Sarnen is the capital of Obwalden, and it wears the title lightly. The town sits at the northern end of Lake Sarnen, a long blue lake in the middle of Switzerland, with the Pilatus above and a line of wooded hills on the other side. About nine thousand people live here, and the main street has the usual arrangement of bakeries, banks and cafes, with a large parish church that stands on a rise above the old centre.
What gives the town its identity is the Landsgemeinde, the open-air assembly where citizens once voted by raised hand. Obwalden held its last in 1998, and the stone ring on the Landenberg hill, where the assembly met, is still a place that people visit. The hill is named after a legendary bailiff in the William Tell story, and a path leads to the top, with views over the lake and the old town. Nearby, the village of Flüeli-Ranft is the home of Nicholas of Flüe, known as Brother Klaus, the fifteenth-century hermit who is revered as Switzerland's patron saint and credited with helping to hold the Confederation together.
As a food stop it is easy and pleasant. There are cafes on the lakeside, where you can sit with a view of the water, and restaurants serving local specialities such as cheese, sausages and dishes with potatoes and cream. Fuel is available, and the town is large enough to have everything a rider needs, from a tyre shop to a supermarket. Parking is straightforward near the lake.
The roads that leave Sarnen head in several directions: north toward Lucerne, east over the Glaubenberg, south along the lake to Giswil and the Brünig, or up toward Melchtal and the old pilgrimage valley. It is a hub, and in summer it is busy with traffic. Early mornings are calm, and in the late afternoon the light comes across the lake and turns the water gold, which is a good moment for a last coffee.