Holidays to Switzerland Travel Podcast Episode 70 Transcript
Mt. Pilatus – the mythical mountain on Lucerne’s doorstep
You can see the full show notes and listen to this episode > here.
Announcer
Are you dreaming of visiting Switzerland? Planning a trip to Switzerland is very exciting, but it can also be overwhelming. How do you choose? Which of the many scenic cities, towns and villages to visit? Which mountaintop excursions should you take? And what’s the best way to get around Switzerland? And of course, how much of the country can you realistically see within your time frame? If you’ve asked yourself any of these questions, this is the podcast for you. This is the Holidays to Switzerland Travel podcast, and in each episode your host, Carolyn Schönafinger, chats with Swiss travel experts to answer your most commonly asked questions, provide practical tips, and take you on a virtual visit to the most popular destinations and, of course, some hidden gems to help you plan your dream trip to Switzerland. And you’ll hear plenty of conversations about Swiss cheese and chocolate too. Are you ready to plan your trip to Switzerland? Well, let’s get started.
Carolyn Schönafinger
Hi there and welcome to episode 70 of the podcast. Whether you’re a regular listener or this is your first time tuning in, it’s wonderful to have you here. If you’re listening, you’re probably planning a trip to Switzerland, and your itinerary will likely include a visit to a mountain or two. In fact, with 60% of the country’s surface area covered by the Alps, your hardest decision when visiting Switzerland may be choosing which mountain or mountains to actually visit. To tell us all about one of the country’s more well known mountains, Mount Pilatus, I’m thrilled to welcome today’s special guest, Manuela Blapp. Despite visiting Switzerland on many, many occasions, I’m a little embarrassed to admit I’ve never actually visited Mount Pilatus, although that will change this summer. So I’m very excited to hear all about what’s often referred to as the Dragon Mountain. In this episode, Manuela will share the different ways to reach the summit of Mount Pilatus, the many things to see and do there, her tips to help you prepare for your visit, and lots more. Before we hear from Manuela, I’d like to say thanks to the folks from Switzerland Tourism for sponsoring the podcast.
Carolyn Schönafinger
Their website, myswitzerland.com is packed with helpful information to help you plan your trip to Switzerland. So do go and take a look. If you need a natural trophy, you need Switzerland. Welcome along to the podcast. It’s great to have you here with us today to tell us all about Mount Pilatus. Would you like to start off by introducing yourself and telling our listeners a little bit about what you do?
Manuela Blapp
Thank you very much. It’s great to be here today. And thanks for your time also to listen to me. So my name is Manuela. I grew up in a place in Switzerland where there are actually no mountains and no lakes. My parents, they were not really fond of any mountain activities. So the first time we did a mountain excursion, which I actively remember, is when I was a teenager and we did a day excursion to Mount Pilatus. And I can tell you it was actually love at first sight. I was really blown away by the panorama from the top and the whole experience of getting there. So since then I’ve become a real mountain lover and I’ve visited hundreds of mountains all over the world. But the views of Lake Lucerne and the surrounding mountains which you get from Mount Pilatus, they have remained one of my absolute favourite panoramas. So now I’m really happy that last year, in May, actually 18 years after my first visit to Mount Pilatus, I have started to represent Mount Pilatus all over the world. Previously I worked for Singapore Airlines in Switzerland for five and a half years as a key account manager.
Manuela Blapp
Before that I had different positions in various countries, working for hotels, in a travel agency, in a ski school, and also outside the tourism industry in finance and project management for abb. And now at Mount Pilatus, I’m the market manager of all the markets east of Switzerland, which is starting with Czech Republic, Poland, going to gcc, India, Southeast Asia, all the way to China, Korea, Japan, and of course Australia and New Zealand.
Carolyn Schönafinger
Fantastic. Well, what a great story that Mount Pilatus was the first mountain that you visited and now you’re working there, representing it. That’s wonderful. For those listeners who aren’t actually sure exactly where Mount Pilatus is in Switzerland, can you give us a bit of a geography lesson?
