Travel on foot or by rail, postal bus, car, or lake steamer, and you’ll be surrounded by scenic delights.

If you’ve never been on a Swiss train, you’re in for a treat. Not only are they clean, modern, comfortable, and efficient, but they traverse the country’s most scenic regions . Passengers behold everything from meadows where cattles graze to towering glaciers from the comfort of a seat. The Swiss Pass, Swiss Flexipass, and Swiss Card from the Swiss Travel System enable vacationers to save time and money traveling this way.

The most popular train routes are the Glacier Express, linking Zermatt and St. Moritz (it passes through 91 tunnels and crosses nearly 300 bridges), The William Tell Express, connecting central Switzerland to the sunny Ticino, the Bernina Express, which descends from Chur, down past Swiss glaciers to the Italian town of Tirano, and the Golden Pass, which transports travelers from Lake Lucerne to Lake Geneva.

Land of Lakes

Geneva, the city on the lake, shares its southern shore with France and attracts cosmopolitan visitors. Lausanne, in the French-speaking part of Switzerland, is an ideal aerie on the lake’s northern shore to observe frequent regattas. To sail on Lake Geneva yourself, board Montreux, a Belle Époque-era steam-powered vessel built in 1904 and recently relaunched. Daily tours sail from Lausanne to Evian, which also takes in Montreux and Vevey, and an evening trip to Yvoire.

Further north, Lake Neuchâtel, the largest lake bordered by Switzerland on all sides, offers a number of attractions. Visitors will gain a new appreciation of the old at the Neuchâtel Museum of Archeology. A ride on the Chaumont funicular affords panoramic views. The underground mills of Col-des-Roches are unusual. During Expo 2002, see Neuchâtel’s Artplage Mobile du Jura, a fascinating over-the-water construction that marries science and high-tech poetry.

Both Lake Lucerne and Lake Zurich remain must-sees on any grand tour of the Swiss Alps. The former boasts the world’s largest paddlesteamer fleet within a continental lake, and the city of Lucerne holds many medieval sites. Zurich, at the northern tip of its namesake lake, is of course a metropolis and one of the country’s major cultural centers.

Switzerland also shares Lake Constance and Lake Maggiore with its neighbors. Brissago Island, on the Swiss side of Lake Maggiore, is home to a lovely botanical garden. Along the shores of Lake Constance, orchards rise to meet the foothillls of the Alps, and farmhouses dot verdant slopes in this German-influenced region.

Hiking and Biking

If you believe that hiking is the best way to experience the countryside, bring your most comfortable walking shoes or boots. Depending on your energy level and interests, you can choose anything from a lake shore amble to a challenging, multi-day mountain ridge hike or even a glacier tour. A weeklong trip sponsored by Ryder-Walker Adventures leads through mountain passes and valleys. Starting in Locarno, with its cobblestone streets, arcades, palm trees, and Mediterranean flair, you can traverse the Ticino region’s rivers and peaks. You’ll encounter small, enchanting villages with Italianate architecture, comfortable inns, and hearty country fare accompanied by local red wines.

Bicyclists can traverse a network of interconnected cycle routes that snake across two thousand miles. And there’s no need to bring your own two-wheeler: City and mountain models are available for rent at most train stations. Golfers and tennis players, swimmers and horseback riders can also find ample venues to play under the Swiss sun.

Memories may not be the only gift you bring home. This could be the year you purchase a genuine Swiss watch, the choices are plentiful in all price ranges. Other excellent buys include chocolates, embroidery, music boxes, wood carvings, and other treasures hand-made by devoted Swiss craftspeople.

German Luzern, capital of Lucerne canton, central Switzerland, on the Reuss River, where it issues from the northwestern branch of Lake Lucerne (German: Vierwaldstätter See; French: Lac des Quatre Cantons), southwest of Zürich. The city’s name was derived from the Benedictine monastery of St. Leodegar (Luciaria), founded in the 8th century. From the nearby fishing village grew a city, probably chartered about 1178, whose inhabitants were originally serfs of the monastery. After the opening of the St. Gotthard Pass (c. 1230), Lucerne developed into an important trade centre between the upper Rhine and Lombardy. In 1291 the monastery and city were purchased by Rudolf IV of Habsburg (also called Rudolf I of Germany), against the will of the citizens, who desired independence. Political instability under Rudolf’s successors led Lucerne in 1332 to join the alliance formed by the cantons of Uri, Schwyz, and Unterwalden in 1291. The group won independence after the Battle of Sempach (1386) against the Habsburg army. By 1415 Lucerne had acquired most of the territory of the present canton, by either treaty, armed occupation, or purchase. It became the leader of the Catholic cantons at the Reformation and was the seat of the papal nuncio from 1579 to 1874. The city’s aristocratic regime was compelled to abdicate in 1798 under the onslaught of the Napoleonic armies. Lucerne was for a time the capital of the Helvetic Republic, resuming its status as the cantonal capital in 1803.

Divided into two parts by the Reuss River, which is crossed by seven bridges within the town, Lucerne has one of the most picturesque settings in Switzerland. The Spreuerbrücke (1407), now the oldest bridge, is roofed and decorated with some 56 paintings, scenes from the Dance of Death, dating from the early 17th century. Until its destruction by fire in 1993, the Kapellbrücke (1333; “Chapel Bridge”) was the oldest bridge. It was similarly decorated. The old town on the right bank is distinguished by well-preserved 14th-century town walls (Musegg) with nine watchtowers, quaint alleys, and squares with medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque houses. Notable buildings are the old town hall (1602–06), housing the historical museum; Am Rhyn House (1617); St. Peter’s Chapel (1178; altered 1750); the Hofkirche (an 8th-century cathedral and collegiate church of St. Leodegar); and the Mariahilf Church (1676–81). Other landmarks are Bertel Thorvaldsen’s “Lion of Lucerne” monument (1819–21), in memory of the Swiss guards slain while defending the Tuileries in Paris in 1792; the Glacier Garden, a relic of the Ice Age excavated in 1872–75; and the comprehensive Swiss Transport Museum (1959). On the left bank are the cantonal government building, Regierungsgebäude, or Ritterscher Palast (1557–64; a Jesuit college 1577–1804); the State Archives (1729–31), with a Rococo Marian chamber and library and the Central Library (1951), housing the numismatic, natural history, and Helvetica collections; the St. Francis Xavier (Jesuit) Church (1667–77); the 14th-century Gothic Franciscan Church with Rococo transepts; the Corporation Building (1675); the new town hall (1913); the Richard Wagner Museum (1933); the modern St. Anthony’s Chapel (1954); and the Art Gallery and Congress Hall (Kunst- und Kongresshaus; 1932–33).

In addition to various cantonal and municipal schools, there are the central Swiss Transport School, the Swiss Catholic School of Sacred Music, the Central Swiss Technical College, and the Swiss Schools of Bakery and of Hotel Keeping. Lucerne is also the seat of the Supreme Cantonal Court, a commercial tribunal, a criminal court, a juvenile court, and the Federal Insurance Court.

Because of its magnificent surroundings, temperate climate, and easy access by road and rail, Lucerne has become one of the largest and most important tourist resorts in Switzerland. Steamer services on the lake connect with various mountain railways and cableways, and there is a direct narrow-gauge rail connection with the winter-sports centre of Engelberg. Facilities include a casino, beaches, rowing and sailing regattas, horse-racing and show-jumping competitions, an annual international music festival, and a traditional pre-Lenten carnival. Lucerne’s commercial and industrial activities depend largely on the tourist trade. The population is German speaking and largely Roman Catholic. Pop. (1991 est.) 59,370.