Mt.Pilatus or Rigi?
 

My family of 4 (2 daughters, age 20 and 22) will be in Luzern this month, and would like to visit either Mt. Pilatus or Rigi. Which would be more fun, and better views for us? We have been in the Rockies in Colorado often, but want to get a feel for the Swiss Alps. Please help!

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Hi Anna, I currently live in Luzern, and I would vote for Mt Pilatus. Granted I have not been to Rigi (i know, bad, bad, I have been here a year and haven't gone yet...). Whenever I have friends in town visiting, they have always wanted to go to Mt Pilatus over Rigi. Take note though, ticket prices to the top of Mt Pilatus round-trip costs almost 60CHF each though. Feedback from friends that have been to Rigi say that the views from Rigi are breathtaking as well as from Pilatus. They have also said that the hiking is better at Rigi.

I've done both and it is a toss-up. Pilatus is more rugged but very spectacular and Rigi is greener and has easier hiking. The advantage of Rigi is that you can see the 3 lakes (Zurichsee, Zugersee and Lake Lucerne??)and the towns on them, which I think is cool to see. Both have maps so you can tell which other peaks you are seeing.

The fun of Pilatus is to take the boat and then a cogwheel train to get up. Then a cable car and gondola to get down. Rigi is a cable car and train, although depending how you get to the town (Weggis?) you might be able to toss in the boat ride.

You can go wrong with either.

Tourists go up to Mt. Pilatus. Locals go up to Mt. Rigi. Mt. Pilatus, with its cogwheel train and views, is really breathtaking. I've even walked back down to Stansstaad, although that was many years ago.

The Rigi has lots of events and very good hiking. You feel like you are part of the alps with luscious green fields dotted with brown Swiss. There are even a few alphuts along some hiking paths where you can stop in and buy a nice cup of "alp" coffee. (Cafe Schnapps or Zwetchgen). You can also get a glass of mineral water.

Restaurant Unterstetten, located on the Rigi (between Rigi Kaltbad, Rigi Staffel and Rigi Scheidegg) have the best and biggest meringue desserts.

Take the boat from Lucerne to Vitznau, take the train up Rigi Kaltbad. Walk the Felsenweg to Rigi Staffel. Take the train up to Rigi Kulm and back to Rigi Kaltbad. Then take the gondola back down to Weggis and the ferry back to Lucerne.

There are lots of combinations to get up to Mt. Rigi, including a train from Arth-Goldau.

'Freeman', you stated you currently live in Lucerne... we will be there the first week of Sept and I have never been to that area. Can you give me advice on the weather, and other things we should not miss in that area? We are planning on spending 3 nights in Lucerne [driving]. We do plan on the roundtrip to Mt Pilatus. Is that an all-day trip?

Thank you for any tips you can give me.
Maxster

"Tourists go up to Mt. Pilatus. Locals go up to Mt. Rigi."

Interesting take, and probably very true. We had been up to Pilatus a couple times, but never went to Rigi until our most recent stay in the area (our fifth?). There's a reason more tourists would go to Pilatus. It is far more dramatic and breathtaking. But once there, it's really too rugged to do a lot. On the other hand the much more mild Rigi is a great place for a picnic and an all day hike.

The only way we'd ever have done Rigi is with the advice of family. It's lovely. If my goal was to hike, I'd pick Rigi, but Pilatus for sightseeing.

Locals go up Rigi and stay overnight in the hotel on the summit to see the sunrise.