Pilatus – the dragon mountain on Lucerne’s doorstep

Escape the city and head up to Pilatus Kulm at an altitude of 2'132 m on the world’s steepest cogwheel railway. The arrival by boat or by train and cogwheel railway alone is enough to put you in a holiday mood. You will be amazed by the magnificent panoramic views of the Lucerne-Lake Lucerne Region.

Book the «Golden Roundtrip» ticket for your Pilatus outing. While waiting for the boat in Lucerne, you will see the Chapel Bridge and towers of the Musegg Wall, a couple of Lucerne’s landmarks. The boat offers a leisurely way of crossing Lake Lucerne to Alpnachstad. The steepest cogwheel railway in the world takes you to Pilatus Kulm, the summit, in only 30 minutes. The vegetation changes constantly, from the reeds of the lake to lush green meadows, while fragrant forests make way for a rugged mountainscape featuring striking rock formations.

What a magnificent view. Sometimes you see a sea of cloud below, punctuated here and there by the peaks of other mountains. At other times the view is so clear that you can see every mountain from the Säntis to the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau, over the Jura to the Black Forest. The winding Lake Lucerne and five other lakes in Central Switzerland sparkle in the sun. On the Pilatus itself you can stroll and hike, follow in the tracks of the dragon, savour a gourmet menu or regional snack or, with a little luck, see an ibex.

You can also spend an unforgettable night high above Lucerne in the historic mountain hotel Pilatus-Kulm or the Bellevue Hotel.

Leaving Pilatus Kulm in the aerodynamic «Dragon Ride» aerial cableway you now catch a last glimpse of the mighty rock formations before stopping at Fräkmüntegg. Visitors with a sense of adventure can let loose in the largest rope park in Central Switzerland, hurtle down the toboggan run or spend the night floating in a tree tent. As you would expect, there is also plenty on offer at the local restaurants or one of the fantastic barbecue spots.

With the «Dragon Glider» you gently float from Fräkmüntegg to Drachenalp and enjoy the spectacular mountain panorama at a maximum speed of 12 kilometres per hour. Those who want to learn more about the inhabitants of the forest walk along the «Wipfelpfad». On narrow wooden footbridges, well secured with nets, you walk over thirteen platforms and acquire knowledge in a playful way.

You can then continue on foot or by panoramic gondola cableway to Krienseregg. Here, you will find the PILU Land adventure playground, a paradise for children. After the stopover, the gondola car takes you down to Kriens. The bus back to Lucerne (a 10-minute trip) is a short walk from the Kriens terminus.

The Pilatus can also be visited in winter via Kriens. A variety of snow toys for use on the sledge run are available at Fräkmüntegg. There is also a network of footpaths and snowshoe trails linking Fräkmüntegg, Krienseregg and Kriens.

In winter, there is no boat service between Lucerne and Alpnachstad or cogwheel railway service between Alpnachstad and Pilatus Kulm.