Rigi, Mountain summit in Central Switzerland.
Rigi is a mountain that rises to 1797 meters between Lake Lucerne and Lake Zug in central Switzerland. From the summit, you can see across valleys to many other peaks and water bodies below.
Europe's first cogwheel railway was built here in 1871 and still connects Vitznau at the lakeshore with the summit. This railway was a technical marvel of its era and remains a key feature of the mountain.
The name Rigi comes from Old High German for "horizontal strip, band", after the rock ledges and grass bands ringing the summit; it was first recorded around 1350 as Riginun. Albrecht von Bonstetten reinterpreted it in 1479 as Regina montium, "Queen of the Mountains", a reading still repeated in 18th-century travel accounts. Pilgrims came to the Maria zum Schnee chapel at Rigi Klösterli, drawing about 25,000 a year by 1730. J. M. W. Turner painted The Blue Rigi, now at Tate Britain.
You can reach the summit by cogwheel train from Vitznau or Arth-Goldau, or by cable car from Weggis. The journey takes roughly an hour, so plan your timing to spend time exploring once you arrive.
At Rigi Kaltbad, located at 1433 meters, thermal springs have been used for over 600 years and continue today. Visitors can bathe in warm mineral waters high on the mountainside.
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