Lucerne, Switzerland- Day 14

Wednesday, September 5, 2018

Since we arrived in Basel, Switzerland, last night, we were able to disembark the boat early.

We left the boat at 9 am and took a 20 minute cab ride to the train station. Since we already had our tickets, it was easy to find our 10:00 train to Lucerne, with enough time for a cappuccino before boarding.

We arrived around 11 and were pleasantly surprised that our room at the Renaissance Hotel was ready. Great room overlooking the street and only 2 blocks from the station.

We took a deep breath and headed out to catch our 1:00 tour of the Lake Lucerne area which I had booked through Viator. We picked up sandwiches and ate them on the dock.

We had a perfect day for our "Independent Mt. Rigi Tour." First we boarded an old paddle wheel steamer, one of five that plies the lake, and sat in the top deck. 

Viewing the homes, resorts, and villages along the lake was a real treat. 

As the boat approached Mt. Rigi, you could also see mountain ranges in the distance. 

You can see Mt. Rigi because there is a tower on top (peak on left).

After about an hour, our boat landed at Vitznau. Right near the boat dock we boarded a very crowded cog wheel train that chugged its way up to the 5,859 ft. summit in about 30 minutes. We were surprised that it stops along the way to pick up or drop off people at mountain resorts. Didn't see any other way to get there.

When we arrived at the top, we were treated to spectacular views. Can't believe what a clear day we had. We took photos on one side where we had mountain views. 

On the other are views of Lake Lucerne, which is huge, and the many villages and cities that dot the coast line. 

You can't really see Lucerne from the summit. It is at the far end of the right arm of the Lake in this photo.

I did walk to the tower but did not walk up (one can). 

The views were pretty much the same, although you could see the back side of the mountain. 

We stayed for about an hour and had ice cream, although there is a hotel and a restaurant on top. Must be difficult to get supplies there.

Then we took the cog wheel train down 3 stops where we got off and caught a cable car the rest of the way down the mountain. 

It ended up in Weggis where we caught a similar boat back to Lucerne and caught some more views of the shoreline.

Tonight we walked to the old town and had dinner at Taube Restaurant (yellow awning on left in photo below) and were seated along the Reuss River. To control the flow of the river, there is a small dam which makes the sound of a waterfall. Very lovely. We split a pork schnitzel because the portions here are huge. Lovely walk back along the river to our hotel.