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ARRIVAL LAKE LUCERNE

LUCERNE

LOCAL TRANSPORT

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Arrival

Arriving Asleep in Switzerland

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Lake Lucerne

With the densest network of mountain railways and the largest inland shipping in Europe, the Lake Lucerne region has developed into a year-round vacation

paradise. By train, the journey from Zurich to Lucerne takes 45 minutes, or to Flüelen just over an hour.

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Flüelen

Flüelen is a political municipality in the canton of Uri. The place is located at the southern end of the Urnersee, an arm of Lake Lucerne. If you want to

embark on a round trip, Flüelen is suitable as a starting point. From the train station, it is only a few minutes to the ship station.

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Isleten is part of the municipality of Bauen and is located in the canton of Uri. For a long time, the place was an important industrial location. Isleten was the starting point of the industrialization of the canton.

In 1873, Alfred Nobel founded an explosives factory here, where the dynamite necessary for the construction of the Gotthard railway tunnel was produced.

Isleten-Isenthal

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The idyllic Bauen is the smallest village in the canton of Uri. It lies at the foot of the Nidwalden mountains in a green-blue bay. Visitors and guests particularly appreciate the peace and naturalness of the place. The

Mediterranean vegetation is complemented by elements from the north.

Bauen

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Tellsplatte

About three kilometers south of the municipality of Sisikon lies the Tellsplatte. During a strong Föhn storm, according to legend, the Swiss folk hero William Tell jumped from the boat of Bailiff Gessler. As early as

1388, a memorial chapel is said to have stood at this site. The Tell Chapel was first mentioned in documents in Heinrich Brennwald's "Swiss Chronicle".

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The chapel is adorned with four frescoes by the Basel artist Ernst Stückelberg. On the hill above the Tellsplatte

stands the largest carillon in Switzerland. The 37 bronze bells ring every full hour during the day.

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Sisikon is first documented in 1173. The Tell Chapel, a few kilometers away, was incorporated into the municipality's coat of arms.

The village is intersected by two main traffic arteries: the Gotthard railway line and the national road A4, also known as the Axenstrasse.

Sisikon

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The Rütli is an approximately five-hectare mountain meadow in the municipality of Seelisberg. According to legend, the alliance of the three original cantons of Uri, Schwyz, and Unterwalden was concluded on this

meadow on August 1, 1291. The "Cradle of Switzerland" has the character of a national monument. Here you can find an inn, a picnic meadow, the Three Cantons Fountain, and a small exhibition on the history of this

Rütli

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The place is most easily accessible via the landing stage. For decades, a federal celebration of the Swiss Public Utility Society (SGG) has taken place on the Rütli on August 1. Due to some unpleasant incidents at the

celebration, visitors have had to apply for admission tickets in advance since 2006.

Numerous international personalities visited or dealt with the Rütli. Friedrich Schiller, Queen Victoria, Queen Elizabeth, King Leopold of Bavaria, and Mark Twain. As early as in the White Book of Sarnen from 1470/1472,

the rock was mentioned as Mythenstein. On the 100th birthday of Friedrich Schiller, the stone was transformed into the Schiller Monument in 1859.

We want to be a single people of brothers, in no distress to separate us and danger. We want to be free, as our fathers were, rather death than live in servitude.

We want to trust in the highest God, and not fear the power of men.

2nd Act, at the end of the 2nd Scene,

FRIEDRICH SCHILLER - WILLIAM TELL - RÜTLI OATH

Brunnen

Brunnen is part of the municipality of Ingenbohl and is located in the canton of Schwyz. In the locality, the Leewasser stream springs from an artesian source, to which Brunnen also owes its name. After Lucerne,

Brunnen is the second most important tourist destination on the lake. This is also the destination of the Swiss Path.

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Treib

Treib is part of the higher-lying municipality of Seelisberg. The two places are connected by a funicular and a narrow road. In 1482, the House at Treib was

mentioned for the first time. The current house dates from 1658. Treib was a neutral territory for the persecuted, who enjoyed three days of asylum there.

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Gersau

Flüelen is a political municipality in the canton of Uri. The place is located at the southern end of the Urnersee, an arm of Lake Lucerne. If you want to embark on a round trip, Flüelen is suitable as a starting

point. From the train station, it is only a few minutes to the ship station.

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Beckenried

Beckenried is located in the canton of Nidwalden. The first documented mention dates from 1314. In the town center of Beckenried is the station of the cable car to the hiking and viewing paradise on the Klewenalp. The

panoramic view from the mountain station at 1,593m is breathtaking. High above Lake Lucerne, you can go on a relaxing hike or embark on a descent by bicycle.

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There are also some accommodation options on the Klewenalp.Options include the mountain guesthouse or, as a special experience, the tipi tent camp.

Vitznau is located in the bay of the Weggis basin, at the southern foot of the Rigi. Due to this special geographical location, the municipality enjoys an exceptionally mild climate. In addition to wine, palms also grow here. The Rigi is a mountain massif whose highest peak is the Rigi Kulm at almost 1,800 m. The

mountain is sometimes also called the "Queen of the Mountains". Two cogwheel railways and two cable cars lead to the Rigi. The mountain railway from Vitznau to Rigi Kulm, put into operation in 1871, was the first mountain railway in Europe.

