Rigi

From between Lake Lucerne, Lake Zug and Lake Lauerz rises the Rigi – also known as the “Queen of the Mountains”. Its highest point is the 1,797-metre-high Rigi Kulm. If the visibility is just right, the Rigi Kulm offers views over 620 Alpine peaks, 13 lakes and 24 of the 26 Swiss cantons. Only Geneva and the city of Basel are out of range. As early as the 18th century, the Rigi was famed as a destination throughout Europe due to its unique location. In 1868, Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom herself “climbed” the Queen of the Mountains. Needless to say, she didn’t do so on foot, but instead went up on one of the ponies she had brought over to Switzerland from England. According to the historical records, she relished the mountain air at Kaltbad and Kulm, as she was struggling in the heatwave that beset Switzerland throughout nearly her entire visit.