Lake Lucerne
Swiss lake with fjord-like appearance
Lake Lucerne is the largest lake in Central Switzerland, surrounded on all sides by mountains. The lake has a fjord-like appearance due to the fact that in primeval times the lake has flooded several valleys created by glaciers of the Ice Age.
Lake Lucerne is the cradle of the Swiss Confederation. Legend has it that in 1291 the union of the three "Waldstätten", the original cantons of Uri, Schwyz and Unterwalden, was concluded on the Rütli, a clearing in the forest near the lake. This was a significant event in the early history of the Swiss Confederation.
Due to the modern road and railway traffic over the Gotthard pass, the lake's surroundings are heavily polluted with immissions. Whereas in the past goods were shipped across the lake, today there is a motorway running along the southern shore, but this is often routed through tunnels. The northern access route leads along the lake to the new Gotthard base tunnel. Since the opening of this flat tunnel through the Alps, the older railway mountain line to the old Gotthard tunnel near Göschenen still forms a beautiful tourist railway line.
With the construction of the Rigi Railways in the 19th century, Lake Lucerne also marked the beginning of the boom in tourism in Switzerland, which is now one of the country's most important sources of income.
