[Anonymous]

23 September 2019 at 10:19:42 #823960

Good day. =)

ITogether with my mum, i am spending 4 nights in lucerne in mid October this year and would certainly like to visit the town itself ; Mount Rigi ; Titlis ; Pilates. After that, we are off to Wenger for 6 nights.

Pertaining to the Lucerne part, I am undecided between

1. Spending two nights in Lucerne town itself and use it as a base to visit the town and the mountains.Spend the other two nights in Rigi Klum hotel or Hotel Bergsonne to catch the sunrise; sunset; the view of the clouds; explore Mount Rigi itself as well as use it as a base to visit Lucerne town itself in the afternoons/early evenings for more options for lunch/dinner and other activities if we have done enough hiking in mount Rigi or if there is bad weather in Rigi.

2. Spending 4 nights in Lucerne town itself in an airbnb and use it as the only base to visit the town and the mountains. This will mean forgoing the chance to catch the glorious sunrise and sunset views in mount Rigi? Even if we could wake up early and start our journey from the town to mount Rigi, would we be in time to catch the sunrise in mount Rigi?

I do intend to get the Swiss half fare pass, if not the Swiss travel passes. Fyi.

Appreciate your viewpoints and advice on this.

best rgds,

Mattew

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[User]

Reply 1 of 12 • 23 September 2019 at 18:14:20 #922593

Hello Mattew and Welcome to MySwissAlps,

Nice to hear you’re coming along to Switzerland to explore the Lake Lucerne area and the Bernese Oberland.
– http://www.myswissalps.com/la kelucerne
– http://www.myswissalps.com/be rneseoberland

Both of your options are for sure do-able, I personally think the idea of staying on a mountain top hotel is a wonderful idea, simply because it’s an extra, fantastic experience. See our recommendations below:
– http://www.myswissalps.com/ho tels/mountaintops

The Rigi Kaltbad Swiss Quality Hotel is for sure recommendable, offering a beautiful SPA and fantastic architecture.
– http://www.myswissalps.com/ri gi

Alternatively the Hotel Bellevue on Mount Pilatus could be an option, too.
– http://www.myswissalps.com/pi latus

As the days are already quite a bit shorter in October you would most probably also manage getting to the mountain early enough to catch some of the sunrise/set. Use the below timetable to find out about the earliest connections to any of the mountains from Lucerne.
– http://www.myswissalps.com/ti metable

Of course Lucerne also offers beautiful hotels and sights, so the choice finally will be yours.
– http://www.myswissalps.com/lu cerne/hotels

Happy planning and feel free to get back to us anytime.

Best,
Steph

Also see:
– http://www.myswissalps.com/ti tlis
– http://www.myswissalps.com/we ngen
– http://www.myswissalps.com/sw isshalffarecard
– http://www.myswissalps.com/sw isstravelpass
http://www.myswissalps.com/tr ain/ticketspasses/prac tical/chooserailpass

[User]

Reply 2 of 12 • 24 September 2019 at 6:54:23 #922594

Wow Steph.

Thank you for the plethora of information. Much appreciated.

I am glad to hear from you that you find the mountain top stay a wonderful idea.

I shall aim to work on that.

I shall work on digesting the info you provided too.

Have a nice day.

Cheers!

[User]

Reply 3 of 12 • 24 September 2019 at 8:32:03 #922595

Hi Mattew,

Hope I didn’t overwhelm you?!?! 😉

Have fun going through the links provided, planning and please feel free to get back to us anytime if needed.

Best,
Steph

[User]

Reply 4 of 12 • 24 September 2019 at 18:24:16 #922596

Hi Mattew-

<<“Spend the other two nights in Rigi Klum hotel or Hotel Bergsonne to catch the sunrise; sunset; “>>

Dorly and Willy Camps-Stalders shut down the Bergsonne in 2018.

It is now a faint shadow of its former self. Pizza, anyone?

What are you seeking in a hotel on the Rigi?

I’ve had some good luck at the Edelweiss.. at Rigi Staffelhöhe. A bit pretentious, but other wise nice. Good kitchen.

