Here are four routes that allow you to encounter the standard Karuizawa scenery while also enjoying shopping.
1. New Old Karuizawa Round Trip Route (Walking time: 2 hours, Distance: 6.7km)
Starting from Karuizawa Station, the tour circles the downtown area and quiet back streets to fully enjoy the atmosphere of the highland town.
2. Old Karuizawa Ginza Walking Route (Walking time: 1hr 13min Walking distance: 3.5km)
A careful walk from the main street to the backstreets in the cradle of Karuizawa, a vacation home.
3. Shin-Karuizawa to Mikasa route (Walking time: 1 hour 15 minutes Walking distance: 4.5 km)
Passing through a beautiful larch tree-lined avenue, you will arrive at a former Western-style hotel with a romantic atmosphere of the Meiji and Taisho eras.
4. Nakakaruizawa to Chigataki area route (walking time: 1 hour 45 minutes, walking distance: 5.9 km)
A short course to be used as a liaison course for each course.
Starting from Karuizawa Station, the tour circles the downtown area and quiet back streets to fully enjoy the atmosphere of the highland town.
The tour starts from Karuizawa Station. The tour will return to Karuizawa Station, taking in Shin-Karuizawa, which stretches between Karuizawa Station and Old Karuizawa; Kumoba Pond, with its seasonal charm; Old Karuizawa, the heart of Karuizawa; and the walking paths popular among summer vacationers.
Advice: You may walk only the first half of the route up to the halfway point, Kyu-Karuizawa, or conversely, the second half, or combine it with the ” Kyu-Karuizawa Ginza Walking Route” or the “Shin-Karuizawa to Mikasa Route ” as appropriate.
*For details, please click the image below and refer to the PDF file ( “Walking Karuizawa,” p. 8 and 9).
A careful walk from the main street to the backstreets in the cradle of Karuizawa, a vacation home.
The tour will mainly stroll along Ginza-dori, the face of Karuizawa. Although short, the course is rich in substance, with visits to historic sites, historic architecture, and literary monuments, all of which are the starting point of Karuizawa as a vacation resort. The contrast between the bustling Ginza-dori and the quietness of the area near the literary monument is also very atmospheric.
If you do not go to the Masamune Swan Poem Monument but turn around at the Futate Bridge area, the walk will take only about 30 minutes, making it an even easier course.
*For details, please click the image below and refer to the PDF file ( “Walking Karuizawa,” p. 10).
Passing through a beautiful larch tree-lined avenue, you will arrive at a former Western-style hotel with a romantic atmosphere of the Meiji and Taisho eras.
From Karuizawa Station, follow Karuizawa Main Street, the shortest route to Old Karuizawa, and walk along Mikasa Street, lined with larch trees, a typical Karuizawa landscape, to the Old Mikasa Hotel.
The highlight of this route is the larch trees between Kyu-Karuizawa and Mikasa in the second half, which can be combined with the Kyu-Karuizawa Ginza Route. The first half of the route can be used as a route to visit Old Karuizawa on foot between Kyu-Karuizawa and Shin-Karuizawa.
*For details, please click the image below and refer to the PDF file ( “Walking Karuizawa,” p. 11).
A short course to be used as a liaison course for each course.
From Nakakaruizawa Station, follow the old Kusatsu Kaido road parallel to the bus road to the villa district of Chigataki, which was opened in the Taisho era (1912-1926). The attractions and scenery are not as attractive as other courses, and the road is more valuable as a connecting route to the surrounding area. In such a case, one-way use is recommended, but here we introduce a round-trip route from Nakakaruizawa Station, considering the possibility of walking this course independently.
Advice》10: If you walk to the start of the Chigataki Course, you can use the ⑥Mikasa to Ose and Hoshino Course and ⑦Karuizawa Wild Bird Forest Course as a shortcut to Nakakaruizawa Station.
*For details, please click the image below and refer to the PDF file ( “Walking Karuizawa,” p. 19).
