August 22, 2024
To Meggen, Lake Lucerne
with a ferry ride
The planned ride for today was to finish descending from the Gotthard and to ride around Lake Lucerne to Meggen, just a hop, skip and jump from Lucerne. Sounds straightforward. But a closer examination of the Strava route revealed a great deal of climbing - up and down over bluffs past inaccessible shorelines. Part of the route is also closed to cyclists, with a shuttle bus the only option. So, in the spirit of 'nothing to prove' and in appreciation of Switzerland's comprehensive multi-modal infrastructure (buses, trains and ferries to and from all over the place), we decide to catch a ferry to bypass the steepest climbs.
Last night's accommodation was a homely gästhaus very high above the valley floor, which meant 40 minutes of (mainly) pushing my bike for a couple of km. The reward this morning should've been a correspondingly steep descent on that smooth road. Strava had other ideas, however. It found a mountain bike track that dropped steeply downhill on grass and gravel - 260 metres in 2 km. At one stage, there's an intervention from a frau from her top-floor window to set us right.
We eventually make it safely to the valley floor and from here it's plain sailing. We're on a sealed road mostly, or on a raised stopbank with the Reusse River alongside and it's pleasantly downhill. Soon enough, the river disappears into a larger body of water. Oh, we're in Flüelen, the head of Lake Lucerne. We're here!
There's an hour's wait for the ferry, which we spend in the usual mid-morning fashion. It's a lovely day, again with cooler temperatures, so sitting and waiting for things to turn up is no hardship - given the alternative of pedalling over bluffs.
Sitting on a ferry on a Swiss lake is no hardship either. The hour-plus cruise gives us another opportunity to spend too many Swiss francs on lunch so we're fuelled for today's second ride - from Gersau to Meggen. With a 5pm check-in, we've all the time in the world to enjoy this glorious day on the lake. We manage to stretch out a stop at a lakeside restaurant to an hour with cold drinks.
So far, it's been a fantastic day - a downhill ride, ferry trip and idling around the lakeside. But it's mid-afternoon and time to move on. The route takes a turn away from the lake, leading us upwards. Away from the lake, it's a different world. We climb through suburban streets and then even higher to farmland. It's an interesting contrast to what we've left behind.
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Our hotel in Meggen was built and possibly last decorated in the 1830s. But we'll be perfectly comfortable here. Our criteria for a satisfactory stay are few - a good shower, multiple power points for charging multiple devices, wifi of course, and enough floor space to empty out panniers. Hotel zum Kreuz cuts the mustard.
Today's video below, followed by Strava flyby of ride to the lake.
Today's ride: 50 km (31 miles)
Total: 1,403 km (871 miles)
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