It's time to hike the Swiss Alps for my very own mountain moment. Come along as we visit Mount Rigi aka 'the Queen of the Mountains" and bask in the Alpine sunshine and high altitude. See the views from Mt Rigi and find out what is on offer to eat while visiting Mount Rigi!
The trip to Rigi starts from Lucerne Luzern Bahnhofquai (quay) right opposite the train station where I board the boat for Mt Rigi. The boat glides passed incredible scenery. Switzerland is so beautiful that it often feels surreal and like you're living in a postcard. We alight at Vitznau and climb onto the cog wheel train. These are designed to climb the steep slopes of the Swiss Alps and use the Riggenbach toothed rack rail as well as standard rails to cater for the steep 25% gradient.
The journey up the mountain takes around 30 minutes and stops at various points. We pass houses perched precariously on steep hills. Meadows of dandelions and wildflowers blanket the mountains and at the angle that the train is ascending, the tall trees look as though they are rooted in the sky.
If you want to do more advanced hiking you can alight at the lower stops like Rigi Kaltbad-First. I am headed to Rigi Kulm (meaning hilltop) which is where most people alight. Rigi Kulm is located at 1,797m/5896 feet altitude and boasts 360 degree panoramic views of the snow covered peaks, the Swiss plateau and the 13 lakes below. In the far distance on a clear day you can see France's Vosges Mountains and Germany's Black Forest.
Although it is Monday it is still very busy with visitors trying to capture the shot that will inevitably fail to reproduce the visual beauty from Mount Rigi so it's best to just drink it all in and explore all of the walking paths of which there are many. There are picnic tables and benches at strategically placed views all along the hiking track.
People of all ages and backgrounds enjoy the space. Some unfurl packed lunches and enjoy them while enjoying at the view. Others bring walking sticks to aid them. I hike up to the tower and then back down the hill to Rigi Staffel for lunch at Restaurant Lok 7. Admittedly hike is probably an overstatement although you do need sneakers. It's more a leisurely 25 minute walk down a hill.
I can hear the sound of cowbells clanging in the near distance. Cows in Switzerland have these cowbells not just as fashion, but for practical reasons too - each cowbell makes a distinct sound which helps the farmer identify which cows are theirs and the bells help them to locate the cows who may be grazing at a distance and out of view.
The indoor section at Lok 7 is nice but since we have been blessed with a beautifully sunny day I head to the large terrace area. The menu has everything from fish and chips to Swiss style mac and cheese, Rigi sausage or hash browns (rosti) with melted raclette cheese. It's hearty food meant for a repast after hiking but there are also healthy options with a few salads.
This Alpine restaurant is known for their Cordon Bleus and there are three different ones on offer. Two are veal and one is pork. I go for the Franz Toni named after Alpine herdsman and farmer Franz-Toni Kennel who produces up to 12,000 kilograms of cheese every summer. This veal Cordon Bleu has his Chäserenholz Farm Alpine cheese and ham although I also like the sound of the one with sun dried tomatoes and feta too. The Cordon Bleu is made with hyper local ingredients from Rigi. The restaurant manager points in one direction and says, "We get our Alpine cheese from just over the hill and we get our eggs from there and our ham from there."
Alpine Cheese is different from Mountain Cheese as it is produced and made entirely in the Swiss Alps while mountain cheese can be made in the valley from Alpine milk. Well known examples of Alpine cheese are Gruyère, Emmenthal and Comté. While the Cordon Bleu isn't a cheap eat, it is probably one of the best Cordon Bleus I've ever eaten with so much cheese and ham inside that every time you cut into it, more cheese spills out. It comes with carrots, zucchini, eggplant, green beans wrapped in bacon and a big serve of piping hot chips. The serving is enormous and generous enough for two.
I finish my trip to Rigi on a sweet note with a hot chocolate with whipped cream before descending back down to earth.
So tell me Dear Reader, have you ever been to the Swiss Alps? Is there a place you've been to that you haven't been able to capture its beauty?
NQN was a guest of Tourism Switzerland but all opinions remain her own.
Restaurant Lok 7
Staffelweg, 6410 Rigi Staffel, Switzerland
Phone: +41 41 399 87 22
Open 7 days 9am-4pm
Reader Comments
Loading comments...Add Comment