Slowpoke

[User]

Reply 5 of 12 • 24 September 2019 at 18:48:09 #922597

Hi Steph.

<<“Hi Mattew,

Hope I didn’t overwhelm you?!?! ;)”>>

Not at all Steph. 🙂

it’s wonderful to have experts’ guide and views so I will find the links very useful. And if I have gone thru any of them before, it shall tell me I am on the right track.

Yes. Certainly look forward to your guidance if I need to get back to you for help.

Thanks & Cheers!

[User]

Reply 6 of 12 • 24 September 2019 at 18:55:03 #922598

Hi Slowpoke.

<<“Dorly and Willy Camps-Stalders shut down the Bergsonne in 2018.

It is now a faint shadow of its former self. Pizza, anyone?”>>

Thanks for this piece of information. I have read reviews of Bergsonne on TripAdvisor and recent reviews echo this view strongly.

I shall strike Bergsonne off my list.

i am looking forward to beautiful sunrise & sunset views ; as well as the view of the clouds at daybreak (Hence the wish to stay at Rigi klum”

not to mention the crisp fresh mountain air and tranquility.

Edelweiss? Good kitchen? That sounds promising. Shall check it out.

Is one able to catch beautiful sunrise and sunset at Edelweiss? Or Shld I stay in Rigi Klum and go to Edelweiss for meals? ( since I read in TripAdvisor that meals at R.Klum are not good value for what one pays)

[User]

Reply 7 of 12 • 25 September 2019 at 0:18:59 #922599

Hi Mcwl13 –

I was a regular guest at the Camps- Stalders’ Bergsonne beginning sometime before 2003.

At least twice a year most years, sometimes for a several day stay. It is hard to beat the views from their terrace. Dorly was a creative chef and and her warm personality added to the pleasure of a stay there.

Last train up from Rigi Staffelhöhe on October 17th is at 1937. I picked a date at random, since you did not give an exact date, as requested in the forum rules. I’ll caution you that many mountain and lake transport schedules are reduced in Autumn and Winter, with changes common in October. Make sure to use the timetable to check your specific dates.

http://www.myswissalps.com/ti metable

That is one reason why we ask for exact dates.

I do not know what time the kitchen opens at the Edelweiss. But, if is at 1800, you will have trouble catching a 1937 train.

By the way, from Wiki –

<<“Switzerland

Harderkulm, a viewpoint on the Harder near Interlaken in canton of Bern

Kulm (district), canton of Aargau

Kulm, the highest point of the Simplon Pass, canton of Valais

Oberkulm and Unterkulm, two related villages in the canton of Aargau

Pilatus Kulm, the name of the top cable car station on the Pilatus near Luzern

Rigi Kulm, the highest peak of the Rigi massif in canton of Schwyz, near Luzern

Part of the name of many mountain restaurants on the top of a mountain”>>

“der Kulm” may be related to the English word culmination, I suspect, and is commonly used in Switzerland, Germany, Austria for the highest point of a mountain. Another word is der Gipfel, as in Männlichen Gipfel, in the Berner Oberland. Only in Czech, as far as I know, does one put the “l” before the “u” in the related word.

I have no way to judge the capabilities (or lack of them) for various on-line reviewers of restaurants, especially since the issues involved are very subjective. I can say that food in Switzerland is commonly a good deal more expensive then in the USA. And, prices can be higher in places which have special tourist attractions.Such as Rigi Kulm.

The restaurant at the Hotel Edelweiss at Rigi Staffelhöhe recently got its first Michelin star. That is a likely reason to elevate prices, and the meals are definitely not cheap.

By the way, the last time I ate there, I met Dorly Camps. For what it is worth, she was eating there, and I chatted a bit with her. She’s not changed very much; as charming as ever.

Slowpoke

[User]

Reply 8 of 12 • 25 September 2019 at 7:21:27 #922600

Hi Slowpoke.

