Ride the Cog Railway up Mount Rigi

One of the signature experiences in Switzerland is to ride the cog railway from the shores of Lake Lucerne to an elevation of 1,798 meters on Mt Rigi. This is Europe’s first cog railway, and you can ride in restored cars dating back as far as the railway’s beginning. Some of the steam engines date to the 1920s.

From the top, views stretch all the way to the Black Forest in Germany. One of the popular things to do is make a scenic circle route by taking the boat from Lucerne to Vitznau, where you board the cogwheel train to Rigi Kulm. Then take another cogwheel train down to Arth-Goldau and catch a train back to Lucerne.