Mt. Pilatus

Although this mountain is only 7,000 ft high, it is one of the most breathtaking places I've ever been. With it's steep cliffs, very old cogwheel trains with a 48% gradient climb making them the steepest mountain trains in the world, tunnels through the mountain, and a view of the surrounding lakes, it's hard not to put this on your bucket list. I would rate this one of the most scenic adventures I have been on. If you really want a scare, try riding the 20+ passenger gondolas/cable cars which travel from peak to peak. Now I'm a little afraid of heights but I had a blast and I'm sure you will not be disappointed. They also have a "Luge" sled ride for all ages. It's not the fastest in the world but it definately makes you feel like a kid again. The nearby town of Lucerne where I stayed is also picturesque. Make sure and take the ferry to the base of Pilatus but give yourself plenty of time to relax and take it all in. Some of the best pics I've ever taken are from here :) Safe travels...

Mt. Pilatus on a nice day is not to miss. I travelled from Luzern by ferry, which is a great start to the trip. You stop at a few villages with amazing views of the mountains and valleys and finally stop at the base of the cog for Mt. Pilatus. The way home was a different route.

The line was pretty long in August when I was there. We waited for a good 1.5 hours to get on the train, so get there early! Taking the cog up will give you some great views, you can depart half way up if you wish to do some trekking.

Once at the top you depart into a big building offering a cafe and some shops (toilets too). There is a paved area with a couple of cafes, beers and deck chairs to soak in the sun. On either side you can climb various paths to get higher and enjoy better views, which you should do.

After a couple of hours we lined up for the gondola ride down the back side of the mountain which is very high off the ground and offers amazing views as you descend into the valley. Half way down you switch to a smaller one and then you depart in a village where we got a bus back to Luzern.

On a nice day you can see for miles and the Swiss scenery in summer is not something to miss. Getting there, touring and back will take the better part of a day. You can buy a package in the Luzern TI.

I work for an educational travel company called Explorica (www.explorica.com) and recently had the opportunity to go on a tour of Germany, Switzerland & Austria. One of the excursions on the tour was a trip to (and up) Mt. Pilatus. The mountain was amazing! I went with the tour, but you can get a package at the tourist information center. Once you get to the base you take the world's steepest cog train to the top. The train ride itself is great, but the view from the top is what is really worth it! There are some paths and trails to walk and different adventure parks and toboggan rides for kids. It all ends with a relaxing gondola ride to the bottom - not to be missed!