Manuela Blapp
So Mount Pilatus is located right next to Lucerne. The valley stations, they’re only about 15 to 20 minutes from Lucerne city centre. So I live in Lucerne now, and it takes me about 20 minutes by bicycle to get to my office at the Valley station. If you take the bus or the car, you’re even faster. Lucerne is right in the heart of Switzerland, pretty much in the middle. It’s only about one hour from Zurich, Basel or Bern, two hours from Interlaken or Lugano, or three hours from Geneva. So it’s actually quite easy to get to Lucerne from anywhere in Switzerland. And once you’re in Lucerne, you’re just a stone’s throw away from Mount Pilatus.
Carolyn Schönafinger
Yeah, great. Okay. So you mentioned there the Valley stations. I think there’s two valley stations that you can go to to start the trip up to the top of Mount Pilatus. So where are those two valley stations and how can we get up to the summit? And how long does it take?
Manuela Blapp
Yes, so you’re absolutely right. There are two valley stations and they’re at two different locations on two different sides of the mountains. So one of the valley stations is in Alpnachstad. Alpnachstad can be reached either by train or car. From Lucerne it’s about 20 minutes, or in summertime you can take the ship. So you can actually also take a lake cruise directly to the valley station. It takes longer, about one to one and a half hours, but of course it’s more scenic. And then from Alpnachstad you have the steepest cog railway in the world going up to Mount Pilatus. So this is already one of the highlights, to actually go up on the mountain with this cog rail train, which has a slope of up to 48%. So it’s quite an exciting ride up. But as it’s so steep, it can only operate when there is no snow. So it’s open from mid May to mid November every year. And then on the other side of the mountain, there is a second valley station. This one is located in Kriens, which is actually the town right next to Lucerne. So it takes about 15 to 20 minutes by public bus or by car to to get there from Lucerne.
Manuela Blapp
Then from Kriens, we have the cable cars going up to the mountain. So there’s first the section of the panorama gondolas, which takes about 30 minutes to the middle station. And then you change once and you take the aerial cableway, the Dragon Ride, which takes five more minutes to reach the top. So actually from both sides, from the valley station, it’s about 35 minutes to reach the top. If you start in Lucerne, let’s say from your hotel room to the top, about one hour, I would say.
Carolyn Schönafinger
Very convenient.
Manuela Blapp
And the nice thing is you can combine the two options if you visit between May and November and you can actually do a round trip, even including the boat, which is called the Golden Round Trip. So you really have the boat, the cogwheel train and the cable cars.
Carolyn Schönafinger
So you get a bit of everything.
Manuela Blapp
Exactly.
Carolyn Schönafinger
And there’s also a trip called the Silver Round Trip too. How is that different from the Golden Round Trip?
Manuela Blapp
So the Silver Round Trip means you skip the boat part maybe because you have less time and then you take the train from Lucerne to Alpnachstad instead of the boat, which is much faster. And then you also do the cogwheel train and the cable car and the bus back to Lucerne. So that would be the silver round trip.
Carolyn Schönafinger
Okay. Yeah. So for those people that don’t have quite as much time, that’s a great option. And they still get to travel on the cogwheel train and the cable car.
Manuela Blapp
Exactly.
Carolyn Schönafinger
Okay, so you mentioned the second cable car is called the dragon cable car. Is it? Dragon car.
Manuela Blapp
The dragon ride.
Carolyn Schönafinger
Dragon ride. Okay. And I have heard Mount Pilatus referred to before as the Dragon Mountain. So what’s the connection there? Why is the dragon such a thing for Mount Pilatus?
Manuela Blapp
So there’s actually lots of legends and myths that involve dragons from the earlier days. So as early as the 14th century, people around Mount Pilatus and around Lucerne, they regularly saw dragons. And there is actually also records not only of normal people, but also of scientists from these days that recorded that dragons were seen on the mountain or coming from the mountain. Actually, several hundred years ago, people were quite afraid of Mount Pilatus. So at some point, it was even prohibited to go up to Mount Pilatus because it was believed when you go up there, you disturb the dragons and something bad will happen, like a thunderstorm or some floods. So people were really afraid and sometimes even sentenced to prison if they attempted to climb up Mount Pilatus. So it was quite serious. Yeah, definitely. But actually, all the legends that I’ve heard about Mount Pilatus involving dragons were always about friendly dragons. So there is, for example, one legend of a hiker who was falling and he fell into a cave, and he fell in between two dragons in the cave. And the dragons, actually, they didn’t do anything to him. They were very friendly and told him to stay in the cave because winter was approaching.
