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Side-Wheeled Paddle Steamers
LAKE
LUCERNE (VIERWALDSTATTERSEE) -
SWITZERLAND
Operator : Schiffahrtsgesellschaft
des Vierwaldstattersees (SGV)
See below for details about the lake and its piers
Above : PS Gallia at Brunnen in 2008. For passengers sailing
from Lucerne, Brunnen is the main resort on the lake.
The SGV operates five
paddle steamers, built between 1901 and 1928, and several other motor
vessels for cruises on Lake Lucerne primarily from the city of Luzern
to Fluelen, but also with services to Kussnacht and Alpnachstad.
Important piers en route are at the resorts of Weggis, Vitznau,
Beckenried, Gersau and Brunnen. Connection is made at various piers
with mountain railways and cable cars, notably at Vitznau for the
Vitznau-Rigi Bahn, the world's first cog-wheel railway. Originally
the lake formed part of the route from Northern Europe to Italy, but
once the railway was completed to Fluelen, the steamers provided
primarily day trips for tourists.
OPERATIONAL PADDLE
STEAMERS
Uri
Unterwalden
Schiller
Gallia
Stadt Luzern
HISTORICAL PADDLE STEAMERS
History
of services and Historical paddle steamers
LAKE LUCERNE PHOTOGRAPH COLLECTION
Go to the Photograph Collection
THE STEAMER PARADE (DAMPFERPARADE)
Each year the SGV paddlers undertake a parade where the whole fleet (of
operable paddle steamers) undertakes a cruise around the lake,sailing in various
formations and providing excellent views for those on the lakeshore but especially
those aboard the steamers, which are invariably booked solid for this special
day
See some photos of the
parade of 14/5/2011 marking the return to service of PS Unterwalden after her
comprehensive renovation kindly supplied by Nadia Joehr
SGV website
Lake
Lucerne
Lake Lucerne, Switzerland is one of the most
beautiful lakes around. It starts at the city of Lucerne (Luzern) and
the main arm of the lake quickly reaches into the foothills of the
Alps, passing the Burgenstock hill on the right and the imposing Rigi
mountain on the left. Steamers call at numerous closely spaced piers,
criss-crossing the lake, with Weggis the main resort and Vitznau the
interchange for the Rigi Mountain Railway being major traffic
destinations before reaching Brunnen. Onwards from Brunnen the scenery
takes on a markedly more alpine character with sheer slopes dipping
into the lake with piers clinging to the edge precariously. At the
upper end of the lake, the town of Fluelen is at the beginning of a
valley which cuts deep into alpine territory and acts as the route
south for road (and now motorway) and rail.
The two branches of the lake, to Alpnachstad
in the Alpnachersee and to Kussnacht receive fewer services, although one paddler
is usually rostered for the former route in the main season. PS Unteralden is the only
vessel which can reach Alpnachstad as it is the only vessel with retractable
funnel and wheelhouse and hinged masts to allow it to pass under the Aschereggbrucke,
a modern bridge which replaced a swing bridge carrying traffic from Luzern to
Stans and down the western side of the lake.
Each of the piers is illustrated, with photos
of the piers, showing, where possible, the view in both directions at the pier.
Some photos are taken of the pier from aboard a vessel but most are views of
vessels at or near the pier taken from the shoreline. These photos are part
of a large collection of photos taken by Gordon Stewart, paddlesteamers.info webmaster,
between 1988 and 2001. Click on the pier name to see the photos.
The
main services are from Luzern to Fluelen via the main resorts of
Weggis, Gersau and Brunnen and other piers providing interchange with
mountain railways or cable cars for onward travel to popular vantage
points such as Rigi (from Vitznau), Burgenstock (from Kehrsiten),
Klewenalp (from Beckenried) and Seelisberg (from Treib). Rutli, Bauen
and Isleten are popular piers for walkers particularly since the
establishment and marketing of the "Weg der Schweiz" which passes
around the southern part of the
lake.
Since the end of the 2010 season, Rotschuo pier has not been included in the SGV's sailing programme
Kehrsiten
(Burgenstock), Stansstad and Alpnachstad are the main piers on the
service under the low bridge near Stansstad (Aschereggbrucke) into
the Alpnachersee. At Kehrsiten Burgenstock, connections are made with
the services along the main part of the lake to Fluelen as well as
the Burgenstock mountian railway. At Alpnachstad, connection is made
with the railway serving Pilatus, the dominant mountain lying to the
west of Luzern and itself the world's steepest rack railway. Services
to Alpnachstad from Luzern generally call at Verkehrshaus, St
Niklausen, Kastanienbaum, Kehrsiten-Burgenstock, Kehrsiten-Dorf,
Hergiswil, Stansstad, Rotzloch and
Alpnachstad.
Kastanienbaum
Hergiswil
Stansstad
Alpnachstad
Kussnacht
is the main town at the head of the eastern arm of the lake and
whilst the service provided is infrequent, special paddler steamer
trips are provided on occasion. In June to September 1999, the 10.00
am Sunday service from Luzern was provided by PS Unterwalden, with a
special breakfast buffet. Piers used by SGV services are Verkehrshaus
and Seeburg, Meggenhorn, Meggen, Merlischachen and Kussnacht on the
northern bank and Greppen on the southern
bank.
Kussnacht
Greppen
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Die
Geschichte der Schiffahrt auf dem Vierwaldstattersee
Josef Gwerder, Jurg Meister, Erich
Leichti
1999
Maihof Verlag AG, Luzern
ISBN 3-9520756-8-X
Reworking and updating of the 1987 celebration of 150 years of the
SGV - a comprehensive illustrated reference
Unsere Flotte
Vierwaldstattersee
Heinz Amstad, Othmar Egli, Kurt Hunziker, Anton Raber
1987
Verlag Dampferzeitung, Hirtenhofring 2, CH-6005 Luzern
Profile of the vessels in the fleet in 1987, short history of the SGV
old and new yards
Schiffe Aus Alter
Zeit
Peter A Meyer
1984
Buchverlag Keller & Co, CH-6002, Luzern, Switzerland
ISBN 3-85766-016-3
Detailed profiles of all the former vessels of the fleet up to PS
Wihelm Tell and PS Rhein (MV Waldstatter)
Detailed and copiously
illustrated profiles of the current paddle steamers are available in
the "Bordbuch" series
by Josef Gwerder
PS Stadt Luzern
-published in 1989 by Keller & Co AG, Luzern. ISBN
3-85766-030-9
PS Gallia - published
in 1991 by Keller & Co AG, Luzern. ISBN 3-0-7596-12-4
PS Uri - published in
1996 by Maihof Verlag, Luzern. ISBN 3-9520027-6-3
PS Schiller -
published 2000
Brief details of the vessels
can be found in the following more general Swiss steamer
guides:
Dampfschiffe
Schweiz
Anton Raber and Peter Horlacher
1982
Verlag Dampferzeitung, Luzern, Switzerland
Brief detals in four languages including
English
Paddle Steamers of the
Alps
Leslie Brown and Joe McKendrick
Ferry Publications
ISBN 1-871947-19-7
Illustrated profiles of the steamers and operating
areas
Schiffahrt auf den Schweizer
Seen
Anton Raber
1972
Orell Fussli Verlag, Zurich
ISBN 3-280-00285-0
Illustrated round up of Swiss lake vessels, with fleet lists and
sections on vessel design and engineering.
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