Up and Down Mount Pilatus, Lucerne, Switzerland

A Dragon Ride Gondola on Pilatus Kulm, Switzerland.

Pilatus Gondola
You could hike up Mount Pilatus – but the cogwheel train or the Dragon Ride Gondola will get you to the top much faster! Plus, they leave you with breath to explore the area on the 2073 m (6802 ft) Pilatus Kulm.

Switzerland truly has a magical landscape.

And, thanks to a wonderful train system, it’s accessible.

We were staying with friends near Zurich (eg: Swiss Apples and National Day and Lines and Patterns). Thanks to their local knowledge, and their recommendation that we pre-purchase Swiss Travel Passes, we had easy access to daily adventures. Mid-summer, we made a day trip to Lucerne (see: Postcards from Lucerne) and nearby Mount Pilatus, the massif overlooking the city.

Part of a longer range in the Swiss Alps, Mount Pilatus itself is composed of several peaks – the highest of which is Tomlishorn (2,128.5 m – 6,983 ft). Some say the name ‘Pilatus’ came about because Pontius Pilate was buried there – but other mountains make the same claim. Others say it is so named because it looks like the belly of Pilate, lying on his back. The more like story is that the name is derived from “pileatus” (“capped” in Latin), and refers to the clouds that often collect at the top the mountain. It was certainly cloudy the day we visited: obscuring our ability to see upward and over the surrounding peaks, but not diminishing views of the town, lake and valley below.

Like many other summer tourists, we started and finished in Lucerne, taking the cogwheel train up from the designated station at Alpnachstad, and the aerial cableway back down to Kriens. On the hill top (Kulm), we enjoyed the views from the observation deck, lunched outdoors among the mountaintops and crows, and went for a walk in the hanging cloud.

Join me for a visit up Mount Pilatus:

Countryside
Everything in Switzerland is easily accessible by train – and the views are lovely.

Lake Lucerne and Pilatus from the Train

Signposts on the Rail Line

Pilatus Cog Rail Car
At the Alpnachstad PB railway station, the lower terminus of the Pilatus Railway, we watch the cogwheel railcars climb and descend.

In the Queue
It’s a busy summer day, and we have a long wait in the sun for rail tickets.

Child in the Shadows

Over the Valley
Soon it is our turn to enter a railcar, and rise high over the valley around Alpnach.

The Railway Rack
This is the steepest rack railway in the world, with a maximum gradient of 48% and an average gradient of 35%.

Above Lake Alpnach
The lakes and the valley come into view far below as we climb.

Passengers in a Cable Car
Higher up, we pass another car on its way back down the mountain; …

Down the Hill
… and the rack stretches out behind us as we climb.

Pilatus Peaks
The peak of the mountain is steep and jagged …

Down the Valley
… and the valley, meadows, and other peaks stretch out below.

Hotel Pilatus-Kulm
Built in 1890 and completely renovated in 2010, the historic Berghotel Pilatus-Kulm stands at top of our journey.

On the Observation Deck

Hang Glider
Pilatus is a mecca for outdoor activities of all time.

Sneak Peak
Clouds roll in around us – but the occasional snow-covered peaks sneak through.

On the Hill
We took ourselves out for a walk up the mountainside.

Barbed Wire
Part of the mountaintop is home to part of the Swiss radar system used for military and civil aviation. These areas are not open to the public.