Manuela Blapp
So he was actually staying in the cave all winter with the dragons. And once the snow melted away and it was safe again to go back out, one of the dragons helped him getting out of the cave and going back home. So we have at the top a dragon path which goes through some caves and tunnels. So you can actually go there and see for yourself. If you find any dragon, maybe you will find Pilu, which is our friendly dragon mascot nowadays.
Carolyn Schönafinger
Okay, all right. So that’s something that we can do at the summit. But what else is there to do, both at the summit and at the intermediate stations along the way?
Manuela Blapp
Well, our slogan is 2132 Opportunities above sea level that’s also the height of the mountain, 2132 metres. How much time do we have to get into all of these opportunities? I just got to summarise the most important ones. So, on top, of course you can enjoy the beautiful views on the one hand from our Panorama terrace, which is right next to to the station of the cogwheel train and the cable car. So if you don’t like to walk, or if you cannot walk, you can still enjoy the views from the terrace, but also from the Panorama gallery which is inside. So if it’s a bit cold or windy, that’s also a very nice place to be. There’s also a bar which serves snacks and drinks, so you can also enjoy the view from there. Then there are three peaks with additional vantage points which can be reached on foot. The closest one is just five minutes reachable by stairs. And this one is usually also accessible in winter if the snow conditions allow. So it’s cleared from snow from our staff. And then there’s two more peaks which are a bit further away and only accessible when there is no snow during summertime.
Manuela Blapp
And the furthest away and also the highest peak, it’s called the Tomlishorn. And if you walk to this one, there’s the Flower Path on the way where you can see over 200 different kind of flowers. And there’s also information panels with the name of the flowers in German and English. And you can also see animals. There is for example, over 100 ibexes living on top of Mount Pilatus. And it’s very fascinating to see them running around much more easily than we humans do on the rocks. And then as I mentioned, there is also the Dragon Path which you can do, parts of it is also open in wintertime. And then we also have the Dragon World which is open all year round. It’s a small interactive museum on top of the mountain. There you can actually learn about these dragon stories in a playful and interactive way. There are some games to play, a dragon to fly yourself. So it’s a lot of fun and free of charge for anyone.
Carolyn Schönafinger
That’s great to know.
Manuela Blapp
So that’s all happening on top of the mountain. And of course you can also indulge in some delicious food. We have five restaurants all across the mountain. So there is two on top of the mountain. One is a a la carte restaurant and one is a self service buffet restaurant. And then we also have more restaurants at the middle stations. And there is also more activities to do so at the Frakmuntegg,t that’s where you change to the Dragon Ride, to the aerial cableway from the Panorama Gondola. This is our kind of adventure hub. So in summer there’s lot of adventure activities. Like we have the biggest rope park in central Switzerland where you can test your balance and your agility and your courage. Also, because you can jump from a platform which is 20 metres high in the trees and jump down. Of course you’re secured on the rope, but you have to jump yourself. Then there is the more easy going Dragon Glider, which is a slow fly line which has integrated brakes. So there you sit in a paraglider seat and you slowly glide along the fly line. And you don’t have to do anything, you can just enjoy the views and the ride down.
Manuela Blapp
And then there is also a treetop path to experience the forest from up close. From about eight metres above ground, you can walk from tree to tree. And there are some platforms with information panels about flora and fauna as well. And then if you really like the forest, you can also stay in the forest. You can sleep in our tree tents. These are tents which are spanned between the trees about one and a half metres above ground. And it’s also a fun experience. And then there is also our Drachen Alp, which is a space for a mountain barbecue. So in Switzerland we love to have a fire and a barbecue. And the Drachen Alp is kind of the prepared fire pit. There is also a shop where you can buy sausages and vegetable and even cheese to grill on the fire. And there’s also the longest summer toboggan run from Switzerland, located at the Frakmuntegg and it’s 1.3 kilometres long, so it’s quite a nice long ride down the mountain. And of course in winter you can also do sledging on the snow. So in winter we have different sledging trails and also snowshoe trails at the middle station.
Manuela Blapp
And then we have a second middle station further down which is called Krienseregg. And there you have a big playground for our smallest guests. And there is also a moor where you can do some pleasant, easy walks in a more flat area which are not steep. And of course hiking or even trail running is possible all across the mountain.
