Charcoal Burner Trail Romoos

UNESCO Biosphäre Entlebuch -

If you set out from Romoos and hike through the sprawling Napf area, you might suddenly catch the smell of smoke rising between the trees. Don't worry, it's not a forest fire: it is the fumes of the smoldering charcoal kilns. The charcoal burners of Romoos stack beech, ash, and conifer wood into conical piles. Then they set them on fire to produce charcoal. For about two weeks, they monitor the charring around the clock – producing the «black gold» is hard work.

The farmers have been practicing charcoal burning as a sideline for centuries. Once, Romoos had about 200 charcoal sites; back then, farriers, iron foundries, or glassworks needed large amounts of charcoal. Today, only a few farmers from the Napf region keep the ancient craft alive. They produce about 100 tons of charcoal annually. Piercing air holes, adding fuel, drawing out charcoal – with some luck, on the hike between Romoos and Bramboden, you can watch the charcoal burners at work. Panels along the charcoal burner trail also provide information on charcoal burning as well as gold prospectors and natural phenomena in the region.

The route first leads uphill to Schwändi and then along a spectacular footpath through the narrow gorge of the Goldbach. The highest point of the hike is reached at Ober Länggrat. The trail via Rose-Beizli, which is slightly off the path, leads down to the Seeblibach and the finish at Bramboden, crossing the Lucerne Napf region. You pass steep conglomerate cliffs and waterfalls, narrow ravines, and sunny ridges. Because of its topography, the area around Romoos is also called the «Centovalli of the canton of Lucerne». Bramboden is a true gem – it lies in a side valley in the Entlebuch, far away from all other villages. In the pilgrimage site, it's worth visiting the charming mountain church dedicated to Saint Anthony of Padua.