Mount Bürgenstock: Resort for the Exclusive Clientele since 1883

Sunday November 11, 2018-- Still mild enough here for a lovely and almost too warm mountain hike! We stayed close to home again because I slept late (very rarely does that happen!) and did another piece of "Trail no.98: Waldstätterweg around Lake Lucerne"

We took a bus up to the recently-completed luxury hotels on the top of Mount Bürgenstock, a prominent smaller mountain just a stone's throw from the city of Lucerne, and walked down to the Lake at Stansstad. The trail was steep and slippery from rain the day before so we had to tread carefully, but we were thrilled that mid-November still offered us the possibility of a hike in the mountains accompanied by the sounds of cowbells and spectacular lake views, and most of all such mild weather that we can walk in short-sleeved shirts!

So close to home and yet the only other time I was on this mountain was when I was 8 years old and visiting my Grandpa together with my siblings and Mom. At that time so long ago we walked the 2-km cliff walk and rode the vertical elevator right to the highest point (Hammetschwand) -- something I want to repeat in the summer some time, as the elevator is now closed for the season and the cliffwalk is in shadow. Back in the very early 1900's, the owner of the Palace Hotel built up here for an exclusive clientele decided to offer them a walking opportunity along the North side of the mountain, so he had the trail blasted out of the mountainside, and then built the almost free-standing lift to take the clientele up another 150m to the highest point in the city of Lucerne. Back in 1905 this created a world-wide sensation, and is still the highest outdoor lift in Europe. I'm looking forward to visiting it.

In the meantime, a brand new and more modern hotels and spas offer equally exclusive clientele rooms for over 1000 SFr. per night, and transport with a funicular (built in 1888 and the oldest electric funicular in Switzerland) from the lake on the North side for a mere 25 SFr. for a 3-minute ride... Lucky for us, we can take the cheap bus up from the other side!

UPDATE 2019: We did come back in June 2019 to walk the cliff trail, although unfortunately half of it was closed due to danger of rock slides, but we rode the Hammetschwand Lift and continued the hike from the top. Here is the link to that album: Cliff Trail Bürgenstock

From Mount Bürgenstock the view North is directly to Mount Rigi, and at the back in the bay the town of Küssnacht where my grandfather lived.

The Palace Hotel was the third hotel on Mount Bürgenstock, opened in 1903 and catered to an exclusive clientele (electricity, private bathrooms, central heating). Behind it on the cliff face, the hotel owner built the cliffwalk and vertical lift to the top of Hammetschwand.

Bürgenstock Hotel and Resort, newly completed and also for exclusive clientele!

Directly below on the North shore is the funicular station. The catamaran brings guests from Lucerne

And the funicular arrives into the hotel building. This funicular is the oldest electric railway in Switzerland, but the wagons have been renovated.

Panorama View to the North: The bay with Luzern on the left, the Küssnacht arm of lake Lucerne in the middle, Mount Rigi on the right

Newly finished hotel

In the background Mount Rigi

Below is Kehrsiten on the lake; in the back is Luzern

Heading up along the slippery trail to the West, before descending to Stansstad

This was our picnic spot with table and spectacular view....

...and just around the corner we finally hit the sunshine. It was almost too warm!!

Heading down toward Stansstad

There was some wood-cutting going on along this stretch, but not on Sunday. We had to go carefully, climb over many felled trees, and the trail with its leaves and recent rain was slippery

Lovely colours in the forests and lots of sunshine on this mid-November day

And finally, late afternoon lighting over Lake Alpnachersee and Lake Lucerne, with the mighty Mount Pilatus in the background. Our goal is Stansstad on the isthmus below.

In Fürigen on the hillside here used to be a very large hotel with its own funicular, both no longer in use since approx. 2005

So pleasant to still have the cows in the meadows at this time of year, and to enjoy the sound of the cow bells

After a long section through a forested ravine, we got down to the lake, already in afternoon shadow. Unfortunately the tower is on private property and not accessible

From here we can see the peak where we walked along the cliff (picnic spot), made our way through the forest to Fürigen, and down to lake level through a ravine off photo to the right. 

On the way back to Lucerne by train, this (unfortunately) blurred photo shows the Bürgenstock ridge and how we walked from the hotels on the left to the high point in the center, and down through Führingen, the village on the clearing.

This walk took us a little over three hours, including sauntering through the hotel gift shop and very careful treading through the forest. Normally would take about 2.5 hours.