MOUNT PILATUS
Scenic Railway and Cable to Lucerne’s Mountain of Legends
Mount
Pilatus rises eternally over Lucerne, Switzerland a crown of jagged
crags crowned by a white
snow cap in
winter, green and gray stone in
summer. The mountain of many legends is both a symbol of the beautiful
Swiss city on the lake as well as Lucerne’s great mountain playground.
Mt. Pilatus got its name from one of the oldest legends of Christendom,
named for the Roman Governor of Judea, Pontius Pilate, who washed his
hands of Jesus, but could never wash his soul. 
The legend is that Pilate
died in Rome
and his body thrown into the Tiber River, but the water rejected him
and threw him upon the shore. His body was carried north
to gaul and tossed into the Rhône River, which also rejected it.
Finally taken to the top of a mountain, his corpse was dropped into the
frigid water of a glacial lake where it finally sank. But Pilate’s
legend was not done. It was said Pontius Pilate would rise again from
the waters of the deep mountain tarn every Good Friday to wash the eternal
blood from his hands, then sink once again.
Mt.
Pilatus is a sole peak, standing alone so that incredible views of
Switzerland can be had in
all directions,
including 73 mountain peaks
visible, from Jungfrau to Mont Blanc and can be easily reached by rail
or cable in either direction. The aerial panorama gondola rises up the
northern face of the mountain from Kriens, a ten minute city bus ride
(Line 1) from central Lucerne. There are two cables to reach the top,
a small 4 person gondola from Kriens to Fräkmüntegg and a large
40 person cable car to Pilatus-Kulm. The cable route operates all year.
On the southern side of the mountain is the amazing world’s steepest
cogwheel railway from
Alpnachstad on the shore of Lake Lucerne to the Pilatus summit, the Pilatus
Bahnen. Alpanachstad is along the main rail
line between Lucerne and Interlaken and is 20 minutes by rail from Lucerne
main station. One of the most popular ways to 
go
up Pilatus is the cog rail funicular up one side and cable down the other
or vice versa, called
the Golden Round Trip. The ferry boat (about an hour) can be taken to
or from Lucerne to Alpanachstad for an even more scenic adventure. The
cable up and rail down is a little less crowded and going downward on
the steep grade of the cog rail offers a greater sense of thrill, than
climbing up. You feel at any moment the stepped-level historic car might
break from the tracks and take flight down the hill, but take comfort
that the trip has been safely made since first built in 1889 and changed
to electrical operation in 1937. The Pilatus railway’s symbol is
a red dragon, from more of the mountain legends from the middle ages
of dragons living in its many caves. The railway operates from May to
November, closed in winter months.
At
the top of Mt. Pilatus you’ll
find two hotels, each with their own distinctive style. The historic
Hotel Pilatus-Kulm was built in 1890, a year after the completion of
the cog rail train and has hosted the likes of Queen Victoria of England.
The rooms of the turn-of-the-last-century Pilatus-Kulm Hotel have been
recently
updated (see Hotel
Pilatus Kulm Restored). The
Hotel Bellevue,
built in 1960, is of more modern style design
of a circular form with 28 rooms,
all with views and bathrooms. The Hotel and Restaurant at the Bellevue has had a complete
makeover with anew Panorama Gallery between
the two hotels. Special packages
are available for the hotels, including cable and rail up and down,
dinner
and breakfast.
If
not staying more than a day, there are seven restaurants from snack
bars to view seated dining. Or
just
grab a traditional weiss sausage
from the outdoor stand. Mt Pilatus' own brand of beer, Eichof, can be
poured for free (alcohol free variety) from a public tap outdoors on
the plateau walk,
though it doesn’t work when the weather is freezing. Activities
on the top of Mt. Pilatus involve mostly incredibly stunning views -
in good weather - and walking around the peak, through the carved-out
cave view tunnel called
the Dragon
Walk cut
through
the mountain stone, to short climbs to nearby peaks. For curiosity, look
for the world's longest Swiss horn in the stairwell of the Bellevue Hotel
and the unassuming closed doors in
the mountain side where anti-aircraft guns are hidden. Mt
Pilatus is also a military installation due to its clear
view to the Swiss borders. In December, Mt Pilatus Kulm hosts
the world's highest Christmas Market. In summer, halfway up the mountain
at Frakmuntegg is a rope park, the Seilpark
Pilatus,
for climbing
walking
and zip-line rides, and Switzerland’s longest summer toboggan run
the Fräkigaudi, with a steel track for fast runs on wheels through
the mountain glen. In winter, mostly snow hiking is available from the
Kreinseregg gondola stop Lucerne side. There is no skiing on Mt. Pilatus.
The cable and cogwheel scenic round strip is about 65 Swiss Francs, half-price
with a Swiss Pass (see Switzerland
Rail Pass).
And don’t expect to see Pontius Pilate rise from the high Mt. Pilatus alpine lake on Good Friday. In the middle-ages, a group of monks defied prohibition and climbed Mt. Pilatus to confront the ghost. They threw rocks into the cursed waters of the lake, paddled over its surface and offered prayers. Pilate never appeared and apparently has never returned since. © Bargain Travel Europe
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SEE ALSO:
ROSENGART
COLLECTION
JUNGFRAUJOCH - TOP OF EUROPE
GLACIER
GARDEN OF LUCERNE
SWISS
TRANSPORT MUSEUM
