Encircled by mountains of myth and sitting astride the shores of its eponymous lake of bluest blue, Lucerne is every bit as gorgeous as it was back in the 19th century when Goethe, Wagner and Queen Victoria eulogised its beauty. Slow travel comes naturally here, with boats, trains and cable cars breezing across the lake and up to nearby Alpine heights. From the birthplace of the nation to sky-scraping glaciers, here’s our pick of the best days out from Lucerne.
Cruise these waters and you’ll glimpse Rütli Meadow, hallowed birthplace of the Swiss Confederation as the spot where the Oath of Eternal Allegiance was signed in 1291. Nearby is the Tellskapelle, a little chapel ensconced in woods, where the apple-shooting hero and Swiss rebel William Tell is said to have leaped to safety from the boat of his Hapsburg captor, Gessler.
Myths abound, too, at the Schillerstein, a near 30m-high natural obelisk jutting up above the lake. Its inscription pays homage to Friedrich Schiller, the author of the play William Tell.
How to reach Lake Uri: Boat is the way to go to really see Lake Uri. Take SGV’s regular ferry service from Brunnen to Flüelen (44 minutes). Trains link Lucerne to Brunnen (46 minutes) and Flüelen (one hour).
Get an early train for time to see both of its big-hitting natural wonders. First up is the 250m-high Reichenbach Falls, which plummets over sheer, wooded cliff faces with a deafening roar. You can see how author Arthur Conan Doyle thought it the perfect backdrop for a dramatic finale: in The Final Problem, he pushed both Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Moriarty over the precipice here.
The Aare Gorge is just as riveting, with tunnels and galleries wending past milky-blue torrents and limestone overhangs.
Stay for more than a day to delve deeper into the Hasli Valley – to see the Triftbrücke, Europe’s highest (100m) and longest (170m) suspension bridge, dangling precariously over the Trift Glacier, for instance, or the waterfall-laced glacier gorge of Rosenlaui.
How to reach Meiringen: Meiringen is a 50-minute drive south of Lucerne via the A8. There are hourly trains to Meiringen (1 hour 10 minutes).
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Reached by the world’s steepest cog railway since 1889, with a gradient of 48%, the mountain is an easy and insanely scenic day trip from Lucerne. Getting here would have been more of an effort back in the 19th century when Wagner waxed lyrical about Pilatus’ views and Queen Victoria trotted up here on horseback. But the exhilarating views on the walking trail are little changed: reaching across the lake, deep into the Swiss Alps and as far as Germany’s Black Forest on clear days.
How to reach Mt Pilatus: From May to October, you can reach Mt Pilatus on a "golden round-trip" day excursion, a combination of boat, cogwheel railway, cable car and bus.
Europe’s oldest mountain railway – celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2021 – hauls you to the summit, where the view is extraordinary, stretching across both lakes to Mt Titlis and the glaciated peaks of the Jungfrau massif. On clear days, you can see 24 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons. There’s terrific high-level hiking up here in summer on 120km of marked trails, as well as low-key skiing, snowshoeing and sledding in winter.
If you’d prefer a swim or massage with a sublime view, head over to the Mario Botta-designed Mineralbad & Spa Rigi Kaltbad.
How to reach Mt Rigi: Frequent trains run to Vitznau (one hour) and Goldau (32 minutes), where you can connect with cogwheel railways to Rigi Kulm (32 minutes and 44 minutes respectively).
Not only the surrounding peaks offer knife-edge perspectives. Victorinox hails from these parts and the Swiss Knife Valley Museum tells you all about it, with a fascinating romp through the history of knives. The highlight, however, is the chance to build your own Swiss Army Knife (a process of just 15 minutes).
How to reach Brunnen: Brunnen is a 40-minute drive south of Lucerne via the A4, or take one of the regular trains (45 minutes to one hour).
The icing on the cake is 3238m, glacier-topped Mt Titlis, Central Switzerland’s tallest mountain, home to the world’s first revolving cable car, which soars above the deeply crevassed ice. With Alps as far as the eye can see, views from the top are staggering, especially if you brave the Cliff Walk, Europe’s highest suspension bridge. Get an early start to avoid the glacier is at its busiest.
How to reach Engelberg: Engelberg is a 40-minute drive south of Lucerne via the A2. There are hourly fast trains linking Lucerne to Engelberg (43 minutes).
At the summit, there are plenty of big-view hiking trails and hang-gliding and paragliding when conditions allow. The Stanserhorn Rangers give the inside scoop on everything from wildflowers to where to spot eagles and marmots.How to reach Stanserhorn: Stanserhorn is a 25-minute drive south of Lucerne via the A2. Frequent trains make the same journey in 13 minutes. From here, a funicular rises to the summit from mid-April to early November.
Whether or not you believe in miracles, the 18th-century Klosterkirche abbey church is magnificent, with its opulent frenzy of frescoes, stucco, marble, and gold swirls. Pilgrims pray before the tiny statue of the Black Madonna. For a view over the abbey to the hills beyond, trudge up to the Statue of St Benedikt.
How to reach Einsiedeln: Einsiedeln is an hour’s drive east of Lucerne via the A14. There are twice hourly trains (1¼ hours).
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