Photo: Tobi 87, CC BY-SA 3.0 / Wikimedia Commons
About this guide
Lucerne's Chapel Bridge, about 650 years old, stands beside the octagonal Water Tower; the Lion Monument, carved into the rock and inaugurated in 1821, commemorates the Swiss Guards who died in Paris in 1792. Above the lake rises Pilatus: the world's steepest cogwheel railway climbs from Alpnachstad to Pilatus Kulm at 2,132 m, and a gondola and the Dragon Ride cableway come up from Kriens.
The Lucerne lakeside path (SchweizMobil route 560) leads from the station past the KKL and along the quays to the Lido and the Hotel Seeburg. On Pilatus, the Dragon Trail loops through the rock from Pilatus Kulm, and the Flower Trail leads to the Tomlishorn and back.
- Difficulty
Lakeside path: a walk along the shore. The Pilatus walks have no official grade.
- Season
Lakeside path year-round. Cogwheel railway 11 May – 29 November 2026; gondola and Dragon Ride closed for maintenance 19 October – 27 November 2026. Flower Trail mid-June to October; the Dragon Trail is partly impassable in winter.
- Getting there
The lakeside path starts at Lucerne station. Pilatus from Alpnachstad (cogwheel railway) or Kriens (gondola); the Golden Round Trip combines both.
- Food & drink
Restaurant Pilatus-Kulm and Restaurant Bellevue at Pilatus Kulm; restaurants and cafés along the lakeside promenade.
Map, routes and places
Trails
Route data checked: October 2026 ·
Places
Sights & viewpoints
Huts & food
Getting there & parking
Plan your trip
Valley station of the world's steepest cogwheel railway (up to 48 %), to Pilatus Kulm in about 30 minutes. Runs 11 May – 29 November 2026.
Panorama gondola to Fräkmüntegg, then the Dragon Ride cableway to Pilatus Kulm. Closed for maintenance 19 October – 27 November 2026.
Book guided experiences
Related guides
Sources (3) · last checked October 2026
Route data checked: October 2026