A scenic bike tour around Mt. Rigi
Goldau – Immensee – Küssnacht – Greppen – Weggis – Vitznau – Brunnen – Lauerz – Goldau
52km, 3h30min
The bike tour starts unexpectedly with a historical site: a Chapel of the most famous Swiss legend Wilhelm Tell, a legendary Swiss freedom fighter who killed the foreign tyrant Gessler after he forced Tell to shoot an apple on his son’s head.
Within the story, the phrase “He will come through this hollow alley!” is known to every Swiss, even to those who do not know the story’s content. And here we are in this hollow alley. A quaint well-maintained chapel leads to the narrow, mossy stone-paved atmospheric path which conjures up the very scene of Tell shooting Gessler with a crossbow. The story is illustrated at an info center pavilion next to the alleged murder scene. I am a bit of history buff so this visit alone made my day!
Biking along our first lake of today, the Lake of Zug, and seeing the imposing Rigi’s north flank at left, we continue south. Soon the scenic Lake Lucerne comes into view. We had to share the narrow road with many fancy open cars, motorbikes and what we like to call “combat cyclists”.
At Weggis, a charming café floating on the lake is perfect for our coffee and tea break. It makes “Sailor” Philippe feel like being on a boat, which he loves, but this swaying makes me (a non-sailor) almost seasick. In any case, after two months of the gloomy corona crisis, it is nice to be able to sit in a café for a break, while seeing others enjoying the summer day out.
To me, the stunning Lake Lucerne, its fjord-like coastline with the backdrop of towering mountain peaks is one of the most dramatic sceneries in Switzerland.
We arrive in Brunnen, an attractive little resort town which lies on the shore of Urnersee. On this sunny Sunday and a lot of people are enjoying a leisurely walk at the lakeside and a Mediterranean feel lingers in the air. We put our feet in refreshingly cold water and enjoy the fantastic views of Stoos-Fronalpstock and other mountaintops as well as the Rütliwiese, the birthplace of Switzerland.
Looking up at two characteristic peaks of the Mythen in the east, we biked the final stretch along today’s third lake, the Lauerzsee, a lovely small lake, on the other side of Mt. Rigi.
It is great to look at Mt. Rigi from every angle and visit three lakes. Despite the persistent traffic, this is one of the most scenic bike tours we’ve done.
Fly, Hike & Travel. 