www.melchsee-frutt.ch/
Opening Hours	Please check the website https://www.melchsee-frutt.ch/
Public Transport	Melchtal Stöckalp

Overview: Melchsee-Frutt

The Gondola on Stöckalp brings people to the sun-drenched Melchsee-Frutt plateau since 1935. Since then, there have been a lot of tourists. 

While Melchsee-Frutt is less touristy than its neighbor Engelberg Titlis, it is still gorgeous and serene. There are lush pastures, crystal clear lakes, and rocky mountains in the distance in the summer. The Melchsee-Frutt region is home to beautiful lakes like Lake Melch (Melchsee), Lake Tannen (Tannensee), Lake Engstlenen (Engstlenensee), and Blue Lake (Blauseeli).

Getting around Lake Melch on the Fruttli Trail is a popular activity on Melchsee-Frutt.

Fruttli Trail

When you’re walking around Melchsee-Frutt or going to Tannalp, you can hear marmots. It makes sense that the trail is about marmots, these furry little animals. Discover how these marmots live in the mountains and how they move through nature on this Fruttli Trail.

The Fruttli Trail Card is available at Melchsee-Frutt’s mountain station. Along the trail, you’ll answer 10 questions. You can see a simple map showing where these 10 stations are.

You’ll have a specific assignment at each station. It’s just a matter of finding a specific colored stone and marking it on your card. There’ll be an interesting activity or playground in every post. Play elements include balancing beams, ropes, telescopes, and more.

When you’ve answered all ten questions, you can present your card. Ours were presented at the mountain station and the kids got little prizes for completing them.

Melchsee-Frutt for Families

There’s still more to do with your family in Melchsee-Frutt if the hike wasn’t enough. And if you are lucky, Fruttli the mascot might even come out on special days. 

Here are more things you can do on this beautiful plateau with your kids. 

• Uf dr Wildli Playground: This playground has lots of different play elements like a flying fox, a cheese track, a play church, a play house, a slide, and more. You can find it directly beside the old cable car mountain station.
• Stroller-friendly Trails: Walk along the yellow hiking trails with your stroller. Kids’ all-terrain strollers can handle these trails. 
• Frutt Train: A Frutt train called Frutt-Zug runs between the old mountain station and Tannalp. The train stops at  Alte Bergstation, Dörfli, Panoramalift, Kapelle, Distelboden, Tannendamm, Tannensee, Fachshubel, and Tannalp.
• Scooter Riding: There are 30 scooters for rent at Melchsee-Frutt’s new summit station. Children over 14 can ride scooters. 
• discOWer Seilpark Melchsee-Frutt: Near Stöckalp valley station is an adventure rope park. 6 rope courses ranging in difficulty are available to kids starting at 6 years old, including a 12-meter pendulum jump. Pfideripark has three different rope courses kids can try starting at 4 years old. Until they’re 13, kids need an adult to accompany them. 

• Frutt Mountain Resort Facilities (guests only): There’s a swimming pool, spa, movie theater, and an indoor playground at Frutt Mountain Resort. You can only use it if you’re a hotel guest.
• Barbecue Pits: Grilling pits can be found on the path or elsewhere in Melchsee-Frutt if you want to stop. Places are clearly marked on the map and are easy to find.

Final Thoughts: Fruttli Trail

Around the Melchsee, you’ll find ten posts that provide fun for the whole family. As for me, I had a blast. In spite of the fact that it’s not as physically tiring as I’d like (I prefer longer and more challenging hikes), the gorgeous views made up for it.

Despite the instructions being in German, these should be easy to translate. The images will probably help you understand what you need to do if you don’t.

Our kids loved the Fruttli Trail; we can’t wait to go back.