Vitznau

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From November to mid-May, this noble house is in

The Vitznauerhof is a luxury hotel under monument protection in Vitznau.

winter break.

Weggis

The name Weggis comes from Celtic and means something like "place of the ferrymen". After Lucerne, Weggis is the second largest tourist destination in the canton of Lucerne. Favored by the mild climate, the

place is also gladly called the "Riviera of Central Switzerland". Here, in 1919, the first beach bath in Switzerland was opened, in which women and men did not have to bathe separately.

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It is also interesting that Weggis belongs to the particularly tax-advantaged regions. Many personalities such as Mark Twain, Emperor Charles I of Austria, and

the Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff were guests in Weggis.

Hertenstein

Along the beach, at the end of the municipality of Weggis lies the Hertenstein station. The place has a long tradition of meetings and conferences. With the

"Hertenstein Program" adopted here, the basis for the founding of the European Union was created in 1946.

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Meggenhorn

The Meggenhorn ship station is on the peninsula that separates the Lucerne Lake from the Küssnacht Lake. Before the liner docks at the station, it passes the ruin

of New Habsburg, which was built in 1245. The ruin and the neo-Gothic villa built on the lake side in 1871 are privately owned.

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HALF-TIMBERED HOUSE FROM THE 19TH CENTURY.

CHRIST STATUE IN THE LUCERNE BAY

Transport Museum-Lido (Verkehrshaus-Lido)

Near the Verkehrshaus-Lido ship station, there is a fantastic playground for children that leaves no wishes unfulfilled. The Transport Museum itself is a museum, cinema, and planetarium. It also houses the Swiss

Chocolate Adventure, a multimedia spectacle organized by Lindt.

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If you arrive in Lucerne by ship from the south, the panorama offers an impressive sight. On the following pages, you will find some views from the lake. The large

square in front of the harbor, bus station, main train station, and art house are popular meeting places for young and old.

Lucerne

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Lucerne

Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrücke)

The Chapel Bridge is the landmark of the city of Lucerne. The oldest and second longest covered wooden bridge in Europe is over 200 meters long. In the gable, 111 triangular paintings depict striking impressions of Swiss history.

The octagonal water tower dates from 1300. The tower was alternately used as a watchtower, part of the city fortification, archive, treasury, dungeon, and torture chamber.

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Spreuer Bridge (Spreuerbrücke)

The Spreuer Bridge was built in two stages. The first part on the right bank of the Reuss to the mills in the middle of the river dates from the 13th century. The extension to the left bank took place in 1408.

On the triangular gable fields, one can admire the unique Dance of Death by the painter Kaspar Meglinger, who painted the artworks from 1616 to 1637. Today, 45 of the original 67 panels are still on the bridge.

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Reuss Weir (Reusswehr)

The Reuss Weir is also called Needle Weir. With the help of this technical device, the water level of Lake Lucerne is regulated. The needles of the weir built in 1852 consist of Douglas fir wood.

Regardless of the weather and seasons, the water level of Lake Lucerne can be "manually" controlled by removing or inserting wooden needles.

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Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrücke)

From the Chapel Bridge, you can see the Town Hall Pier and right behind it is the Schlössli Schönegg Wilhelmshöhe.

On the hill sits the Château Gütsch. The luxury hotel was built in 1888 by the architect Emil Vogt in the style of Neuschwanstein Castle. The Gütschbahn was in operation from 1884 to 2008. From the end of 2008 to 2015, a new modern inclined elevator was built. A ride on the Gütschbahn takes 100 seconds.

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Local Transport

Boat Trip

On Lake Lucerne, 5 historic steamships and 15 motor ships are in operation. The route over the lake was the only possible connection to the canton of Uri and the Gotthard Pass until the construction of the Axenstrasse

from 1863 to 1865. The lake formed one of the most important waterways to the south.

Buses

As an essential part of public transport in the canton of Lucerne, about 85 bus lines operate here. The fleet ranges from the midibus with 9 meters length and a

capacity of 41 seats to the 25-meter-long doublearticulated trolleybus that carries over 100 passengers.

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Train Stations

This eBook is about a journey to and then across Lake Lucerne. Zurich as the starting station, Arth-Goldau

(where you change trains) and Lucerne for the return trip.

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Imprint

OBB Nightjet and OBB Nightjet Partner

Experience the OBB trains in 360°.

The team

This e-book was made possible through the kind support of the regional tourist ofﬁces and the OBB. German proofreading and editorial: Martin Andergassen.

References

Text, videos and photos by Rudolf J. Strutz unless otherwise stated. Timetables and travel information: OBB

Assistance from AI

Artiﬁcial intelligence applications are occasionally employed for image editing, including the elimination of undesirable components. Additionally, AI tools can enhance the clarity of images and diminish background noise.

OBB railnet

The travel guides are also available free of charge on the OBB online entertainment and internet portal railnet, which is installed on all railjets, nightjets (NG) and cityjets

This book was licensed under the Creative Commons License. Conditions of use: attribution, non-commercial, no editing and distribution under the same conditions only as a complete work! The use of individual photos and text is not permitted. This eBook is available free of charge.

Links

All links provided are current at the time of publication of this ebook. Links to tickets usually lead directly to the exhibition location. For tickets and timetables, local public transportation services are linked.