Month: August 2025

Pilatus dominates the Vierwaldstättersee region, forming a massive and dramatic backdrop as you look south from Mt. Rigi or from the lake steamers as you travel back and forth to Luzern. We went up a few years ago via bus from Luzern and the Fräkmüntegg cable car, stopping off at the ropes course and alpine slide on the northern flank before heading up to the summit and eventually taking the Pilatusbahn cog railway (Steepest in the world!) back down to Alpnachstad to catch the train and boat back to Vitzau.

But despite all the hiking I’ve done in the region, before this season I had not made the climb of this looming peak, a hike that by all accounts was a classic. So, I set off in early July to make the attempt.

To reach the foot of Pilatus on the southern side, you take a train or boat from Luzern to Alpnachstad. On the day in question I set out from Vitznau, my route all planned out in the trusty SBB app: Bus to Küssnacht, Train to Luzern, another train to Alpnachstad. Easy peasy.

But on this day, there was a hiccup – the train from Küssnacht was cancelled. It’s a tribute to the dense and efficient Swiss transport network that the app immediately suggested an alternative that got me to Alpnachstad at the exact same time.

Once I got to Alpnachstad, it seemed like a good time to stop for an espresso, because, well, why not? I sipped my espresso while I contemplated the hike before me.

The hike itself, timed at about four hours by the trail sign, took me closer to five, but I took my time, enjoying the beautiful views and sunshine.

Bürgenstock is a few things: an island-like massif visible from many directions and mountains around Lake Lucerne; a relatively recently (2017) renovated luxury resort; a fantastic vantage point for the peaks surrounding it, from the Rigi to Pilatus to Stanserhorn and on.

On this day I took a boat to Kehrsiten, at the foot of the Bürgenstock funicular which, like the resort, was completely renovated over several years from 2014 to 2017. I decided to hike to the top, rather than taking the Hammetschwand lift and gravelly Felsenweg, and the views from the top were, as always, a delight.

In another change from the usual on this spot, I decided to go to Obermatt, a restaurant on the shore of Lake Lucerne, directly opposite Weggis, and in general reachable only by private boat or water taxi. But the trail map said there was a path, so that’s the route I took.

This turned out to be an hour or two of buggy, steamy, steep, slippery switchbacks, perhaps ultimately doing one time, but not again. The restaurant was quite nice and the Coupe Danemark came with a gravy boat of hot fudge. The hike from Obermatt back to Kehrsiten went along the very steep lakeshore, over talus and scree slopes with the occasional sign reading “danger, rockfall, keep moving”. It was another epic race to catch the scheduled boat, but I made it just in time.

Enjoy the photos and a video montage!