Mount Pilatus strongly stimulated the imagination of the people in Switzerland early on. This was because it seemingly rose gently from the flatlands, but then suddenly jutted steeply upwards in massive rock formations. The ancients called it "Fractus mons" (broken mountain) or Frakmont . They considered it nothing more than a split and broken-up mighty hill. Since the people of antiquity could not explain the elemental forces that once split the mountain, they saw in them the work of evil powers. Because fire, water, storms, and lightning had always terrified the residents, they believed that these forces were causing mischief on the mountain. In the ignorance of the Middle Ages, one thing was clear: spirits lived there. In the stories, one heard of dragons, ghosts, spirits, hobgoblins (Herdmännlein), and mischievous dwarves (Toggelis); even the Türst and the Sträggele caused trouble there.

The Alte Suidtersche Apotheke (Old Suidtersche Pharmacy) was founded in 1833, and parts of the interior haven't changed since then. Customers from near and far are served in an antique setting. The pharmacy also offers its own house specialties, such as the well-known "Mother and Child" skin balm. The real highlight, however, is the medieval display window. During the day, you can hardly see anything because there are no lights on inside. But at night, a medieval pharmacy is revealed. You can see shelves filled with jars and containers featuring labels and symbols, bones, jawbones with teeth, an old medical book, and an eagle owl. Hanging from the ceiling are dried remedies, wood, roots, a pufferfish, and the "Pilatus Dragon."

Around the 18th century, a new idea appeared: minor offenders were made to work for the public. This punishment was called “Schellenwerk.” The word “Schelle” means clamp . People sentenced to the Schellenwerk were put in chains, and the chains had metal clamps that made noise. They also had to wear a heavy iron neck ring with a large clip, called the “beak.” This made them easy to see and hear. During the day, the Schellenwerker had to do hard physical work, such as construction work or repairing the dam. In winter, this often meant standing in cold river water. At night, they were locked into the Weggistor , a gate at the end of today’s Hertensteinstrasse. Historical reports say that the Schellenwerk was also used to force lazy or work-shy young adults to work.