Winter Wonderland on Mount Rigi

Saturday January 16th --  Mount Rigi has rightly earned its nickname of „Queen of the Mountains“ not least for its accessibility (via cogwheel trains and cable cars), but mostly for its versatility in terms of activities for the entire family, both summer and winter…. And of course for the 360° views stretching wide over Lake Lucerne and across the Alps of Central Switzerland in the South, to the Alpstein Massif in the East and all the way to Germany in the North and the Jura and France in the West. It's no wonder tourists from all over the world flock here in summer and in winter.

The Rigi Panorama Trail is a 7 km prepared trail which runs along the former railway line from Rigi Kaltbad to Rigi Scheidegg (in operation from 1874 to 1931 mainly to transport vacation guests from the Rigi Kaltbad Station to a hotel at Rigi Scheidegg.) It is an easy walk along a mostly level and wide path skirted by cross-country ski grooves, and when conditions are right, the snow crunches underfoot and the sun sparkles off the trees.

When we come up here to walk this stretch, which we have done several times as we can get up here in about one hour from home -- in fact, we can almost see our home when we stand on the summit of Rigi Kulm -- we like to lunch at a family-run Gasthof in Rigi Unterstetten where they serve hearty and well-priced meals.

Since this day was particularly beautiful and the air so clear, and since it was only a two-hour walk, we decided to also take the train up to the summit to enjoy those 360° views and finished off with another 20-minute walk down to the next railway station: Rigi Staffel, before heading down to Arth Goldau with the Rigi cogwheel train.

From my bedroom balcony I get a view across Lake Zug to Mount Rigi, that's how close we are to the "Queen of the Mountains"

To get to the start of our hike, we go up with the new (Dec.2017) Rigi Scheidegg Cableway from the Rigi Kräbel station of the Goldau-Rigibahn line

Like in a picture book. This chapel is at the start of our hike at Rigi Scheidegg

At this time of morning (11 a.m.) there were still clouds in the East (this is looking southeast along the Uri Alps) but in the West, the weather was looking up!

Walking westward, clear blue skies and views all the way to the Bernese Alps, including the Eiger North Wall

Perfect cold sunny weather with crunchy snow underfoot. That is the distinctive Mount Pilatus in the background

Walking along the old Kaltbad-Scheidegg Railway line (dismantled 1930's)

The view kept changing from South to North. This is the view northwards along the top of Mount Zug and way across to Germany on the horizon

About half the trail was along North-side slopes, so we did have a lot of shade as well

But where the shade is, the snow remains longer on the trees... how pretty!

Arrived at the half-way point, Rigi Unterstetten, where the old railway bridge still remains, recently restored

A quickening of pace as we approach the restaurant at Rigi Unterstetten (and the smell of French Fries)

 

Lots of food and reasonably-priced. And we were lucky that on this Saturday the restaurant was not packed the way it was a year ago during Christmas week when we were last here

This is the view from the outdoor terrace at the Unterstetten Gasthof: Lake Lucerne ringed by Mount Bürgenstock, Mount Stanserhorn, and Mount Pilatus

Someone was lucky to obtain one of the old wagons from the defunct railway and converted it to a summer home here! (Or the ultimate trailer-park trailer)

In summer, this is a farm that serves small meals and refreshments

A peek through the hills to Lake Lauerzersee and Mount Mythen, and the part of the Rigi hills where we started our hike

Whether sunny or shady, the Winter Wonderland is indeed a wonder

These days you can get a horse-drawn carriage to transport you along the old railway line to the hotel in Rigi Scheidegg

Last stretch before our goal at the Rigi Kaltbad station

 

At Rigi Kaltbad there is a mineral spa where you can enjoy the spectacular views while relaxing in the warm pool

From Rigi Kaltbad we took a 10-minute train ride up to the summit station: Rigi Kulm. Very popular with tourists from all over the world

From Rigi Kulm summit you can see all across Lake Zug to the North (City of Zug at the North End, and our own Mountain Mount Zug to the East)

And to the West along the Küssnacht arm of Lake Lucerne, and the city of Lucerne at the base of Mount Pilatus (at the end of the other arm)

To the East the Glarus Alps, and below Lake Lauerzersee

The little blue Rigi-Arth-Goldau cogwheel train heading back down the mountain from this, the topmost stop at Kigi Kulm

 

We decided to walk another 20 minutes down to the next station at Rigi Staffel because of the views (there is actually a winter trail that takes you right back to Rigi Kaltbad as well)

An imposing sight: There was a helicopter practicing landings. I was glad I was on the trail up here and not down there!

A different version of the Rigi Railway, the shuttle-train for sledders, was just bringing its load of sleds up the hill for storage. This is the train we rode down the mountain in.

After ascending with the cable car from near Arth Goldau, we walked 7 km from Rigi Scheidegg to Rigi Kaltbald, then took the Vitznau-Rigi train up to Rigi Kulm, walked 20 minutes to the next station and took the Rigi-Goldau train back to Arth Goldau