Whether you spell it Lucerne or Luzern, you might have seen pictures of the stunningly beautiful Swiss lake with its medieval covered bridges – It’s certainly a crowd pleaser and was actually my second favourite place to visit in Switzerland – See my Lucerne video on Youtube for a quick taste of what the views are like!
But… Dodging the crowds becomes tiresome after a while and my inner introvert always seeks a place to walk in nature away from the hustle and bustle of the tourist trail.
Lake Rotsee was like stepping into a world all of my own…
Located 2.5km from the iconic Chapel Bridge, about a 30minute walk through a maze of a housing estate, Lake Rotsee certainly seemed to be a place known only to the locals. I only knew about it because I’d zoomed in on Google maps and thought it seemed far enough off the tourist trail to warrant a wander!
When I arrived at around 10.30am midweek in July there were just a few dog walkers and mothers with toddlers out enjoying the fresh air. Perhaps it gets busier on weekends with people sunbathing, swimming, or fishing, but I don’t imagine it gets even half as busy as the Lake Lucerne waterfront as it doesn’t have that commercial aspect – Perfect when you’re an introvert!
I may have taken a few wrong turns in reaching here (due to my inability to correctly follow Google maps!) but it was well worth the effort – Take a picnic and a book or a picnic and a loved one and just chill by the water soaking up the view, whilst doing some train spotting!
A mainline runs right past the lake with trains whizzing by every few minutes – Perhaps I was a train spotter in a former life but I enjoyed watching these go past (the novelty of doubledecker trains still having not worn off on me!).
I only made it 3 quarters of the way around 1 side of the lake before turning back but I believe you can walk all the way around if you have all day and are fit enough for it! I do wish I’d actually crossed to the other side and climbed the hill to get a better vantage point across the water but hey, we live and learn – I can pass my ‘wishes and what if’s’ on to you 🙂
So, if you visit Lake Lucerne, don’t miss out on spending a quiet morning or afternoon visiting the lesser known Lake in Lucerne; Lake Rotsee.
The Lucerne Tourism site has more info on Lake Rotsee aka Lake Rot including bus numbers if you want to visit this beautiful haven yourself.