Weggis

With a pretty waterfront park and promenade, Weggis is a summer resort town known for its mild, almost subtropical climate—little wonder that it is a magnet for Switzerland's retirees. It's far from the highway and accessible only by the secondary road, so you get a pleasant sense of isolation. The famed Mt. Rigi (1,798 meters [5,900 feet]) is just a cable-car ride away from Weggis: follow signs for the Rigibahn, a station high above the resort (a 15-minute walk). From here you can ride a large cable car to Rigi-Kaltbad, a small resort on a spectacular plateau; walk across to the electric rack-and-pinion railway station and ride the steep tracks of the Vitznau-Rigi line to the summit of the mountain. Take an elevator to the Rigi-Kulm hotel to enjoy the views indoors or walk to the crest (45 minutes) to see as far as the Black Forest in one direction and Mt. Säntis in the other. Or consider climbing to the top, staying in the hotel, and getting up early to see the sun rise over the Alps—a view that astounded both Victor Hugo and Mark Twain. With Lake Luzern on one side and Lake Zug on the other, Mt. Rigi can feel like an island.