Mount. Rigi, Switzerland -山的女王 — Journey of Our Dreams (追梦)

May 22, 2022

We were going to explore The Queen of the Mountains – Mt. Rigi today. The route started with a ferry ride from Lucerne to Vitznau on Lake Lucerne. The ferry terminal is near the train station, which is not too far away from the apartment. We got there just in time when the ferry was about to leave. With a Swiss Travel Pass, the ferry ride is free of charge. The paddle steamer was powered by a 1901 Sulzer two-cylinder engine, located in the midship and open for public view. It is the oldest paddle steamer in Switzerland. Four of us sat on the port side of the boat and enjoyed the scenic view of Lake Lucerne under the perfect weather as the vessel was slowly paddling away from the city. It was more like a scenery cruise than a ferry ride.

After one-hour ferry ride to Vitznau, we walked a short distance to Rigi Cogwheel Railway Station. Opened in 1871, the Vitznau – Rigi Kulm cogwheel railway is Europe's first mountain railway. The view of Lake Lucerne and the Alpes was breathtaking along the rail. And it was free with a Swiss Travel Pass too. After 45 mins train ride, we had made it to the top. We wandered at the summit and enjoyed the gorgeous view and pleasant weather. At the summit, a rock was engraved with the name of a famous mountain in China - 峨眉山. We wondered if the stone came from China or just a tourism marketing scheme to attract tourists from mainland China. After a short coffee break at the restaurant, we started heading down to Rigi First.

Hiking to Rigi First was one of the best hiking we have had. Yellow wildflowers are everywhere over the Alpes slope. We wandered down the trail accompanied by the sound of cow bells with spectacular views in every direction. It was the best classic Swiss experience in the Alpes. We couldn't ask for more. As we were closer to Rigi First, we stopped by a little old hut serving drinks and snacks. We even went inside the kitchen and got some homemade Swiss Cheese.

In Rigi First, we adventured on a rock path carved into the mountainside overlooking the mountains. The rock path is less than 1km long, and several benches are along the trail. Little tired, we sat down on the benches and tasted local Swiss cheese. It was delicious. Our original plan was to catch the cable ride down at Scheidegg. However, we couldn't confirm whether the cable car was open or not in the early summer season, so we decided to continue the hike to the Rigi-Klosterli Station to catch the blue Goldau-Rigi Kulm Cogwheel train to Arth-Goldau. Over there, we hopped on the train back to Lucerne. In total, we hiked more than 10 miles today. Everyone was tired but had a great time. It was an excellent start for our Europe trip. With perfect weather, beautiful places, and good friends, it was a memorable nine-hour day trip.

After dinner, we returned to the old town area and enjoyed the excellent lake view. The famous Lion Monument was not too far away, so we walked there. The sculpture of the wounded lion was beautiful.