Luzerner Hinterland–Rigi
Overview
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Distance 40 km
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Ascent 520 m
Intro
A perspiring uphill pedal, wonderful views of the Vierwaldstättersee and Rigi mountain. Küssnacht was a harbour town on the old Gotthard route. A winding, lake-panorama stretch leads to mild Gersau with palms and chestnut trees, and on to Brunnen.
Description
«From Lucerne on to Wäggis,» according to the folk song by Johann Lüthi. The so-called Rigi song from 1832 describes a journey from Lucerne to Rigi-Kaltbad via Weggis. You can also go «on to Weggis» by bike, but first past the Museum of Transport and through the Meggerwald forest. This turns out to be a real gem. Scattered across the municipalities of Meggen, Adligenswil, Udligenswil and Küssnacht, there are a total of 29 nature reserves with water-impermeable hollows.
Where it goes up steeply, it usually goes down again, this time to Küssnacht am Rigi. People stroll along by Lake Lucerne. The Rigi, also called the Queen of the Mountains, is with you at all times. But she is also a queen of the mountain railways: the oldest mountain railway in Europe takes you from Arth-Goldau to Rigi-Kulm in just under an hour. The cog railway celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2021. The baroque Küssnacht parish church of St. Peter and Paul is even older. It was restored to its original style in the 18th century.
Through rural areas you finally go «on to Wäggis», often with a splendid view of the lake and mountains. In Weggis, a cable car takes you to Rigi-Kaltbad. A remarkable sight here is presented by the many palm trees, chestnut trees and orchids that endow the area with Mediterranean panache. It lies in a bulge of the lake, in the so-called Weggis basin. The climate here is extremely mild – Viva la Riviera!
The ride along by the lake is gentle and exhilarating. Road users with more horsepower know this too, which is why it can become quite loud here. The divers seem more cheerful and funnier: they waddle across the main road in black wetsuits towards the deep blue water. Ships dock in Vitznau and a car ferry sets off in Gersau towards Beckenried on the opposite side of the lake.
The panoramic route follows sparkling Lake Lucerne past mighty rocks and villas. Once you have finally crossed the Muota, you arrive in the «Belle Époque» era. The health resort of Brunnen was world-famous at that time. The view here is of the easternmost arm of Lake Uri as well as Bürgenstock and the Gotthard massif. You will usually see activity in the shape of day-trippers, convertibles, motorbikes, ships, bikes and hikers. Brunnen is located in the middle of William Tell’s homeland and after Lucerne, it is the second most important tourist resort on Lake Lucerne with its many arms.
An enjoyable tour includes the careful planning of the same. Please inform yourself in advance at the local information center about the route and weather conditions. Depending on the season and weather conditions, this route may be blocked or interrupted
| Start location |
Luzern
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|---|---|
| Destination |
Brunnen
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| Ascent |
520 m
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| Descent |
520 m
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| Distance |
40 km
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| Distance on tarred ways |
38 km
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| Distance on natural surface |
2 km
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| Physical requirements |
Medium
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| Theme |
Along Water
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Quick Facts
Route number
