Story
The story of Lake Lucerne
This lake was shaped by ice. It formed at the end of the last ice age from the meltwater of the Reuss Glacier, and today it is the fourth largest lake in Switzerland. Its German name, Vierwaldstättersee, means the lake of the four forest cantons: Uri, Schwyz, Unterwalden and Lucerne.
The name first appears in the 16th century; before that it was simply the Lake of Lucerne. Its shape is irregular, with sharp bends and four arms, and its deepest point, 214 metres, lies in the basin near Gersau. Between 2019 and 2021, while a pipeline was being built, archaeologists found a Bronze Age village on the lake bed, showing the area was settled 2,000 years earlier than historians had thought.
From the opening of the Gotthard Pass in 1230 the lake was a key route through the Alps, and in 1837 the first steamer, the Stadt Luzern, began to sail here. On its Urnersee shore lies the Rütli meadow, traditional birthplace of the Swiss Confederation.
This story is compiled from Wikipedia and other open sources; dates and numbers are checked against the source. The text is shared under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence. Source ↗
Hear this story on the spot, in a natural voice
On Sightlore, the story of Lake Lucerne is narrated in a natural voice in 5 languages. When you arrive, say "I'm here" and get your passport stamp.
17 more stories from Lucerne in the app
More highlights in Lucerne
- Swiss Museum of TransportThe Swiss Museum of Transport or Verkehrshaus der Schweiz ("Swiss House of Transportation") in Lucerne opened in July 1959 and exhibits all forms of transport including trains, automobiles, ships and aircraft as well as communication technology.
- Glacier Garden of LucerneNatural monument with a park and museum near the Lion Monument, known for its glacial potholes.
- MuseggmauerA section of Lucerne's former fortifications with its towers; with the Water Tower and the Chapel Bridge it defines the city's historic skyline.
- AlpineumThe Alpineum is a museum and diorama of the Alps in Lucerne, Switzerland.
- Lion MonumentThe Lion Monument, or the Lion of Lucerne, is a rock relief in Lucerne, Switzerland, designed by Bertel Thorvaldsen and hewn in 1820–21 by Lukas Ahorn.
- Lucerne Culture and Congress CentreLucerne Culture and Congress Centre is a multi-functional venue in Lucerne, Switzerland. Designed by French architect Jean Nouvel, the complex includes a concert hall, an art museum, conference facilities, and restaurants.