Weggis
"The Village of Roses"
This is a lovely old village with a population of about 3000 people. Situated on the south side of Mount Rigi on the eastern shores of the lake it's within easy reach of Luzern, roughly fifty minutes by lake steamer. Weggis is the main cable car station for Mount Rigi and as a result a lot of visitors pass through here on their way to the top of the mountain.
The old records refer to Weggis as Quatigiso. Over the years the name was changed to Guategiso, Wetgis, Wäggis, and finally Weggis. In 1359 Weggis joined the Swiss Federation as an independent member. At the beginning of the 19th Century, the Rigi and with it Weggis, became world famous
This is an attractive village that has been host to some famous guests over the last couple of centuries including: Queen Victoria, Emperor Karl I, Ludwig II, Otto v. Bismarck, Prime Minister Lloyd George, Alexandre Dumas, Paul Lincke, Emile Zola, Mark Twain, Sergej Rachmaninoff and Edwin Fischer.
Nestling in a south-facing bay it's protected from cold northerly weather by Mount Rigi itself. Surrounded by rich agricultural land the village is blessed with plenty of sunshine. From the quayside there’s a beautiful garden promenade running several kilometres along the lakeshore. The variety of colors from the beautiful flowerbeds, palm trees, magnolias, chestnut and fig trees that grow naturally here is simply gorgeous and well worth the stroll for garden lovers.
It’s a lovely stroll along the promenade but its also nice to just sit and admire the scenery and watch the boats come in and out of the harbor. The view across the lake, about 2.5km/1.5 miles to the Burgenstock cliffs, is spectacular and some of the sunsets from here can be dramatic.
In early July the village hosts the Rose Festival. During July and August lake steamers operate with music and folklore on board. There are weekly-guided walks and entertainment programmes of open-air concerts, festivals and folklore evenings. Musicians play in the Kurplatz on summer mornings, but not on Mondays.
To be continued...
