A day trip to Mount Rigi & Schwyz

When we were in Lucerne we went on a day trip to Mount Rigi and Schwyz where we had our first Fondue ever. Mount Rigi is a popular place to visit and it is easy to get there as a day trip from Lucerne. The stunning views over the lakes in Central Switzerland is probably one of the best and the reason Mount Rigi attracts lots of people.

View from the gondola on the way down from Mount Rigi
View from the gondola on the way down from Mount Rigi

Switzerland gets its name from Schwyz Canton

The town of Schwyz is in Schwyz canton in central Switzerland between the Alps in the south, Lake Lucerne to the west and Lake Zurich in the north. It is one of the founding cantons of Switzerland – Switzerland’s Standard German name, die Schweiz, is derived from the name of the canton and the flag of Switzerland from its coat of arms.  So a visit to Switzerland warrants a stop at Schwyz! We stopped at a cheese factory and saw the process of how different cheese was made and had fondue at their Restaurant.

Fondue at Schwyz

Schwyz and the area are famous for its cherry blossom and numerous cherry specialties Did you know Schwyz is where the famous Swiss army knives come from? So much so that the surrounding area near Schwyz is also known as “Swiss Knife Valley”. You can even make your own Victorinox Swiss Army Knives(by appointment) all by yourself in Brunnen under the guidance of one of the experts at the factory. 

A day trip to Schwyz, Switzerland - outsidesuburbia.com

Thanks to its central location, Schwyz is a good starting point for excursions to the most beautiful destinations of early Switzerland. There are two impressive summits immediately above Schwyz, the long-drawn-out ridge of the Rigi, known as the “Queen of Mountains” and the nearby mountain holiday resort of Stoos with the Fronalpstock. These are just two of the many mountain experiences available in the Schwyzer Alps region.

A day trip to Schwyz, Switzerland - outsidesuburbia.com

The best things to do in Schwyz to visit cherry schnaps distilleries, and cheese factories. We were more interested in the later and after the tour enjoyed our first every fondue!

A day trip to Schwyz, Switzerland - outsidesuburbia.com

Day trip to Mount Rigi

From there we continued our day trip to Mount Rigi. The Queen of mountains sits at 1,798 meters above sea level, within the canton of Schwyz. The Rigi Kulm and other areas, such as the resort of Rigi Kaltbad, are served by Europe’s oldest mountain railways, the Rigi Railways.

A day trip to Mount Rigi(Rigi Kulm)

The Rigi Bahn was the first mountain railway in Europe. The first train has operated since 1871 from Vitznau to Mount Rigi. On a stretch of 6975 meters the cog rail climbs an impressive altitude difference of 1300 meters.

A day trip to Mount Rigi, Switzerland - outsidesuburbia.com

How to get to Mount Rigi

There are a couple of choices to get to Mt. Rigi, the easiest way of getting to the mountain top is to take the cogwheel train from Vitznau or Arth-Goldau. If you want to experience different options, you can catch the cable car from Weggis to Rigi Kaltbad, where you have the connections with the cogwheel train to Rigi Kulm (Top of Mt. Rigi).

How to get to Mount Rigi

We took the cog rail to the Rigi Kulm. The train stops a few times along the way where you can get off and go hiking. We decided to sit back, relax and enjoy the ride up to Mount Rigi! We took the cogwheel train all the way up to the summit of Mount Rigi, the view from Rigi Kulm was just breathtaking.

You can find more details about Rigi Kulm here

How to get to Mount Rigi
How to get to Mount Rigi, Switzerland
Queen at the Queen of the Mountains 😉

Hiking in Mount Rigi

With more than 100 km hiking trails there are plenty of summer activities for walkers and hikers, even the little ones in Mount Rigi. Don’t miss a walk up to the summit where you can see Lake Lucerne, Lake Zug and Lake Lauerz.

View from Mount Rigi
View from Mount Rigi

Mount Rigi Tickets and Tours

Back to Lucerne

When it was time to go back, we took the gondola down. The kids loved Rigiland in Kaltbad, there was a large children’s playground, a mini-golf course, and picnic areas. We took a boat back to Lucerne with the breeze on our faces as the sunsets paint the sky and the lake.

Rigi Kaltbad to Weggis by cable car
Rigi Kaltbad to Weggis by cable car
Waiting for the boat back to Lucerne
Boat from Mount Rigi to Lucerne
Back to Lucerne with the breeze on our faces as the sunsets paint the sky and the lake

Have you been to visit any Cheese factories? We go quite often to the Cheesecake factory – the Restaurant ( 🙂 I know that doesn’t count! Ha ha!! Kids love cheesecake!! Its become a tradition to celebrate D’s birthday there with a cheesecake…

You might also like: A perfect day in Lucerne and Mt. Pilatus and A trip to the Top of Europe

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