Our Turner Hall Swiss Heritage Tour Group had traveled from Canton Glarus, across the spine of the Alps to Italian Switzerland and Canton Ticino, and back again to German-speaking Switzerland north of the Alps. Altdorf, in Canton Uri, is the site of the Wilhelm Tell legend, where he shot the apple from his son's head. The impressive statue of Tell rests in the town square where the legendary deed took place.
From there, it's a short ride to the town of Stans, capital of canton Nidwalden. One of the three original cantons of the Swiss Confederacy, Unterwalden, has always functioned as two half cantons, Nidwalden and Obwalden. (Swiss history can be a bit complex.)
At Stans, we take the Stanserhorn Bahn - destination, the peak of Mount Stanserhorn (6,227 feet). We board the funicular (cog railway) and ascend the steep grade about one third of the way up. In 1970, the middle and upper sections were replaced by an aerial cable car system. We transfer to the world's first double-decker open-air cable car and, on the way to the top, are treated to 360-degree spectacular views of the panorama below.
At the top are various viewing platforms from which one can view the peaks of nearby Mount Pilatus, and the spine of the Alps far to the south, including the famous Eiger, Moench and Jungfrau. Although it's a bit cloudy, occasional breaks allow dramatic views.
While enjoying a lunch of alplermacaroni, we take in the views from the restaurant's terrace and observation deck. After lunch, some of us take the short hike to the very top of the peak and view Lake Lucerne and the valley far below.
Late afternoon, we descend the mountainside and board our bus for the city of Lucerne, capital of the canton of the same name, on the edge of the lake. Lake Lucerne's real name is "Vierwaldstaettersee," literally translated as "Lake of the four forest cantons," these being the original three cantons of Schwyz, Uri, Unterwalden, of 1291, plus Lucerne.
Lake Lucerne consists of several fingers, the southernmost known locally as Lake Uri. This is the part of the lake where Wilhelm Tell was transported to prison in Kuessnacht, but escaped from his captors during a storm.
The city of Lucerne was founded circa 1178 and gained strategic importance as gateway for the growing commerce from the Gotthard trade route over the pass that connects northern and southern Europe. By 1290, Lucerne's population had increased to about 3,000 inhabitants. Around this time, the Habsburgs gained authority over Lucerne and surrounding lands.
Its people, not content with the increasing Habsburg influence, allied with the three forest cantons of Uri, Schwyz, and Unterwalden, joining them 1332.
The city of Lucerne, the most populous in central Switzerland, is located where the lake drains into the Reuss River that flows north to the Rhine. Its location makes it a regional center of commerce, transportation, culture and the media.
Lucerne's proximity to Mounts Pilatus, Rigi and Stanserhorn also contributes to its popularity as a tourist destination. A historic attraction of Lucerne is the Kapellbruecke (literally, chapel bridge). This is a covered bridge, named after nearby St. Peter's Chapel, spanning diagonally across the Reuss River.
This Kapellbruecke features paintings, dating back to the 17th century by local Catholic painter Hans Heinrich Waegmann. The paintings, created during the time of the Counter-Reformation, featured scenes promoting the Catholic Church.
In the tragic fire of 1993, the bridge almost burned completely. Of the original 158 paintings, 147 existed before the fire. After the fire, the remains of 47 were collected, but only 30 ultimately fully restored. The bridge was reconstructed and opened again to the public in 1994.
Another interesting historical feature of Lucerne is a monument, "The Dying Lion of Lucerne." This monument commemorates Swiss Guards who were killed while defending the monarchy during the French Revolution.
Switzerland, itself neutral since 1515, was once Europe's poorest country. With few economic alternatives, a major "export" of Switzerland was mercenaries.
From the early 17th century, a regiment of Swiss Guards had served the Royal Household of France. In 1789 King Louis XVI was forced to move from the Palace of Versailles to the Tuileries Palace in Paris. In the Aug. 10, 1792, insurrection revolutionaries stormed the palace and the Swiss Guards were overwhelmed by superior numbers.
A note written by the King a half hour after firing had commenced, ordering the Swiss to retire and return to their barracks, arrived too late. Of the Guards defending the Tuileries, over 600 were killed during the fighting, including some after surrender. Many others died later of wounds.
An officer of the Guards, Karl Pfyffer von Altishofen, was on leave in Lucerne at time of battle. He initiated a fund drive in 1818 to create a monument commemorating the battle. The monument, designed by Danish artist, Bertel Thorvaldsen, and hewn by Lukas Ahorn, was completed in 1821.
The monument is dedicated "To the loyalty and bravery of the Swiss." The dying lion, head bowed and clearly in agony, is impaled by a broken spear sticking in his shoulder, his protecting paw covering a shield bearing the fleur-de-lis of the French monarchy. Beside him is another shield bearing the coat of arms of Switzerland.
In Mark Twain's, "A Tramp Abroad," 1880, he describes the monument as "the most mournful and moving piece of stone in the world," and how the lion's resting place, sheltered in a woodland nook, remote from noise and confusion, is a fitting places for lions to die. He concludes that "The Lion of Lucerne would be impressive anywhere, but nowhere so impressive as where he is."
Viewing the impressive monument, one surely must agree with Mark Twain's assessment.
