Mt. Rigi, Swiss Cows and Dinner on Lake Lucerne

When you set out to visit Switzerland, you think first of the Alps--the mountains. (Well, maybe chocolate. Cheese. Swiss Army knives.) Since arriving in Lucerne, we had taken every opportunity to stand on our hotel balcony and look at the mountains: Mt. Pilatus to our right, and Mt. Rigi on our left. We took endless pictures of the mountains.

Mt. Pilatus

Today, we would visit Mt. Rigi and finally get "up close and personal" with a Swiss mountain. Finishing our lunch on the Ruess, we walk to the train station, and take a train to Arth-Goldau, and then transfer to the Rigi Bahn, the oldest cog railway in Europe (1871). Stopping just short of the top, we get off the train to take an easy hike through the fields and countryside before re-connecting with a separate line going down the backside of the mountain, taking us along a different route and to Vitznau on Lake Lucerne.




The center "rail" is for the cog on the
 railcars which prevents gravity from taking over on the steep climb and descent.

We start our hike

The weather was perfect. Clear, warm but not hot. The view was everything we'd imagined. As the path wound around, we heard them before we saw them: The cow bells! 

As Swiss dairy farmers send their cattle up to higher pastures in the summer, they use the bells to help keep track of the cows. But they are also symbolic. In Alpine cow culture, the best cows get the biggest, most impressive bells. Some of the bells are enormous! And the gentle sound of 15 or 20 bells all ringing in harmony has to be heard to be appreciated. We will never forget it.

Along our walk, we came to a field where we were able to come very close to the cows, and take these photos and video. We concluded that this must be "the most famous cow in the world" as she has ended up in thousands of tourists' photo albums! She seemed quite content to let us add her to ours too!

Of course, we brought home a souvenir cow bell to remind us of the beautiful music made by Swiss cows!

After our leisurely hike, we came to the train station where we would ride the cog railway back down Mt. Rigi on our way to the lakeside and Vitznau. While we waited for the train, we had the chance to visit a lovely little chapel tucked into a grotto in the rock. The spring outside the entrance is said to have healing powers.

We caught our first glimpse of para-gliders soaring and drifting in the updrafts. David was ready to sign up; Peggy wasn't so sure! You will see them more clearly in the embedded video below.

In Vitznau, we were able to see the cars on the roundhouse turntable getting ready to turn around and head back up the mountain.

But it was time now to board a paddlewheel boat to return to Lucerne. The boat, which is actually a side-wheeler, is over 100 years old and well maintained. We enjoyed our catered dinner of fresh fish and salad aboard and had time to see the other activity on Lake Lucerne as we made our way back to downtown.

It had been a LONG day, and we had now only to grab the bus, and then take our "easy walk--10 minutes--no problem" up the switchback hill to Hotel Royal.

We had to pack up and get ready for our first transfer, as we were headed to Interlaken the next morning!

Today's trip: Lucerne to Mt. Rigi to Vitznau and then across the lake back to Lucerne.

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Our Tour Begins...

The hardest part of any trip is getting there or getting back. Connections, unruly children (I do love kids and "been there done that.") and equipment breakdowns can set the tone for a miserable vacation if you let it.

Our honeymoon started out great until the gremlin gnome caught up with us. He's the one with the black hat you never see in the ads. Thunderstorms in the area; mechanical problems (twice) with the aircraft left us sitting in our plane for almost four hours on the ramp at Dulles in Washington, D.C. Nonetheless, we finally got underway and were movie-d to death on a lengthy flight across the ocean.

Switzerland was a refreshing contrast! Clean, neat, efficient and signs in at least three languages. We followed those signs to an inter-terminal train, cleared passport control and emerged to find Rauati, one of our Road Scholar leaders, holding up a recognition sign of welcome. Assembled with others arriving from different locations, we had our first introduction to our companions and . . .  The Duck.

Perched atop a small umbrella, the duck led us across the way to our train and first day's destination. Zurich to Lucerne. As we noted throughout our trip, public transportation was the order of the day and literally the best way to get around this beautiful country. 

A short note about Swiss public transportation. When your train or bus is scheduled to depart at 12:01, it leaves at 12:01! Missed your train? Don't worry; another one will be along shortly. Just look up at the convenient sign that tells you exactly how many minutes to the next one (and all the others serving that stop/station) including the end destination. When on the train, look at the automated sign that shows your location, the next stop, and the time to the next destination. Why didn't they think of that back home?

When we got to Lucerne, we first heard the phrase that would become the subtitle for our whole trip: 

"It's just a short walk--10 minutes--to the hotel. A little uphill. No problem." 

We found out that there are two directions in Switzerland but the vast majority of them are "up." 

The Hotel Royal

On arrival at the Hotel Royal, we were given our rooms and had a light lunch. More about cuisine (one of David's favorite pastimes - cooking and eating) a bit later. The afternoon was for unpacking and relaxing before a welcome drink and evening dinner and orientation.

A paddle boat on Lake Lucerne

Lucerne, Switzerland's "Sleeping Beauty" came together in 1291 AD and still functions with buildings that stand from the early 1600's. It sits astride a lake with swans and shuttle boats (part of the Swiss transportation system) fed by the river Reuss with a breathtaking backdrop of the snowcapped peaks of Mt. Rigi and Mt. Pilatus. 

Lucerne's Chapel Bridge

The old city, marked by the Kapellbrücke or Chapel Bridge, blends in with a most modern and thriving metropolis that is as clean and fresh as the mountain air we are breathing. Shops with names of international fashion moguls mix with quaint little bakery and chocolate stores where tantalizing aromas assail our taste buds and beckon us with assortments of gastronomic delights.

The view from the hotel was breathtaking. Someone was watching over us--our weather was gorgeous throughout the trip! Beautiful bright skies and pleasant temperatures enhanced our senses, often taking our breath away as we rounded a curve or crossed a bridge or entered a plaza. 

During dinner, we met the others on the trip, and got a preview of our upcoming itinerary.

Starting with the evening meal, we were introduced to the Swiss healthy lifestyle; salads with light dressing, moderate portions, slices of bread (butter is only served at breakfast) and light desserts of fruit or flan or small portions of ice cream adorned with the Swiss flag symbol. Kaffe here is dark, aromatic and usually taken black or with cream. More often than not, a demitasse of espresso replaces the "cup of Joe" afforded in American diners and restaurants.

Fresh mountain air wafting through open balcony doors and comfortable down filled duvets on our beds lulled us to sleep anticipating fifteen days packed with wondrous sights, sounds, and memories.

Today: Zurich to Lucerne

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