Pardon me for the honest typo on “Kulm” I just realized I did not spell it as I intended. And yep. Kulm, as I understood often meant, if not exclusively, the top of a mountain. 🙂

I’ll be in Lucerne in 10th Oct and leave for Wengen on the 14th.

Lovely to hear of Dorly Camps and her hospitality. It’s the exact type of hospitality I would love to have experienced. A pity Hotel Bergsonne is not managed by her anymore.

Would you kindly share, which hotel(s) would you rate highly, on Mountains Rigi?

[User]

Reply 9 of 12 • 25 September 2019 at 18:02:13 #922601

Hi McWl13 –

<<“I’ll be in Lucerne in 10th Oct and leave for Wengen on the 14th.”>>

I think that You should not run into an transport schedule problems, as far as I know, but you still should check the timetable, as noted above. I don’t recall when in the Fall they shut down the cableway to Rigi Kaltbad for maintenance.

In the Berner Oberland the critical date is about October 27/28, if I recall correctly.

Lake boats have here own schedules, see http://www.myswissalps.com/la kelucerne/activities or http://www.lakelucerne.ch/en/ timetable-fares/timetable/

No problem with the typo, but you’ll get along better in any country if you pay attention to spelling.

<<“A pity Hotel Bergsonne is not managed by her anymore.”>>

I agree. There was special relationship between my wife (now deceased) and the place, so there are a lot of emotions involved.

What has always appealed to me about Swiss inns, is that they are family run. So, if you go back a few times, they get to know you. If you go back a lot, they consider you a friend.

<<“Would you kindly share, which hotel(s) would you rate highly, on Mountains Rigi?”>>

I’d love to, but I only stayed at the Bergsonne, none others, for about 20 years. 😉 Then, once at the Edelweiss in June 2019. It was fully booked when I tried on my current trip. I’d stay there again without hesitation, and deal with the minor things they do to make them “different.”

My one experience of the Edelweiss is very positive in all regards. The food is outstanding.

However, the other question is how to see the sunrise.

The rooms at the Edelweiss generally face south or very slightly south east.

map.geo.admin.ch/?topic=swisstopo&lang=e n&bgLayer=ch.swisstopo .swissimage&layers=ch. swisstopo.swisstlm3d-wanderwege&zoom=13&E=2 677906.83&N=1211316.43

And ,there is a mountain behind you. So, you can watch the sunrise on the Uri Alps, to the southwest, but it is not a view directly into the sunrise. For that, you have to be able to look to the east. That means Rigi Kulm.

A room there will be fine, and the food will be acceptable.

That’s the best I can do.

Slowpoke

PS – I ate at the Hotel Central am See in Weggis the other night. Kitchen has been very variable over the last few years under change(s) of management. It now is quite good. I’d eat there again….which is an upgrade from my expectation when I booked the hotel.

[gramels]

Reply 10 of 12 • 25 September 2019 at 20:47:56 #922602

consider Mittlerschwanden as a great location in October

[User]

Reply 11 of 12 • 29 September 2019 at 8:09:21 #922603

Good Sunday Slowpoke.

Sincere thanks to all the advice.

They are really proving useful in guiding me.

Especially the advice listed below.

<<“In the Berner Overland the critical date is about October 27/28, if I recall correctly.”>>

<<“My one experience of the Edelweiss is very positive in all regards. The food is outstanding.”>>

<< “…there is a mountain behind you. So, you can watch the sunrise on the Uri Alps, to the southwest, but it is not a view directly into the sunrise. For that, you have to be able to look to the east. That means Rigi Kulm.”>>

<<PS – I ate at the Hotel Central am See in Weggis the other night. Kitchen has been very variable over the last few years under change(s) of management. It now is quite good. I’d eat there again….which is an upgrade from my expectation when I booked the hotel.>>

PS – you have had an amazing 20 years with your wife. I hope, it was an amazing love story.

Have a good week ahead.

[User]

Reply 12 of 12 • 29 September 2019 at 8:10:51 #922604

Thank you for the suggestion, Gramels. 🙂

will check it out if I can.

Cheers.