Rigi Hike from the Gätterli Pass to Gersau, the Riviera of Central Switzerland

Tuesday September 1, 2026 -- Another beautiful day not to be wasted, because who knows how long this nice weather will last!

Living near Mount Rigi, we are aware that there are very many hiking trails all over that mountain which we have not yet walked along, and in particular there is a small bus which winds its way up the south side of the mountain from Gersau on Lake Lucerne to the base station of a cable-car called Gschwend-Burggeist (one we have yet to ride as well). I had long wanted to take that bus up the mountain and then walk back down, an easy hike of just two hours, but with nice views of the lake and the Nidwalden Alps.

So on the spur of the moment I caught a bus to Gersau and with the small bus winding up the hill, was at the starting point of my hike in less than an hour. First I walked up to the Gätterli Pass where we had been twice before, and from there headed all the way back down to lake level, through lovely forest and meadow paths, with wonderful views of the lake below, and enjoying the sounds of the cow bells. Back at the lake I had some time to sit on a bench and watch the cruise ship dock in Gersau, before I had to head there for the bus back home.

Interesting note, copied from this website: https://www.myswitzerland.com/en-ch/destinations/gersau/  "The resort of Gersau in the canton of Schwyz is a self-contained area in a hollow on the sunny, sheltered southern slopes of the Rigi. Until the 19th century, Gersau could only be reached by water or over the Gätterli Pass from Lauerz. From the 15th century until 1817, the secluded Gersau was a separate republic, measuring just 24 square kilometres, until the village – against its will at the time – was incorporated into the canton of Schwyz."

I caught a bus at 9:10 in Küssnacht for the 40-minute bus ride along the lake to the ship station in Gersau, where I would change to a smaller bus that heads up Mount Rigi along a winding road in the direction of Rigi Burggeist. (Unfortunately, the bus ride was very noisy, as a large class of school children had boarded one stop after mine!)

This is the small bus that heads up the mountain. This time there were only five of us in the small bus, so it was a quiet ride, with lots of views down to the lake! I had never taken this bus before, so this was a new experience as well. 

View down to the lake as the small bus heads up the mountain. The furthest mountain at the back on the right is Mt.Stanserhorn, and in front of that is Mt. Buchserhorn. 

View down over the town of Gersau as the small bus heads up the mountain! On the south side of the lake are the Nidwalden Alps, most prominent the Niderbauen peak. 

There is an interesting fact about this pyramid-shaped mountain. It has two names: "Gersauerstock" and "Vitznauerstock", as the two communities (Gersau on this side, and Vitznau on the others side) cannot agree on who the peak belongs to!

This is a map of the bus route up the mountain from Gersau on the lake to the Burggeist cable-car station at Gschwend. 

This is the base station of the Burggeist cable-car, one which we have yet to try out. This is the end of the line for the bus, and the starting point of my hike at 10:15. From here I first headed uphill to the Gätterli Pass, a 30-minute walk, before heading down the mountain along the themed trail called "Rigi-Scheidegg-Weg". 

PART II: Two-hour hike back down to Gersau via Gätterli Pass

Heading down directly from the bus stop would have been too short a hike, so I headed up on the 30-minute stretch to the Gätterli Pass (where we had passed through twice before), and from there it took another 90 minutes to get down to the lakeshore, where I then caught the 13:31 bus back to Küssnacht via Vitznau. 

Even though it was an uphill hike to the Gätterli Pass, it was a nice and cool forest trail. 

Out of the forest and along the paved road, this is a stretch we did the first time we had walked down from Rigi Scheidegg via the Gätterli Pass headed west on the very last day of 2016! (Photos HERE)

As is so often the case for me, the only cloud far and wide was hiding the sun right where I was walking!

I got to the restaurant at the Gätterli Pass at 10:45, exactly 30 minutes after starting. I took a 10-minute break here until finally the sun emerged from behind the clouds. A final photo and I headed off on my hike down the mountain.

It is just over 90 minutes to walk back down to Gersau from here. (The second time we passed via the Gätterli Pass was July 2021 when we also started at Rigi Scheidegg and walked eastward to another cable-car station called Timpel at Urmiberg). 

There was a very nice combination of forest and meadow trails heading down the mountain. 

Panorama view down this hillside, including the Gersauer-/Vitznauerstock peak. 

Trying to get a person on my photos! (With my tripod when I find a good spot to set it up!)

Down below, I am being observed closely.... 

....and also as I turn a corner!

Another look at the Gersauer-/Vitznauerstock. 

Easy and comfortable walk down through the farms on this south-facing hillside.

Passing several farmhouses. 

From a spot called Rotzingel I look up to the east to another Rigi peak called Hohflue, and a pass where there are more hiking trails which we haven't walked on yet!

Long sets of stairs make the hike more interesting. 

Now I've reached the outskirts of the town of Gersau at 12:50. 

I had a close look at this interesting rock: The information on the placard states that this is an original boulder from the north side of the Matterhorn, which they have brought here to display. The rock is allegedly 288 million years old!

(Near the lakeshore I later found another such stone, that one is from the Eiger North Face, this one about 145 million years old. There are apparently several other such stones scattered around the town). 

A detour through a residential district, heading to the town's church, of course!

A cute little house tucked in the shadow of a hillside.... 

This is the parish church of St.Marzellus, located next to the main road along the lakeshore. As is often the case, the church here has received many changes over the years: The first church was erected in at least 1179, and this final build is fromm 1807. 

Interior of the St.Marzellus Church in Gersau. 

Lots of light inside this church, and a very lovely organ. 

Details of the inside of the church. 

Final look at the building as I cross the road to sit on a bench next to the lakeshore. 

What my excursion looks like on Google Satellite Maps. First a small bus takes you up to Gschwend, where there is a cable-car up to Rigi Burggeist. Then I walked 30 minutes up to the Gätterli Pass, and then another 90 minutes back down to Gersau. 

PART III: Enjoying the Lakeside and the Bus Ride back Home

I sat on a lakeside bench for about 15 minutes before heading for the bus stop. I got to watch the passenger ship dock in Gersau.

An interesting "fountain" in the lake here! The water was a deep turquoise but the photo doesn't do it justice!

The ship docks in Gersau at 13:14.... 

...and then heads across the lake toward Beckenried on the south side of the lake. 

Heading to the bus stop (which is actually right at the boat dock) along the main street in Gersau. The bus leaves at 13:31.

The recognizable artwork in Gersau at the lake. 

A cool restaurant. 

The bus heads back toward Küssnacht along the lakeshore, which is a nice ride in itself (unless there are a lot of kids on the bus heading on a school outing, which was the case this day!)

The road along the north shore of Lake Lucerne. 

Out on the lake, another ship heads toward Weggis. The green hill you can see here is the eastward extension of Mt.Bürgenstock, which is known as "the Nose". 

This is the Hotel Vitznauerhof, in the town of Vitznau, where most of the tourists come by boat from Luzern to take the Cogwheel train up to Rigi Kaltbad. 

To the west is Mt. Bürgenstock and Mt. Pilatus whose summit is currently covered in clouds. 

And another ship heads eastward! It's busy on the lake this day. 

All the hikes we have done around Mount Rigi.