Don’t get me wrong – the holiday was great, the scenery was great and, of course, Switzerland was great. The title refers to wonderful array of mechanisms that get you from bottom to top and vice versa so you can fully enjoy the splendour of the Swiss landscape.


Arriving from London’s Heathrow airport into Zurich on a smooth SWISS flight we were quickly through the entry procedures and onto a quiet double decker train heading towards Lucerne. A painless connection in Lucerne’s main station and we are on our way again heading along a lovely scenic rail route to Meiringen.

After a comfortable night’s stay we are taken by mini-bus to the valley station of the Gelmer Funicular. The Gelmerbahn is the steepest funicular in Europe. It was originally built to facilitate the construction of the Lake Gelmer reservoir in 1926. The lake maximises the hydroelectric resources of the area. The funicular was not open to the public until 2001. The line is owned and operated by Kraftwerke Oberhasli AG (KWO), who also own the power station.



This single carriage, single track funicular rises 1,470 feet in just 3,373 feet. The entire journey only takes 10 minutes but what a 10 minutes. The panorama is breath-taking and, as we rise up backwards, the views ‘over the edge’ are not for those suffering from vertigo.

We arrive at the Top Station and walk to the lake. It has a beautiful light blue colour and is encased on three side by steep natural slopes and on the fourth by the dam. We walked across the dam while admiring the views surrounding the reservoir.


From here we made our descent on foot to the valley below. This is not as simple as it sounds. I have arthritis in my knee joints and use a stick to steady myself when walking. The downwards track comprised of medium and small flatish rocks which, in some places were wet from mountain streams. It was during this descent that I became great friends with the KWO Ranger Thomas. After a few unsteady moments, we held hands the rest of the way as he guided me along this sometimes narrow path. Exhausted but elated I joined the rest of our group. From here there was a hike down the Grimsel Pass to the Hotel Handeck but, being very considerate, I was offered a ride in our host’s mini-bus.

This 3 Star establishment is very much an oasis from where you can indulge in adventurous pursuits. It also has an excellent restaurant and that is where, sitting on the outdoor terrace, we enjoyed some tasty schnitzel, not to mention the excellent and very welcome cold beer.To see much more about the hotel please click on this link.

http://www.myswitzerland.com/en-gb/hotel-und-naturresort-handeck.html

It was time to walk off our indulgences and we headed away from the hotel, past an aromatic pen filled with sunbathing pigs and onwards towards the spectacular Handeckfall swing bridge. Crossing this swinging, narrow track bridge was another success of determination over fear. I crossed to the other side of the ravine safely but only really enjoyed the views from the point of entry and the point of exit. It was truly spectacular.

The following day we trained our way back to Lucerne where we were met by Gabriela, our guide for a walking tour of this charming city’s centre. Sadly it was raining for most of the day, sometimes very hard. Firstly we lunched at the restaurant Nix In Der Lanterne with an outdoor seating area looking across the river. Due to the wet conditions we all ate inside. The food was both interesting and delicious. Click on this link to see what is on offer.
http://www.nixinderlaterne.ch/


Once more into the rain dear friends. If you like somewhere in the rain then you will love it on a sunny day. This certainly applies to Lucerne. We splashed our way around the city sights hitting the architectural and historic highlights. On our return journey we came back through Lucerne on a sunny day and had a little time to retrace some of our steps. Yes, I did love Lucerne.

We collected our luggage that was kindly being looked after in the Tourist Office and headed across the road to the Ferry Terminal. Here we boarded one of the many ferries that ply their trade on Lake Luzern (Swiss spelling) much like a waterborne bus service. Still raining, we sat and stared out of misty windows, through sheets of water ruing the fact that we couldn’t enjoy the scenery. Our destination was Weggis.

By the time we arrived it had almost stopped raining and so we were able to walk to our hotel – the 4 Star Hotel Beau Rivage followed by a kind gentleman sent by the hotel to carry our luggage. This super hotel, fronting onto Lake Luzern, is a delight. It manages to merge comfort and homeliness with an undeniable feeling of luxury. This was confirmed by the sumptuously delicious gourmet dinner we had in the hotel that evening. To see more about this lovely hotel please click on http://www.beaurivage-weggis.ch/

In the morning, after a fine buffet breakfast we headed on foot to the base station for the cable car ascent from Weggis to Rigi Kaltbad. It only took 11 months to build and went into service on 15 July 1968. It elevated us 924 metres in less than 10 minutes. I may have mentioned previously the almost seamless way that the transportation system works and this upwards trip was no exception.

Off the cable car and up to the platform where we boarded a cogwheel train going up to Rigi Kulm. The operating company, Rigi Bahnen were the leaders in this technology and launched Europe's first ever cogwheel mountain railway in 1871. It was converted to electricity in the first half of the 20th century. That same cogwheel system is still in use today – obviously having strenuously high standards of inspection and maintenance.

It was a beautiful clear day and the views were stupendous as we progressed towards our final destination of Rigi Kulm. Here we had lunch in the restaurant of the Rigi Kulm Hotel and afterwards were free to enjoy the stunning scenery that surrounds the hotel. It isn’t surprising that the Rigi featured in a Mark Twain story and in several of that fine English landscape artist J.M.W.Turner’s paintings. http://www.rigikulm.ch/


It was then time to leave and I boarded one of the trains and descended all the way down to Vitznau on Lake Luzern. Here I caught one of those ‘bus-boats’ and returned to Weggis.

Getting Around in Switzerland

The Swiss Pass entitles you to unlimited travel on consecutive days throughout the rail, bus and boat Swiss Travel System network. The Swiss Pass is available for 4, 8, 15 or 22 days or one month. Click ttp://www.swisstravelsystem.co.uk/ for more details and how to book this great value package.

For more information about these destinations please visit the following websites.

Mount Rigi Peninsula – www.rigi.ch

Luzern Tourist Board – www.luzern.com

KWO – www.grimselstrom.ch

Grimselwelt – www.grimselwelt.ch

And for arranged holidays to this area as well as all over Switzerland – Inghams. www.inghams.co.uk

Postscript

While I have highlighted the names and websites of some of the places mentioned, I feel it only fair to explain that my switching from ‘we’ to ‘I’ during the article was because, accompanying me on this visit were three young ladies; Bridget from Scotland's Sunday Mail, Kirsty from the Liverpool Echo and Lisa from Inghams. They had to contend with my jokes, vocal accompaniments and slightly slower progress. My thanks go to them for making this trip all the more enjoyable.