After the Luzern Marathon: Rigi

The Route: Lucerne → Vitznau → Rigi Kulm → Lucerne Logistics: A lake boat or train to Vitznau, then the cogwheel railway up. The same route back the next day. Marathon Month: October Duration: 1 night

Lucerne ──(boat or train to Vitznau)──> Vitznau ──(cogwheel railway)──> Rigi Kulm
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Lucerne ◄──(cogwheel railway, boat or train)──────────────────────────────────┘

The SwissCityMarathon finishes at the Verkehrshaus on the shore of Lake Lucerne, and the Rigi rises on the far side of the water. It is the easiest mountain overnight from the finish because you ride the whole way up. The Vitznau–Rigi railway opened in 1871 and is described as the first mountain railway in Europe. A second line runs up from Arth-Goldau on the northern side.

October on the Rigi: autumn is the season of the sea of fog. Cloud often fills the valleys for days while the summit stays clear, so you can ride out of grey into sun. The reverse also happens, and a week of cloud is possible. Check the weather and webcams for Rigi Kulm before you commit. Rigi publishes its autumn and winter timetables and its maintenance calendar at rigi.ch; the cableway has had November maintenance in recent years. Check which services run on your dates, how luggage is handled and whether your hotel has a closure in the same weeks.

Allow a half-day for the transfer. The lake steamers run to a reduced autumn timetable, and the train to Vitznau involves a change. Check the operators' sites instead of relying on a single timing.

Night One: Rigi

The recovery asset on the mountain is the level path at Rigi Kaltbad, the mid-station terrace at about 1,440 metres. A short, mostly flat panorama path leads from the station to a viewpoint called Känzeli, which takes a gentle 15 to 20 minutes. It is the right distance for legs that ran 42 kilometres the day before. The surface is path rather than road, with some root and stone, and the gradient is slight. The Bad Rigi Kaltbad spa pool, designed by Mario Botta, is an option for the afternoon; check its opening times and prices.

Rigi Kulm itself, at 1,797 metres, has a hotel and a viewing platform a few minutes from the station. Hotel Rigi Kulm has stood at the summit since the nineteenth century, and the sunrise from its terrace is the reason to stay up there. Check availability and the hotel's October opening dates. In Vitznau, the Park Hotel Vitznau sits on the water by the lower station. Either way, confirm the cancellation terms because weather can change the plan.

Mountain restaurants serve rösti, cheese dishes and soups, which are what you want after a day of fresh air. Ask what is in season.

Getting Home

Take the railway down in the morning and the boat or train back to Lucerne. For Zürich Airport (ZRH), take the train from Lucerne via Zürich main station, which usually involves a change; check sbb.ch for the journey. Do not leave the descent until the last service, because a cancelled train on a mountain line costs more time than the same delay in the valley.