Next week: On the banks of Lake Brienz and to more historical sites.
- John Waelti of Monroe can be reached at jjwaelti1@tds.net. His column appears Fridays in the Monroe Times.
From there, it's a short ride to the town of Stans, capital of canton Nidwalden. One of the three original cantons of the Swiss Confederacy, Unterwalden, has always functioned as two half cantons, Nidwalden and Obwalden. (Swiss history can be a bit complex.)
At Stans, we take the Stanserhorn Bahn - destination, the peak of Mount Stanserhorn (6,227 feet). We board the funicular (cog railway) and ascend the steep grade about one third of the way up. In 1970, the middle and upper sections were replaced by an aerial cable car system. We transfer to the world's first double-decker open-air cable car and, on the way to the top, are treated to 360-degree spectacular views of the panorama below.
At the top are various viewing platforms from which one can view the peaks of nearby Mount Pilatus, and the spine of the Alps far to the south, including the famous Eiger, Moench and Jungfrau. Although it's a bit cloudy, occasional breaks allow dramatic views.
While enjoying a lunch of alplermacaroni, we take in the views from the restaurant's terrace and observation deck. After lunch, some of us take the short hike to the very top of the peak and view Lake Lucerne and the valley far below.
Late afternoon, we descend the mountainside and board our bus for the city of Lucerne, capital of the canton of the same name, on the edge of the lake. Lake Lucerne's real name is "Vierwaldstaettersee," literally translated as "Lake of the four forest cantons," these being the original three cantons of Schwyz, Uri, Unterwalden, of 1291, plus Lucerne.
Lake Lucerne consists of several fingers, the southernmost known locally as Lake Uri. This is the part of the lake where Wilhelm Tell was transported to prison in Kuessnacht, but escaped from his captors during a storm.
The city of Lucerne was founded circa 1178 and gained strategic importance as gateway for the growing commerce from the Gotthard trade route over the pass that connects northern and southern Europe. By 1290, Lucerne's population had increased to about 3,000 inhabitants. Around this time, the Habsburgs gained authority over Lucerne and surrounding lands.
Its people, not content with the increasing Habsburg influence, allied with the three forest cantons of Uri, Schwyz, and Unterwalden, joining them 1332.
The city of Lucerne, the most populous in central Switzerland, is located where the lake drains into the Reuss River that flows north to the Rhine. Its location makes it a regional center of commerce, transportation, culture and the media.
Lucerne's proximity to Mounts Pilatus, Rigi and Stanserhorn also contributes to its popularity as a tourist destination. A historic attraction of Lucerne is the Kapellbruecke (literally, chapel bridge). This is a covered bridge, named after nearby St. Peter's Chapel, spanning diagonally across the Reuss River.
This Kapellbruecke features paintings, dating back to the 17th century by local Catholic painter Hans Heinrich Waegmann. The paintings, created during the time of the Counter-Reformation, featured scenes promoting the Catholic Church.
In the tragic fire of 1993, the bridge almost burned completely. Of the original 158 paintings, 147 existed before the fire. After the fire, the remains of 47 were collected, but only 30 ultimately fully restored. The bridge was reconstructed and opened again to the public in 1994.
Another interesting historical feature of Lucerne is a monument, "The Dying Lion of Lucerne." This monument commemorates Swiss Guards who were killed while defending the monarchy during the French Revolution.
Switzerland, itself neutral since 1515, was once Europe's poorest country. With few economic alternatives, a major "export" of Switzerland was mercenaries.
From the early 17th century, a regiment of Swiss Guards had served the Royal Household of France. In 1789 King Louis XVI was forced to move from the Palace of Versailles to the Tuileries Palace in Paris. In the Aug. 10, 1792, insurrection revolutionaries stormed the palace and the Swiss Guards were overwhelmed by superior numbers.
A note written by the King a half hour after firing had commenced, ordering the Swiss to retire and return to their barracks, arrived too late. Of the Guards defending the Tuileries, over 600 were killed during the fighting, including some after surrender. Many others died later of wounds.
An officer of the Guards, Karl Pfyffer von Altishofen, was on leave in Lucerne at time of battle. He initiated a fund drive in 1818 to create a monument commemorating the battle. The monument, designed by Danish artist, Bertel Thorvaldsen, and hewn by Lukas Ahorn, was completed in 1821.
The monument is dedicated "To the loyalty and bravery of the Swiss." The dying lion, head bowed and clearly in agony, is impaled by a broken spear sticking in his shoulder, his protecting paw covering a shield bearing the fleur-de-lis of the French monarchy. Beside him is another shield bearing the coat of arms of Switzerland.
In Mark Twain's, "A Tramp Abroad," 1880, he describes the monument as "the most mournful and moving piece of stone in the world," and how the lion's resting place, sheltered in a woodland nook, remote from noise and confusion, is a fitting places for lions to die. He concludes that "The Lion of Lucerne would be impressive anywhere, but nowhere so impressive as where he is."
Viewing the impressive monument, one surely must agree with Mark Twain's assessment.
Next week: On the banks of Lake Brienz and to more historical sites.
- John Waelti of Monroe can be reached at jjwaelti1@tds.net. His column appears Fridays in the Monroe Times.
