Navigation on Lake Lucerne
Celtic fishermen were probably the first to have settled on Lake Lucerne. The opening of the Gotthard Pass in 1230 marked the first real upswing for shipping on the lake. This pass was the shortest connection over the Alps from north to south. When the Gotthard road was built in 1830, transit traffic received a significant boost. Travellers were now able to use the stagecoach from Flüelen, the end point of their journey by boat, to the Italian border. The age of tourism had begun!
Development of steam navigation
In December 1835, the merchant Casimir Friedrich Knörr surprised the people of Lucerne with his announcement that he intended to found a steamboat company. The proud paddler Stadt Luzern was the first steamboat to make its maiden voyage on 24 September 1837. The shipping guilds feared for their existence, however, and pressured government officials from Canton Uri into prohibiting the landing of the steamboat. After one year, a compromise was finally made. Thereafter, various other steamboat companies were founded, which led to strong competition between them and price cutting. In 1870, the two oldest companies merged, later changing their name in 1885. Subsequent to the two World Wars, when shipping was suspended, the company generally experienced an upward swing. In 1960, the company was renamed once more and got its present SGV moniker, which in its written out form translates to "Lake Lucerne Navigation Company ".
Since 1931, nine diesel-powered motor vessels have been built and five paddle steamers, previously heated with coal, have been converted to oil-firing at the company´s own shipyard in Lucerne. In 1972, the "Dampferfreunde" association was formed as a lobby and advocacy group for the preservation of the historic paddle steamers. Since then, it has financially and ideologically supported SGV with the complete restoration of all five steamboats. In 1997, SGV and the Dampferfreunde celebrated the two anniversaries "160 Years of Steam Navigation on Lake Lucerne" and "25 Years of Dampferfreunde" with an impressive steamboat parade.
Swiss Museum of Transport (Verkehrshaus) in Lucerne:
Aside from locomotives, cars and aircraft, you will also find superb nautical exhibits, full scale ships and large marine engines on display at the Verkehrshaus.
The Nautirama is a multimedia experience specifically dedicated to navigation in and around Switzerland. With the award-winning Nautirama, the history of navigation on Lake Lucerne comes to life in true grandeur. The 20-minute experience leads you through various rooms of the exhibit. Travel through time with this fascinating multimedia presentation, as light and sound effects, vibrant images, panoramic views as well as water, wind and fog bring everything alive! The entire Nautirama exhibit is accessible by wheelchair. Groups may also reserve a presentation in French, Italian or English. Please note that the Nautirama is too dramatic for preschool children though. Situated near the Nautirama is a comprehensive collection of model boats and an exhibition room showing a panoramic image of the entire shoreline of Lake Lucerne, dating from about 1890.
The oldest remaining paddle steamer in Switzerland, the venerable PS Rigi, originally dating from 1848, is also on exhibit at the Verkehrshaus, having been moored ashore since the 1950s. Be sure to visit its recently refurbished, spacious decks and its cramped engine room, replete with an Escher Wyss oscillating engine from the 1890s.
