View of Rigi from Lake Laeurz

Winter views from Rigi Kaltbad, looking down towards Lake Lucerne

Rigi is a mountain in Switzerland, about 1 hour south of Lucerne.

Understand

Less tall and impressive than Pilatus and Titlis, Rigi tends to be overlooked by visitors to the region, but "the Queen of the Mountains" is quite popular among locals for hiking in the summer and low-key winter sports. As a bonus, when the valleys below are enveloped by steely grey skies, Rigi is high enough to rise above the clouds into the sunshine.

The two primary points of interest are Rigi Kaltbad (1433 m), home to a natural spring turned spa, and Rigi Kulm, the highest peak on the mountain at 1797 m. A secondary peak, Rigi Scheidegg (1656 m), rises to the east of these. In winter, all three have Alpine, cross-country and sledge trails.

Get in

Rigi rises up from the "Lucerne Riviera" on the eastern coast of Lake Lucerne (Vierwaldstattersee), so the most scenic way to get in from or via Lucerne is by ferry, which run from Lucerne Bahnhofquai (right next to the train station) roughly hourly. There are two primary gateways:

• Ferry to Vitznau (1 hour), then boarding the Rigi Railway up to Rigi Kaltbad (15 min) or Rigi Kulm. While the ferry ride from Lucerne is about 20 min longer, the Vitznau ferry and rail stations are immediately next to each other and schedules are synchronized, making this the easier option.
• Ferry to Weggis (40 min), then walking about 15 min uphill to the Weggis-Rigi Kaltbad cable car (every 30 min).

Rigi Railways tickets are valid for both train and cable car, which makes going up by train and down by cable car a popular combo.

If coming in from Zurich, a faster but less scenic option is to take the train to Arth Goldau (37 min) and board the Rigi Railway to Rigi Kulm there. Change at Rigi Staffel for connections to Kaltbad.

Finally, from Küssnacht there is a cable car to Rigi Seebodenalp (1020m), which has a small ski resort but is not directly connected to any other facilities on the mountain.

Get around

Rigi Railways operates a spiderweb of rack railways and cable cars around the mountain. Opened in 1871, the Vitznau-Rigi railway was the first mountain rack railway in Europe, and climbing up to 1,752m, it's still the highest standard gauge railway in Europe as well. If you plan to do more than a simple round-trip, the day pass (Fr. 36) is probably your best option. Children under 15 travel free.

The former Rigi–Scheidegg Railway (6.7 km) is now a rail trail, which makes a great easy hiking trail in summer and a cross-country ski trail in winter.

See and do

• 1 Mineralbad & Spa Rigi Kaltbad (next to Weggis cable car terminal). Designed by Italian architect Mario Botta, the star attraction of this stark, modern spa complex is the heated outdoor pool with jaw-dropping views across Lake Lucerne and the mountains beyond. There is also a Turkish steam bath and a separate adults-only spa area with a "crystal bath" and a German-style nude herbal sauna. Day entry Fr 37/17 adults/children, towel rental Fr 5 (free with Lucerne Card). (updated Dec 2021)

• Gratalp ski area (next to Kaltbad station). Family-friendly ski area. (updated Dec 2021)

Eat and Drink

Don't miss out on Rigi Gold, üses Bärgbier ("our mountain beer"), an unusually tasty lager brewed with local spring water.

Rigi Kaltbad

• 1 Gratalp-Stübli (5 min uphill from Kaltbad station). Traditional Swiss food in a tiny little cabin packed full of kitsch, with a large outdoor terrace perfect for sunny winter days. Try the croûte au fromage, a Swiss twist on the toasted cheese sandwich, with the bread soaked in white wine. (updated Dec 2021)

• Rigi Dorfladen (next to Kaltbad Hotel). On sunny days, Kaltbad's tiny but friendly little grocery store sets up a grill outside, serving up the holy trinity of Bratwurst, Brot und Bier. Fr 7.90 for a big sausage and a thick slice of rye bread, Fr 5 for Rigi beer. They can also prepare picnic baskets by request. (updated Dec 2021)

• Alpina.
• Rigi Kaltbad hotel.

Sleep

• Rigi Kaltbad hotel