In der Schweiz kann es sein, dass man in den Wintermonaten die Sonne für Tage nicht zu Gesicht bekommt. Es ist aber nicht so, dass sie nicht scheinen würde. Das Fiese ist, dass im Tal (unter 800 m) eine fette hartnäckige Nebelschicht hockt, durch die die Sonnenstrahlen nicht durchkommen. So hat man, wenn man in dieser Suppe hockt, dass Gefühl, die Sonne mache Ferien, um sich in Mexiko zu erholen, dabei geniesst sie Aprèsski in den Bergen. Um unsere Vitamin B-Tanks wieder aufzufüllen (von der Reise waren wir uns wirklich Traumwetter gewöhnt), machten wir einen Ausflug auf die "Königin der Berge" - die Rigi. Sie liegt mitten in der Zentralschweiz zwischen drei Seen und ist 1797 m hoch. Sie ist sozusagen unser Hausberg, wir waren schon als kleine Knöpfe dort Wandern oder Schlitteln. Sogar der romantische englische Maler William Turner hat sie in einem seiner Werke verewigt (wie übrigens auch den Vierwaldstättersee und den Gotthardpass).
Nach rund 40 Minuten Fahrt mit der Zahnradbahn ist man oben auf dem Gipfel angelangt. Diese Bahn war die erste ihrer Art in Europa. Erste Entwürfe, die planten, die Bahn mittels Heissluftballon auf den Berg hoch zu ziehen, wurden bald durch die Zahnradtechnik ersetzt. So konnten ab 1871 viel mehr Leute nach oben gebracht werden, als zuvor, als die Besucher noch mittels Sänfte den Berg hoch getragen wurden! Lustwandeln auf dem Gipfel wurde zum Trend, ein Grand Hotel mit 2000 Betten wurde errichtet und rege besucht. Zunächst gab es aber keine Fahrten im Winter, da man es zu mühsam fand, auf der ganzen Strecke Schnee von den Gleisen zu räumen. Als jedoch der Skisport aufkommt, wittert die Gattin des Hoteliers auf der Kulm ein grosses Geschäft und gibt 1906 in den Lokalzeitungen Inserate auf, die damit werben, dass die Rigibahnen am nächsten Tag fahren. Dutzende Leute stehen am Folgetag vor der Tür der Rigibahn. Ab da wird die Rigi auch zum Wintersportort. Während den zwei Weltkriegen versiegt der Touristenstrom und es bleiben schlussendlich nur noch 300 Hotelbetten übrig.
Trotzdem bleibt die Rigi wegen ihres wunderbaren Panoramas der innerschweizer Berge ein tolles Ausflugsziel und im Winter ein toller Ort, um die Sonne zu geniessen und schadenfreudig auf das Nebelmeer hinunterzublicken.
During the wintermonths it’s possible that you don’t see the sun for days in Switzerland. But it’s not as if it wouldn’t shine. The mean thing is that a big fat layer of fog that the rays of the sun can’t pass is covering everything below 800 m. So when you sit in this fog soup it seems that the sun is on a holiday in Mexico but instead it’s really close enjoying the après ski in the mountains. To fill up our vitamin D tanks (we were really used to sunny weather after the world trip) we made a trip to the „queen of mountains“ – the Rigi. She’s situated in the centre of Switzerland amidst three lakes and is 1797 m high. She’s our home mountain so to say as we went there for sledging or hiking since we were little. Even the English romantic painter William Turner portraied her (he also painted lake Vierwaldstätter and Gotthard pass by the way). After 40 minutes drive with the rack railway you reach the top. This railway was the first of its kind in Europe. First drafts to run the car with a hotair ballon (!) were soon replaced by the rack technique. From 1871 many passengers could be transported up the mountain. Before visitors were carried uphill on a palanquin! Strolling on the mountain top became a new trend and a grand hotel with 2000 beds was built. In the first time the railway was not running in winter because it would have been necessary to remove the snow from the rails. But when skiing was becoming more popular the wife of the hotel keeper scented a profitable business and put an advertisement in the local newspapers that the railway would run the following day. Dozens of people were waiting in front of the gate the next day. Mt. Rigi became a destination for wintersports from then on. During the two worldwars no tourists were visiting anymore until there were only 300 hotel beds remaining. Nevertheless Mt. Rigi remains a very nice destination because of her beautiful panoramic views across the mountains of central Switzerland and in winter it’s the perfect place to enjoy some sun and gleefully glance at the sea of fog below.
During the wintermonths it’s possible that you don’t see the sun for days in Switzerland. But it’s not as if it wouldn’t shine. The mean thing is that a big fat layer of fog that the rays of the sun can’t pass is covering everything below 800 m. So when you sit in this fog soup it seems that the sun is on a holiday in Mexico but instead it’s really close enjoying the après ski in the mountains. To fill up our vitamin D tanks (we were really used to sunny weather after the world trip) we made a trip to the „queen of mountains“ – the Rigi. She’s situated in the centre of Switzerland amidst three lakes and is 1797 m high. She’s our home mountain so to say as we went there for sledging or hiking since we were little. Even the English romantic painter William Turner portraied her (he also painted lake Vierwaldstätter and Gotthard pass by the way). After 40 minutes drive with the rack railway you reach the top. This railway was the first of its kind in Europe. First drafts to run the car with a hotair ballon (!) were soon replaced by the rack technique. From 1871 many passengers could be transported up the mountain. Before visitors were carried uphill on a palanquin! Strolling on the mountain top became a new trend and a grand hotel with 2000 beds was built. In the first time the railway was not running in winter because it would have been necessary to remove the snow from the rails. But when skiing was becoming more popular the wife of the hotel keeper scented a profitable business and put an advertisement in the local newspapers that the railway would run the following day. Dozens of people were waiting in front of the gate the next day. Mt. Rigi became a destination for wintersports from then on. During the two worldwars no tourists were visiting anymore until there were only 300 hotel beds remaining. Nevertheless Mt. Rigi remains a very nice destination because of her beautiful panoramic views across the mountains of central Switzerland and in winter it’s the perfect place to enjoy some sun and gleefully glance at the sea of fog below.
