The Steep One: Seebodenalp – Rigi Staffel (or vice versa)

A short, demanding ascent on Rigi’s northern slope: from the open alpine pastures, the trail climbs through the forest to Rigi Staffel, accompanied by views of Lake Lucerne and Rigi Kulm.

The cable car from Küssnacht takes hikers up to Seebodenalp, a terrace overlooking Rigi’s northern slope. The short but strenuous climb of around 3.5 kilometres begins right by the station. Between the mountain restaurants and Hotel Seebodenalp, views open up across Lake Lucerne, with Rigi Kulm rising above. At first, a broad hiking trail leads across the forest-fringed alpine pastures towards Grodboden.

The mountain trail then becomes considerably steeper on Rigi’s northern slope. Via Holderen and Düssen, it gains almost 600 metres in elevation without any intervening descent, mostly through forest and occasionally across open pastures. As the elevation increases, the views become more expansive, while the destination only comes into sight late in the ascent. After a good hour and a half, the route reaches its highest point at Rigi Staffel, at around 1,600 metres. Restaurant Lok 7 stands close to the trail, and just a few steps farther on, the ascent ends directly at Rigi Staffel station.