Carolyn Schönafinger
Yeah. Wow. So it sounds like it’s a really family friendly mountain, but there’s also, you know, if people are travelling and they don’t have children, there’s plenty for them to do as well.
Manuela Blapp
Absolutely, yes, there’s something for anyone.
Carolyn Schönafinger
Great. So would you, I mean, I know you mentioned there about sleeping in the trees. But do you, would you say that Mount Pilatus is mainly a day trip destination or are there other opportunities for people to spend the night as well?
Manuela Blapp
So there are opportunities to spend the night and it’s not only the tree tents actually, but we also have hotels on the mountain top. So at over 2,000 metres above sea level, we have two hotels at the summit. One is the Hotel Bellevue, it’s a three star hotel. And the second one is the historic mountain Hotel Pilatus Kulm. It’s a four star hotel and it was built 1890. So the building is still the original building, but the interior has been completely renovated in 2010. So it’s historic hotel with modern rooms. It’s quite an exclusive experience to sleep on top of the mountain because in total the two hotels, they have 50 rooms. So once all the day trip guests have left, you have probably pretty much the mountain to yourself. Between, let’s say around 6pm and 9am between the last and the first cable car, if you stay overnight, you get a delicious four course dinner in the evening. It’s served in our Queen Victoria dining hall and it’s actually named after Queen Victoria because she also has slept in one of our hotels on an incognito trip actually up to Mount Pilatus after her husband died.
Manuela Blapp
So she was one of our most famous guests and she visited 1868. So that was before the Hotel Pilatus Kulm was built. It was in the old Hotel Bellevue, which is not existing anymore nowadays. So it was rebuilt later. And then the Hotel Pilatus Kulm, the dining room was named after her. Apart from the dining, you also get very beautiful stargazing opportunities in the night because it’s very dark on top of the mountain, there’s no light pollution, so you see many more stars than from the city centre, for example. And your chances of seeing ibexes are also much higher when you stay overnight because mostly you can see them in the early morning or the late evenings. And then of course, one of the highlights when you stay overnight are the sunsets and the sunrise.
Carolyn Schönafinger
I was going to say, I bet the sunsets from up there are just magnificent. Yeah, yeah. That’s one thing I’m looking forward to experiencing in a few months time, seeing those sunsets myself. So hopefully the weather will cooperate for me.
Manuela Blapp
I keep my fingers crossed.
Carolyn Schönafinger
Thank you. So is it possible to visit Mount Pilatus all year round? I know you mentioned earlier that the cogwheel train only operates between mid May and mid November. But is there any closure period of the cable cars?
Manuela Blapp
So we are open 365 days a year, so you can visit all year round. There is a closure period of the cable cars. It’s usually at the beginning of November or end of October. But during that time the cogwheel train is still operating. So there is a window of about two weeks where you can only get up and down by cogwheel train. Then between mid November and mid May, you can only go up by cable car up and down, but the top is reachable any day of the year.
Carolyn Schönafinger
Okay, great. So let’s talk about ticket prices and the discounts that people can get if they have one of the travel passes. So if someone was in Switzerland and they just decided, they didn’t have a rail pass and they decided they’re going to do an excursion to Mount Pilatus, what are the different ticketing options that they have there? Because we talked a bit before about the golden round trip and the silver round trip. Are they the main options for them?
Manuela Blapp
So the first option is the Pilatus excursion, which would just include the cable car and or the cogwheel train ride up the mountain. But you have to make your own way to the valley station. So this Pilatus excursion, as we call it, has a ticket price of 78 Swiss francs in summer or 62.40 in winter. As you only have the cable car and not the cogwheel train experience, it’s a bit cheaper in winter time. And then the golden round trip, which would include the boat and the bus to and from the valley stations as well. This one would cost 111.60 per person in second class. Or you can also buy an upgrade for the boat ride for first class. And then it’s around 128 Swiss francs. And then the silver round trip, which includes the train and the bus to the valley station and not the boat. This one is 89.40 in second class on the train and on our cable cars there is no difference in classes. So there is everything to say.
Carolyn Schönafinger
And so if someone has a Swiss Travel Pass, what discount do they get on the excursion?
