The Best Photo Spots on Pilatus, with Map and Tips
Map
The photo spots at a glance
1. Tomlishorn (2128 m)
The highest point of Pilatus, reached via the Blumenpfad (Flower Trail) from Pilatus Kulm. The roughly half-hour trail is secured with railings throughout, with steps cut into the rock at steeper sections, normal hiking shoes are enough. Wide panoramic view over the Central Switzerland Alps, best on days with clear visibility.
A prominent summit point, a few minutes' walk from Hotel Pilatus-Kulm, with a steep view down onto Lake Lucerne and the city. Esel, Tomlishorn and Klimsenhorn lie close by and can also be photographed well from here. One of the most photographed points on Pilatus.
The second-highest peak of Pilatus, right next to Hotel Bellevue, with an all-round view of Lake Lucerne and the surrounding mountains. The path there starts on foot behind the hotel. Important for planning: the viewpoint is closed in winter.
An adventure trail based on the Pilatus dragon legend, starting at Pilatus Kulm. Parts of the path are cut into the rock and repeatedly open up views through gaps in the stone, a motif in its own right. In winter, the trail is only open on selected days.
The steepest cogwheel railway in the world, with a gradient of up to 48 percent, runs through alpine meadows and rock formations. It operates seasonally from mid-May to the end of November, outside this period Pilatus can only be reached via the cableways from Kriens, which run year-round.
On clear autumn days, fog often fills the valley basin while the Pilatus summit sits above it in the sun, a classic Central Switzerland motif. Since the cogwheel railway only runs from mid-May to the end of November, sea-of-fog shots in late autumn or winter are best reached via the year-round cableways from Kriens.
Pilatus can be photographed year-round, though the season affects how you get there. The cogwheel railway from Alpnachstad only runs from mid-May to the end of November, while the panoramic gondola and the «Dragon Ride» aerial cableway from Kriens operate year-round, apart from maintenance periods. Visibility is usually clearest in the morning, and on clear autumn and winter days a sea of fog often fills the valley. For sunrise and sunset shots, an overnight stay on the summit is the only option, since the last cableways and trains descend in the evening.
Photos from this photo spot
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