In the 19th century, rigit porters carried wealthy guests in carrying chairs, while horse owners and mountain guides led travelers to the “Queen of the Mountains”. They facilitated the rise of a new tourist culture and brought prosperity to the region. However, this activity came to an abrupt end with the opening of the Vitznau-Rigi Railway in 1871.
A new stream of travelers
It was around 1820 when the Queen of the Mountains, the Rigi, began to cement its reputation as a place of longing for travelers from all over the world. What had previously been a quiet retreat for farmers, shepherds and pious pilgrims was transformed into a stage for the sophisticated world with the arrival of the first tourists. Painters and poets raved about the sunrises, crowned heads and artists traveled here from half of Europe. But without those inconspicuous helpers in the background – the riggers, horse owners and mountain guides – this spectacle would hardly have been possible.
The Rigi porters – silent heroes of the mountains
Those who could or wanted to spare themselves the effort of the steep paths could be carried to the top in a stretcher. The Rigi porters, sturdy men from the surrounding communities, carried the travelers on their shoulders up to the viewpoints. They moved over hill and dale, in heat and rain, in ankle-high, hand-sewn shoes. Their steps were sure, but the load was heavy. For they not only carried the weight of the guests – mostly elegant ladies and gentlemen in the fashion of their time – but also the pride of an entire region that was suddenly opening up to tourism.
Grip shoes for Rigi Porters © Photo: Franz Josef Beeler, Goldau
A special testimony to this era was on display in summer 2025 at the exhibition “150 years of the Rigi-Scheidegg Railway”: a pair of grip shoes from 1920, skillfully handcrafted by Marzell Camenzind (1895-1963). These robust leather shoes with hand-forged iron pins gave the Rigi porters a secure grip on steep, damp paths. It is easy to imagine how they carried guests uphill step by step at dawn, with their heads bowed and breathing calmly – an image that tells of quiet dignity and admirable strength.
Horse owners and coachmen – the ascent begins in the valley
Not all travelers wanted to be carried. Those who preferred to travel on the back of animals or in a carriage put their trust in the horse owners. They were already waiting at the foot of the Rigi with their carts clattering along the paths. Horses snorted, horseshoes clinked, and the touring parties were taken up to inns and viewpoints. For many farming families, this activity provided a welcome extra income. The horse owners knew every stone and every resting place, they knew where water flowed and where the shade was gentle on the animals.
They were also part of the silent network of helpers that made the influx of tourists possible in the first place. Without them, sophisticated society would not have experienced the ease that it praised so effusively in letters, diaries and poems.
Rigi Guide – Paving the way to the heights
In addition to porters and horse owners, the Rigi guides also played a crucial role. They accompanied the guests along more challenging paths, explained the views and told stories about mountains, valleys and legends. With a sure step, they led the way through rough terrain, pointed out the most beautiful spots for sunrises and knew the secret places where alpine flowers bloomed.
They were often the same men who cut wood or worked as shepherds in winter. In summer, however, they transformed themselves into ambassadors of a new era, in which the mountains were not just a place to live, but a place of longing.
A heyday and an abrupt end
The steadily growing number of visitors brought the inhabitants of the Rigi communities unimagined income. What had previously been a meagre mountain existence now offered a new livelihood – if only for half a century. Rigi porters, horse owners and guides rose to become respected figures, their services were well remunerated and some families owed their first prosperity to them.
Vitznau-Rigi Railway in 1871
But everything changed with the opening of the Vitznau-Rigi Railway in 1871. Iron progress steamed up the mountain, faster and more comfortably than a porter or horse would ever have been able to. The demand for Rigi porters and horse-drawn coachmen quickly collapsed. What had been a livelihood for generations came to an abrupt end – the victim of a new era in which technology changed the face of the mountains.
Remembrance of a bygone era
Today, only a few reminders of this time remain. A pair of grip shoes, an old picture of a Rigi carrier with a carrying chair, the stories in travelogues – they bring to life the era when tourism was still young and full of adventure.
It is a world that takes you back to the atmosphere of the Belle Époque – to the years when the Rigi was crowned Queen of the Mountains. Carried, guided and accompanied by people whose names rarely made it into the history books, but who paved the way for generations of travelers.