Manuela Blapp
So with the Swiss Travel Pass you get a 50% discount on the mountain railways. So on the cogwheel train and the cable car, on both. So that makes the Pilatus excursion 39 Swiss francs. And the good news for the golden and the silver round trip is the boat and the train and the bus, they’re free of charge with the Swiss Travel Pass. So also the golden and the silver round trip. Are 39 Swiss francs if you have a Swiss Travel Pass.
Carolyn Schönafinger
All right, that sounds wonderful. So do you have any tips that you’d like to share with our listeners to help them prepare for their visit to Mount Pilatus?
Manuela Blapp
I would recommend to visit our website before their visit to Mount Pilatus. And there they have an overview of all the activities so they can get an idea of what they would like to do, if they would just like to visit the top on a leisure excursion, or if they would like to do some of the activities or some hikes. So that also helps to prepare, to bring the right equipment and to dress appropriately. You also have webcams on our website so you can see how it looks like, especially if you come in winter. How much snow is there, for example, are the sledging trails open? Are the snowshoe trails open? So you can see all that on our website. There is also a very helpful 360 degree experience which shows you how the mountain looks like. And where are the different stations that I talked about, where are the restaurants located? So that’s also quite a good tool to familiarise yourself with the mountain. And then of course, you can also buy the tickets at our online ticket shop. And I would highly recommend to do that because it helps you to avoid the queue at the cash desk and you can go right through the turnstiles with your QR code that you get.
Manuela Blapp
If you would like to stay overnight at a hotel, my recommendation is to book as early as possible because the hotels are very popular as we only have 50 rooms. Sometimes, especially over the weekend, it can be a challenge to find free room. But if you’re on a holiday, it’s easier because then usually you also have time during the week and then it’s easier to find a space. And also for the a la carte restaurant on top of the mountain, you can make a reservation if you like to, but you can also show up spontaneously. And if there is no space, there’s always other options to eat on top of the mountain. And then of course, bring your camera and enjoy the mountain.
Carolyn Schönafinger
Absolutely. You wouldn’t want to visit without your camera to record those beautiful scenes. So what do you think is the ideal itinerary and the amount of time that someone should allow when they’re planning their visit to Mount Pilatus?
Manuela Blapp
So it really depends on what you like to do and experience. So my personal recommendation would be to allow one full day or even better, two half days within a overnight stay in between. And in that way you have enough time to experience everything on the summit. Maybe do a small hike there, experience the Dragon Path and the Dragon World. Then have a nice overnight stay on top of a mountain with beautiful sunrise and sunset. And also check out the activities in the middle station on the way up or down. But if you don’t have that much time available, you can go to the top and back within three hours if you’re staying in Lucerne. Or you can even do the Golden Round trip in a half day. So it takes about four to five hours, including one to one and a half hours at the top of the mountain to experience the summit. So you don’t need more than half a day if you don’t have much time.
Carolyn Schönafinger
Okay, well, that’s good to know. And what’s your personal opinion about going, say, up on the cogwheel train or down? Do you have a preference?
Manuela Blapp
I get this question quite a lot.
Carolyn Schönafinger
Okay.
Manuela Blapp
And I think it’s quite difficult to answer. I like both ways, but I think I prefer the way down because you actually get, I think the experience of the steepness is more intense on the way down because you really see where you’re going on the way down, and you also have the view of the lake on the way down. So I personally, I prefer the way down, but the way up is as beautiful as the way down.
Carolyn Schönafinger
Okay, well, yeah, that’s good to know. All right, so if one of our listeners is visiting Lucerne or even Zurich, and they’ve only got time for one mountain excursion, why should they choose Mount Pilatus?
Manuela Blapp
First of all, thanks to the proximity of Mount Pilatus to Lucerne, you can spend more time on the mountain and less time travelling to the mountain. But of course, the main reason to visit us is not the convenience. There is much more to it. So from May to November, you have the steepest cogwheel train in the world, which you can experience only on Mount Pilatus, which is a very fantastic way of going up or down the mountain. If you come in summer, you have beautiful flowers, animals, rock formations to look at. If you come in winter, you get to experience the snow without the skiing crowd, actually. So we don’t have any skiing slopes on the mountain. And Swiss people love to go to the skiing mountains in winter. So our mountain is actually not that crowded in winter and you have lots of space to enjoy the winter for yourself. And then, of course, all year round, you have the dragon myths and, of course, the fantastic panorama. So from top of Mount Pilatus, you get to see nearly the whole Lake of Lucerne. And if you’ve seen a picture of Lake Lucerne before, you know, it looks.
