Enchanting Swiss Journal: Part 5: Up the Rigi!

The day dawned bright and full of hope. Esther and I were to go on our first and only “touristy” trip of our stay in Switzerland! While our Swiss rail passes included all public transportation and ship travel on the beautiful lakes, it only included one mountain top experience: Mount Rigi! 

We have been to the top of many iconic mountains in Switzerland and viewed many others up close, but hadn’t yet experienced Mt. Rigi, near Lucerne. Esther sent out a call to her siblings and asked if any wanted to join us for the adventure. Four of her siblings and one spouse responded positively. 

Making our way by ship from Lucerne to Rigi

Coming from four different directions, we met at the train station in Bern where we travelled together to Lucerne. From there we boarded a ship that took us on an hour-long jaunt on the ice-blue alpine lake to the foot of Mt. Rigi. Every means of transportation we were on was crowded, but none so much as the ship. It was a huge ship, but all the seats on three levels were taken and the whole main deck was standing room only! Most of the passengers were tourists from around the world. Only a few Swiss natives, like my in-laws, were on board.

View of Lake Lucerne from the cog-rail train

It was only a short walk from the ship to the cog railway that took us on what seemed like a 90º slope up the side of the mountain. This is the oldest cog-wheeled train in Switzerland, built in 1871. The incline was so steep, that I couldn't imagine that there was enough space for cows, goats, and pasture land to feed them; not to speak of barns and sheds to house them. But there was.  

The top of Mount Rigi afforded breathtaking views on all sides. It seems to be a huge mountain island in the middle of several lakes: Lake Luzerne to the south and west, Lake Zug to the north and east. Naturally, as at all Swiss tourist spots, a restaurant sat in the middle of the peak luring hungry and weary travelers to its delicacies. 

One of the hiking trails at the top.

We wandered around several hiking trails at the top of the mountain taking in all the views and trying to capture their glory on film, a feat that proved to be nearly impossible. The grandeur visible from the mountaintop can only be properly experienced in person. 

By the time we reached the top, clouds had formed on the distant white-capped peaks. I could only vaguely distinguish the Eiger peak of the Bernese Oberland. 

Three of Esther's (in pink blouse) sisters who travelled with us

We succumbed to the lure of the restaurant and had lunch at the mountain-peak restaurant. They offered a cafeteria-style buffet line where you could choose from various offerings, mostly typical Swiss dishes. The restaurant was short on staff, similar to many service industry establishments we went to. The labor shortages are directly related to the years of COVID; much like in the USA. 

The trip back down the mountain and sailing across the lake weren't as crowded as going the other way. We had space to sit in the restaurant of the ship and drink a leisurely cup of coffee on the hour-long ship ride.

When we arrived back in Luzerne, my knees, still sore from the Sunday hike, had had enough. I was ready to sit on a train and go home. My co-travelers, however, wanted to see the iconic wooden bridge that criss-crosses a canal that runs through Luzerne from the lake to a river; just a few blocks from the train station. So I plodded on. By now it was quite hot, and the sun beat down on us as we made our way to the bridge.

The iconic Kapellebrücke in Lucerne

In order to have a totally extravagant day, it was agreed to have dessert along the canal with a view of the bridge (Kapellbrücke). It took quite a while until we found an open table, and again quite a while till we got and paid for our sundaes (ask me what a coup Bailey's is). We had to hoof it to make it to our train on time. 

We rode together on the train until we got back to Bern, then we said our goodbyes and went our different ways. Esther and I took the tram back to Worb, our home base, and faced another half-mile walk to get back to our host's home. I was exhausted but thrilled about the beauty of the day, the scenery and conversation. My pedometer had logged 11.5 miles for the day.