There is a good reason why Rigi is called the queen of mountains. For instance, this mountain excursion comprises of the most beautiful scenes across the Swiss Alps and plenty of scope for adventure. As a matter of fact, we saw Rigi from the peak at Stanserhorn and impulsively decided to visit it on the same day. However, you can easily spend a whole day on these terrains.
Rigi is a mountain in Central Switzerland. The summit of the mountain Rigi Kulm stands at 1798 meters above sea level. In addition, it has the most fascinating look as it stands tall dramatically amongst 3 beautiful lakes, Lake Lucerne, Lake Zug, and Lake Lauerz. In fact, it has several scenic hiking routes. Also. there are two different mountain trains in two directions served by the oldest mountain railways in Europe, the Rigi Railways.
Best time to visit
The best time to visit Rigi would be between April and September. During offseason, there are not enough trains. Also, the trains stop running pretty early. It is best to check the timetables before visiting.
In addition, the mountain is affected because of the weather. For instance, if it is too cloudy you may not be able to see anything.
Getting there
There are two ways to reach Rigi Kulm. Firstly, with the Vitznau-Rigi-Bahn and secondly, with the Arth-Rigi-Bahn. However, both directions of these mountain railways offer completely different views. Therefore, I would suggest you ascend in one direction and descend in another.
If you want, you could also take a cable car from Rigi Kaltbad station to Weggis from where you can get a boat back to Lucerne.
You can check the timetable of the Rigi trains and cable car here. In addition, you can find the boat schedule from Lucerne here.
Here is an easy and most scenic way you can reach Rigi Kulm from Lucerne and back. In fact, you can ascend and descend on the route of your choice.
Step 1: Lucerne to Arth Goldau in train
Step 2: Arth Goldau to Rigi Kulm in Arth-Rigi cogwheel train
Step 3: Rigi Kulm to Rigi Kaltbad in Vitznau-Rigi cogwheel train
Step 4: Rigi Kaltbad to Weggis in cable car
Step 5: Weggis to Lucerne in boat
Tip: The entire trip to the Rigi mountain from any major city is included in the Swiss Pass.
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Our trip to Rigi, the Queen of Mountains
Incidentally, we went straight to Rigi from Stanserhorn. Therefore,we were not quite sure if we would make it. However, with a little bit of planning, we made it to the mountain.
Lucerne to Rigi Kulm in train
At the beginning, we boarded a train coming from Lucerne at Stans station and got down at Arth Goldau. After that, we took the mountain train from Arth Goldau to Rigi Kulm. There were plenty of tiny stations on the route of the train. In fact, we saw many hikers getting down at those stations. For instance, Rigi mountain has a gentle slope with widespread landscapes which makes it a hiker’s paradise. To sum up, the entire journey was extremely scenic.
Rigi Kulm (Summit)
After getting down at Rigi Kulm, we explored around and took panoramic pictures of the surroundings. However, it was a little cloudy by the time we reached so, we could not see some of the peaks further away. But the clouds gave a mystical appearance to the place and it looked almost surreal.
Hike from Rigi Kulm to Rigi Kaltbad
After a while, we were a little tired from all the trains we took that day, so we decided to take the cable car from Rigi Kaltbad to Weggis. Therefore, we made an easy and beautiful hike from Rigi Kulm to Rigi Kaltbad amongst herds of cows and exotic mountain flowers. After that, we explored a little more before taking the cable car to Weggis.
Rigi Kulm (Summit)
Surprisingly, this cable car was suggested by our train driver who also took a picture of us at Rigi Kulm. Surprisingly, the Weggis cable car was a wonderful discovery. For instance, it is a thrilling and almost scary ride with breath-taking views of Lake Lucerne. As a matter of fact, the cable car makes a very steep descent at a very quick pace which makes it feel like a roller coaster ride.
Weggis to Lucerne
After reaching Weggis, we followed yellow footprints marked on the street that lead to the boat station. After a while, we slowly made our way to the harbour. In a while, a white boat arrived, and we boarded it to go to Lucerne. In fact, this boat ride was extremely scenic and the scenery changed every 5 minutes. For instance, you could see Mt Rigi, Mt Pilatus and many more mountains at a distance.
After a long and satisfying day at Rigi, the queen of mountains, we got down at Lucerne and made our way back to Interlaken after taking a short walking tour of Lucerne.
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What to eat
I would strongly suggest you carry some picnic and snacks with you on your trip to Rigi because we only saw a couple of restaurants on the whole way with a very expensive menu. Alternatively, you could also eat at Lucerne which has a host of restaurants.
Where to stay
Although there are a few options to stay in Rigi, I would recommend you stay in Lucerne or Interlaken and make a day trip to Rigi. To clarify, Rigi could be easily explored in a day and there aren’t many activities after sun down.
Budget
A mountain trip to Rigi could cost you approximately 100 Euros per person if you pack your own food.
If you have a Swiss Pass the entire mountain trip to Rigi is included free of charge.
