Mountain of Riga


One of the most popular tourist attractions in Switzerland is the mountain of Riga, which rises between the Zug and Lucerne lakes, in the heart of the country. Its height is 1798 meters above sea level, and the ascent to the mountain of Riga is the most popular tourist route in the country. From the top of the mountain a truly breathtaking view opens: from here you can see the Alps , the Swiss plateau and 13 lakes. It is thanks to this panorama that Riga in Switzerland is called the "Queen of the Mountains". It is not without reason that Mark Twain devoted an entire chapter to the ascent of this mountain in the book "The Hobo Abroad"!

What can you do on the mountain of Riga?

Firstly - of course, walk on foot: several walking routes with a total length of 100 km are laid across Riga, and there are routes for both summer and winter hiking. One of the best hiking trails runs along the former Vitznau-Rigi railroad tracks. It comes to a ramification, and then descends to the viewing platform Chänzeli, which is at an altitude of 1464 meters and which offers a picturesque view of Lake Lucerne. From the site the route runs down to the village of Kaltbad.

In winter, you can go skiing in Riga (there are several ski runs of different levels here) or on sleds. The sledge runs from the station Rigi Kulm, which is located at an altitude of 1600 m. And after walking or skiing or sledging, you can relax in one of the many restaurants of Swiss cuisine . And if you are too lazy to come back - then you can stop at one of the 13 hotels on the mountain.

How to get to the mountain of Riga?

From Lucerne to Riga, you can get there like that: get to the town of Vitznau, located by its foot, by the ship, and then go up the railway by the red train of the cog railway. It will take such a journey about an hour and a half, and by train you will travel about 40 minutes. The first red train leaves at 9-00, the last one at 16-00, and in the opposite direction - at 10-00 and 17-00, respectively. The length of the railway line is almost 7 km, and the train overcomes the height difference of 1313 meters. The first train departed from here in 1871 - this was the first mountain train in Europe.

You can get here and from Arth-Goldau - by blue train (the journey will also take about 40 minutes). This train departed from here in 1875. From Arth-Goldau trains run from 8-00 and up to 18-00, and in the opposite direction - from 9-00 to 19-00. The length of this branch is just over 8.5 km, and the height difference between the end points is 1234 m. Initially, the companies that owned these railway branches competed, but in 1990 they began to cooperate and then merged into one company - Rigi- Bahnen.

If you visit Switzerland in the period from July to October, then it is better to go to Riga on Saturday or Sunday - these days on both routes ride retro-locomotives, and passengers are serviced by conductors, dressed in authentic costumes of the XIX century. You can also ride a panoramic cable car from Weggis, located on the shore of Lake Lucerne, to the station Rigi Kulm.