From November 15-17, 2024, the whole family can experience pure Christmas magic up in the Swiss mountains with the arrival of the Christmas Market at Pilatus Kulm. Come and discover the highest Christmas market in Europe!
Europe's highest Christmas market
High above Lake Lucerne, one of the largest Swiss lakes, Mount Pilatus rises, giving stunning views of rival peaks and the lakes nestled at the feet of the mountains. This is the rich backdrop to the Mount Pilatus Christmas market, which takes place at Pilatus Kulm, 2.132 meters above sea level!
Over 40 richly decorated market stands will be set up here for three days only, selling gifts and crafts in the most magical place possible. The various restaurants on the top of the mountain are open for business, so you can enjoy some delicious Swiss delicacies after doing your shopping.
How to get to Mount Pilatus Christmas market
The wonderful thing about having a Christmas market on top of a mountain is that the journey is perhaps even more magical than the market!
There are several different routes up Mount Pilatus by public transport, and you can easily plan your own preferred option.
One of the most popular is to travel by bus from Lucerne to the nearby town of Kriens, a journey that takes just 20 minutes. From there, a five-minute walk will take you to the Panorama Gondolas that carry you up the mountain to Fräkmüntegg station. From there, you step into the futuristic-looking Dragon Ride aerial cableway, and glide up to the summit of Mount Pilatus, with amazing views all the way.
Then, while you can repeat the journey back down the mountain, to return home you can also travel back on the mountain railway to Alpnachstad, which runs its last journey of the season on the same day the market finishes. The steepest cogwheel railway in the world runs in a zigzag fashion back down the snowy slopes. It's worth booking a time for this as the queues to get home at the end of the day can be quite long!
From the lakeside town of Alpnachstad, you can take the half-hourly train and be back in Lucerne in just 20 minutes. What a Christmas adventure!
The Mount Pilatus market is open during the following hours:
- Friday, November 15: 12pm-6pm
- Saturday, November 16: 9am-6pm
- Sunday, November 17: 9am-4pm
The cable cars down to Kriens run until 7pm on the Friday and Saturday evenings, especially for visitors to the market. The market is free to enter, but you need to buy regular tickets for the transport up the mountain.
You can find out more about the market and what there is to explore on Mount Pilatus on the Mount Pilatus official website.