The SS Rigi is an icon amongst steamships and the oldest surviving flush-deck side-wheeler steamer in the world. It’s been located in the heart of the Swiss Museum of Transport since the latter’s founding in 1959. The exhibition tells you all about Switzerland’s oldest preserved engine-powered means of transport through original exhibits, videos, tourism posters, models and documents. A giant mural shows where the SS Rigi spent its working life – on Lake Lucerne between Flüelen and Lucerne. There are two ways of accessing the hull: either via the landing stage in the Navigation Hall or, as in the past, by boat and then climbing an accommodation ladder. However, the paddle steamer can also be viewed from the outside. A boating channel, inspired by the Swiss National Exhibition of 1939, surrounds the mighty hull – accompanied by vintage tourism posters – enabling visitors to float around the boat and enjoy an illustration-rich experience.
The accompanying exhibition in the Navigation, Cableways and Tourism Hall tells the story of steamship navigation based on the SS Rigi. An interactive touchscreen provides visitors with a profile of Louis Weimer, the first captain of the SS Rigi, the north-south transport route, shipping safety and accidents, and lots more. Test your geographical knowledge of Lake Lucerne and use the touchscreen to assign the tourism posters along the boating channel to the correct locations on the map. Experience the exhibition as a place of interactive learning and immerse yourself in this exciting topic.