Lake Lucerne

Lake Lucerne branches among the mountains of central Switzerland. Its waters linked Lucerne with Flüelen and other lakeside communities, forming part of the route to the Gotthard Pass. From the late Middle Ages regional trade and Alpine transit encouraged organised transport at both ends of the lake; an imperial toll at Flüelen is recorded in 1313.

Boatmen's associations carried goods and passengers across the lake, a practical alternative to difficult routes along steep shores. The surrounding lands also belonged to the early Swiss Confederation, giving the lake a place in its political history. Steam navigation began in 1837, near the end of the period described here, gradually changing the older system of lake transport.