During our stay in Vitznau, we honestly couldn’t ignore it: taking the train up to Rigi. The train departs directly from Vitznau and it’s incredibly easy to do.
You see this mountain everywhere, after all. From the lake, from the village and even from the boat towards Lucerne, you constantly see Mount Rigi towering above the landscape. And after our Airbnb host also told us we absolutely had to go there, well… we knew enough!
At 1798 metres high, Rigi may not be the tallest mountain in Switzerland, but it is definitely one of the most famous. Mainly because of its location. From the summit, you can look out over multiple lakes at the same time, while the Alps rise up in the background.
And what makes this mountain extra accessible: you barely need to hike. Want to do some walking anyway? Then you can also hike either up or down from the summit. Sometimes that’s nice too.
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Departure from Vitznau: perfectly organised
What worked perfectly for us was that the train departs practically opposite the Vitznau boat pier. The exact same place where we previously also boarded the boat towards Lucerne for our cruise across Lake Lucerne. It’s located right in the centre of Vitznau, a small village by the water. There’s plenty of parking available in the village (paid parking though) and from there it’s only a few minutes’ walk to the station.
In practice, the train is filled in two ways:
- Tourists arriving by boat
Around half of the visitors arrive here by boat, mainly from Lucerne. You can easily combine this with a beautiful lake cruise and many tourists stay in Lucerne or nearby. - Tourists boarding in Vitznau
That was us, since we were staying in Vitznau. But parking here is also perfectly fine. Simply buy your day pass online and hop on whenever you want throughout the day.
Bringing a stroller or less mobile? No problem at all. The train is designed for it.
Although yes… Switzerland remains Switzerland. Normally, this ride would have cost us around €160 together. Luckily, we received a 20% discount through our Airbnb host. Definitely ask whether your accommodation offers a visitor card or discount pass. That can easily save you 20%. This only applies if you stay overnight in this area, though.
The Rigi Bahn: the oldest mountain railway in Europe
What makes this journey extra special is that this isn’t just any tourist train. The Rigi Bahn is actually the oldest mountain railway in Europe and has been running up this mountain since 1871. You’re literally travelling through a piece of Swiss history here. Although a small side note: there are also modern trains operating nowadays. That’s the one we took ourselves. We did see the old mountain train running, but in practice most journeys are done with the modern train.
The train slowly climbs higher while the landscape keeps opening up more and more. At first, you still pass houses, green hills and forests, but gradually everything changes into open mountain scenery. Small tip from experience:
sit on the left side when going up. That’s definitely the best side for the views.
Along the route, there are multiple places where you can get off. There are several guesthouses and hiking opportunities here, for example. Want to hop off along the way? Make sure you sit near the front of the train. Otherwise getting off isn’t possible due to the short platforms. They continuously announce this on the train as well.
Why Mount Rigi is so famous
Mount Rigi is also known as the “Queen of the Mountains”. Not because it’s the tallest mountain, but because of its incredibly central location. As early as the 19th century, wealthy travellers already came here to enjoy the views and the fresh mountain air.
In fact, Rigi was one of Europe’s very first true tourist mountains. Back then, people specifically travelled to Switzerland to ride the revolutionary cogwheel railway up the mountain. At the time, that was considered a true engineering marvel.
Arriving at Rigi Kulm: views in every direction
Once you arrive at the top, you immediately understand why this place is so popular.
You’ll be looking out over: Lake Lucerne, Lake Zug, several smaller lakes around Lucerne and, behind them, dozens of snow-covered mountain peaks. Honestly, wow! On clear days, you’re even supposed to be able to see parts of Germany and France. Personally, I couldn’t really recognise that though. What I mainly saw during our visit at the end of April were countless beautiful white mountain peaks.
What we especially loved was how open the view feels here. You’re not just looking in one direction, but truly all around you. You can also do a short but fairly steep climb to fully enjoy all the viewpoints around the summit. There are restaurants and cafés up here too and, if you’re lucky, you might even grab a spot on one of the wooden sun loungers.
You can also start several hiking routes from here. Most hikers walk back down the mountain before taking the train down again from lower on the route.
How busy is Mount Rigi actually?
We visited at the end of April and timing-wise that was honestly perfect. It definitely wasn’t empty, but nowhere felt overcrowded either. You can clearly tell this is a very popular destination, especially among international visitors. We saw many tourists from outside Europe.
We had a wonderfully sunny day, which made the temperature at the top surprisingly pleasant. If you’re unsure about the weather conditions, you can always check how people are dressed through the many webcams on the official website and see whether there’s still snow at the summit.
During summer, it’s probably a lot busier here. So it’s definitely smart to buy your ticket before heading out.
Rigi Kulm with a stroller or limited mobility
For us, this was naturally also an important point. And luckily: Mount Rigi is surprisingly accessible.
The cogwheel railway is well designed, you can easily bring a stroller onboard and the main viewpoints at the top are located relatively close to the station.
Of course, not all walking paths are flat, but for a relaxed visit you definitely don’t need to be an experienced hiker. If you want to reach the very top viewpoint, you’ll still need to do a short but fairly steep climb (say around 5 minutes). There’s also a slightly flatter circular route where you still get all the beautiful views. Don’t let this stop you from visiting, it’s honestly very manageable!
Good to know though: temperatures at the summit are often around 5 to 8 degrees colder than down by the lake. So always bring something warm with you.
Staying overnight in Vitznau: the perfect base
We personally stayed in Vitznau and honestly thought it was the perfect base for exploring this region.
Why?
- Direct connection to Mount Rigi
- Boats to Lucerne depart from here
- Beautiful location by the lake
- Much quieter than staying in the city itself
- Close to a fun trip to Stoos with the Stoosbahn
During the day, you can easily make day trips and in the evening you return to a peaceful lakeside setting.
We personally stayed in an Airbnb, but there are also several lovely hotels around Vitznau directly by the lake. Looking for something slightly more affordable? Then Hotel Rigi Vitznau is a great option. Simple but clean, including breakfast, and often around €200 per night for two people. Prefer something more luxurious? Then Hotel Vitznauerhof is an absolutely beautiful hotel directly on the waterfront with a wellness atmosphere and views over Lake Lucerne (although prices quickly go above €600 per night there). Another beautiful option is FloraAlpina, located slightly more quietly just outside the centre, featuring a large terrace and lake views. A more modern option is the Neuro Campus Hotel, sleekly designed and located close to both the boat and train connections.
Enjoy your train ride to Rigi Kulm!
We genuinely had a great day at Rigi Kulm. Not because it’s the most adventurous mountain in Switzerland, but precisely because it’s so accessible. Within an hour, you’re standing at the summit with views that would normally require a serious hike to reach. And honestly, the views at the top are absolutely fantastic. We’ve stood on several mountain peaks before, but the panoramic views here were truly beautiful.
Yes: it’s touristy. And yes: it’s expensive. But the combination of history, convenience, incredible views and that beautiful train ride up the mountain makes this an incredibly fun day trip.
- Book your trip to Rigi Kulm from Lucerne by boat.
- Simply buy your day pass online and hop on whenever you want throughout the day.
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