It’s hard to believe that a cruise this long is possible on Lake Lucerne. One repeatedly has the feeling of simply being underway on a small romantic lake, encircled by idyllic places and nearby mountains. But then the steamer makes a gracious turn around a headland, just where the lake seems to come to an end. Your steamboat will take you to Flüelen, where the Gotthard Railway awaits you. Don’t be surprised if the church in Wassen passes by the gigantic windows of your panorama coach three times on your journey – each time from a different perspective. That’s because you will have been taken around in a circle on the same day, all in order to gain precious elevation. Then comes the 15-km-long Gotthard tunnel. On the other side of the tunnel Airolo, the Leventina valley, Ticino. Italian is spoken here. And it also has a lifestyle to match, under the southern sun.
The Wilhelm Tell Express runs twice a day from May 1 – October 18, 2009. The obligatory surcharge to the Swiss Pass for 1st class is CHF 39.–. Seat reservation is mandatory and available from your local sales outlet or at larger train stations in Switzerland.