Manuela Blapp
It’s not just a round lake, but it’s quite a special lake. It has seven different arms. It’s kind of fjord like. And from top of Mount Pilatus you see nearly all of the seven different arms. So you can really see this fjord like shape. But you also see the city of Lucerne. You see the flat area of Switzerland with some more lakes actually all the way to Germany, the Black Forest and France. And you see over 72 mountain peaks all around Mount Pilatus. So you actually get to see the whole diversity of Switzerland with the flat area, the city, the lakes and the mountains from one vantage point on top of Mount Pilatus.
Carolyn Schönafinger
You’ve convinced me.
Manuela Blapp
That’s great.
Carolyn Schönafinger
Good. So where can our listeners find out more information about Mount Pilatus?
Manuela Blapp
So the easiest way is on our website, Pilatus.ch, where you can actually find information about all the activities, the 360 degree experience I’ve mentioned. Also the timetable, especially if you want to do the golden round trip, which includes the boat. I highly recommend to check out the timetable beforehand because depending on the time of the year, there’s between two to five boats per day. So you don’t want to miss the boats then. On our website there’s also information about upcoming events. So there’s also some events going on on Mount Pilatus. For example, in April we have our first day dance at Frakmuntegg with some DJs on the mountain. In June we have a trail run coming up. And in August there’s an open air Pilatus on the Rocks on the summit. And at the end of November, at the last weekend when the cogwheel train is operating, we have a Christmas market on the summit, which is actually the highest Christmas market in Europe. So it’s also nice to time your visit with one of these events.
Carolyn Schönafinger
Thank you so much, Manuela for sharing all that with us about Mount Pilatus. And I’m sure our listeners will be very keen to visit and experience it for themselves now.
Manuela Blapp
You’re very welcome. It’s been a great pleasure and I look forward to welcoming many of your listeners on top of Mount Pilatus soon.
Carolyn Schönafinger
Thank you.
Manuela Blapp
Thank you.
Carolyn Schönafinger
With Mount Pilatus’ close proximity to Lucerne, it’s no wonder it’s such a popular destination for day trips and overnight trips. Being able to reach the mountain summit in just an hour from central Lucerne is so convenient. And with the various modes of transport available to reach Mount Pilatus, visitors really are spoiled for choice. If you’re planning to visit Mount Pilatus from May 2023 onwards, you’ll have the opportunity to ride in brand new carriages on the Pilatus cogwheel railway. Huge windows and a glass roof will make the ride even more spectacular. I’ll be sure to let you know more about it after my visit in June. If you’d like to know more about the various transport and ticket options that Manuela mentioned, including the Golden Round Trip and Silver Round Trip, you’ll find the links in the Show Notes. You’ll also find details about the Swiss Travel Pass, which entitles you to visit Mount Pilatus for just 39 Swiss francs, and the Tell Pass, a regional pass for the Lake Lucerne area which includes the Mount Pilatus excursion for free. Also in the Show Notes are links to the Mount Pilatus website and social media channels.
Carolyn Schönafinger
You’ll find those show notes at holidaystoswitzerland.com/episode70. Thanks again for joining me today. I hope you found today’s episode helpful and you’ve now added Mount Pilatus to your Switzerland itinerary. Until next time, Tschüss.
Announcer
If you’d like more great resources to help you plan your dream trip to Switzerland, there are lots of ways to connect with us. Visit our website holidaystoswitzerland.com Sign up for our monthly newsletter or join our friendly, helpful community of past and future travellers in our Switzerland Travel Planning Group. You’ll also find the links to connect with us in the Show Notes for this episode. Show Notes and a list of all previous episodes are available at holidaystoswitzerland.com. Don’t miss out on your fortnightly dose of Swiss travel inspo. Hit the subscribe button on your favourite podcast app so you never miss an episode. And if you enjoyed the show, please leave a rating. That’s all for this edition of the Holidays to Switzerland Travel Podcast. Thanks for joining us and happy travel planning.
You can see the full show notes and listen to this episode > here.
