Mount Pilatus
Home Of The World'S Steepest Cogwheel Railway (Gradient Up To 48 Percent), Opened In 1889. The Pilatus Kulm Viewing Terraces And Hiking Trails Look Across Lake Lucerne And The Alps. The Golden Round Trip Combines A Lake Boat, The Cog Railway And The Gondolas From Lucerne. · Alpnachstad, Obwalden
Pilatus is Lucerne's own mountain, a jagged ridge rising to 2,132 m above the lake, and the place most visitors choose when they want an alpine view in one day without leaving the city. The Pilatus Railway from Alpnachstad, opened in 1889, is the steepest cogwheel railway in the world, with a gradient of up to 48 percent, and climbs to the summit area, Pilatus Kulm, in about 30 minutes. Most people ride the Golden Round Trip: a boat across Lake Lucerne, the cog railway up, then the Dragon Ride cableway and gondola down to Kriens and a bus back. The summit has terraces, two hotels, short trails and legends of dragons and the ghost of Pontius Pilate. The honest picture is a premium price and a full day, and cloud often hides the view, so check the webcam first. When fog fills the valley below, the sea of cloud under a clear summit is superb. Winter brings a quieter mountain, reached by cable car only, and the walking is best from June, when the snow has left the paths. Book a clear day and start early, because the afternoon crowds and the cloud both arrive together.
Mountain of 2,132 m above Lucerne, reached by the Pilatus Railway from Alpnachstad, the aerial cableway from Kriens or boats and the Golden Round Trip, Alpnachstad, Obwalden, Switzerland
The cog railway runs roughly from mid-May to November, daily, with the first and last trains set by season. In winter the mountain is served by the cable cars only and the cog railway is CLOSED. Ropeway and Fun Park hours change by month, and lifts stop in high wind, so confirm on the day.