MOUNT PILATUS
Steepest Cog Railway and Aerial Cable Car
Mount Pilatus is the mountain which
stands as a backdrop above Lucerne, Switzerland. A crown of crags capped
by snow in winter. The mountain
is both a symbol of the beautiful Swiss city on the lake as well as a
mountain playground. Mt. Pilatus takes its name from a curious legend,
that the body Pontius Pilate, who washed his hands of Jesus’ crucifixion,
was tossed into a frigid glacial lake somewhere on the mountain. Mt Pilatus
is a single mountain peak, standing alone with magnificent views of central
Switzerland, from the shores of the Lake Lucerne Riviera, to 73 peaks
of the Alps mountain range, from the Jungfrau to Mont Blanc.
There are
two ways to reach the top of Mt Pilatus. An aerial panoramic gondola
rises up the northern face of the mountain from Kriens, a suburb
of Lucerne, a ten minute city bus ride on Bus Line 1, from the main train
station. It requires two separate cable rides to reach the top, a small
4 person gondola from Kriens to Fräkmüntegg, and a larger 40
person cable tram car rising to the Pilatus summit. The other route is
from Alpnachstad on the southern side of the mountain on the shore of
Lake Lucerne on the Pliatus Bahn railway, the world’s steepest
cogwheel railway. This funicular rack railway climbs the steep slopes
from the green forests along the lake shores, up the rock strewn crag
cliffs, to Mount Pilatus summit station.
One of the most popular ways to visit Mt Pilatus is called the “Golden Round Trip”, taking the cog train up one side and aerial cable gondola down the other or vice versa. The Alpanachstad station is located along the main rail line between Lucerne and Interlaken, a 20 minute ride from Lucerne main station, or an hour by Lake Lucerne Ferry Boat. Taking the aerial cable up the mountain and rail down is a perhaps a little less crowded than the other way. Going the downward on the steep grade of the cog funicular toward the lake, offers a bit more sense of thrill.
The
Pilatus Railway was built in 1889, first operating with steam, then changed
to electrical operation in 1937. The railway’s symbol
is a red dragon, from legends of dragons reported as living in the mountain
caverns during the middle-ages. You’ll find the symbol everywhere
around the mountain as the hotels and services are all owned and operated
by the railway company. There are two hotels at the summit Mt. Pilatus
now joined by a brand new observation concourse. The original historic
Hotel
Pilatus-Kulm
was built in 1890, after the completion of the cog rail train and
hosted
Queen Victoria. The Hotel Bellevue with its circular shape of sleek
glass is an example of moderne Alpine chic, first opened in 1960.
The rooms
of the Pilatus-Kulm and the restaurant of the Bellevue have recently
undergone a new update a restoration. Special packages are available
for the hotels, including cable and rail up and down, dinner and breakfast.
Activities
on the top of Mt. Pilatus include the stunning views, in both directions.
A walkway around the peak through a tunnel called the Dragon
Walk cut in the rock, leads to a climbing path to nearby peaks. In summer,
halfway up the mountain at Frakmuntegg cable stop is the Seilpark Pilatus,
a rope adventure park offer zip-line runs and the summer tobbogan run
on a steel track, the Fräkigaudi. In winter, there is no skiing
on Mt Pilatus, but snow shoe hiking can be enjoyed from the Kreinseregg
cable car station.
The cable tram, able to skirt above the deep snows
of winter operates year round, while the Pilatus cog railway operates
from May to November.
The round trip to the top of Mount Pilatus is 65 CHF for adults, good
on either the cable or the railway. Tickets are half-price with a Swiss
Pass