SUNDAY, JUNE 12: LUGANO TO ZÜRICH
This morning we took the Gotthard Panorama Express (www.sbb.ch/en/leisure-holidays/trains-trips/rail-travel-specialtrains/panoramareisen/gotthard-panorama-express.html) for the 2.5-hour ride from Lugano to Fluelen on the south end of Lake Lucerne. Unlike the other special panoramic trains we took, this one is all 1st class so it is only free with the 1st class STP; those with a 2nd class STP must pay a supplement. Seat reservations on the train are mandatory for an extra fee. This train ride included not only spectacular scenery, but also many engineering marvels, such as helical tunnels, to allow great altitude changes within a small area.
This train is clearly not as popular as the Glacier Express or the Bernina Express though. The front half of our carriage was empty except for us, as was much of the rest of the carriage. We could switch sides at will to enjoy the views better. We were given souvenir postcards that would be mailed for us for free, so our grandchildren should expect something in the mail from Switzerland in a week or so.
Between Lugano and Bellinzona, the train passes through the new 10-mile-long Ceneri Tunnel. Near Faido, the train goes through four spiral tunnels, ascending to the Gotthard Pass. However, instead of going over the pass, the train goes under it through the 9.5-mile-long Gotthard Tunnel at 3600 ft (1097 m). This tunnel actually goes under the route of the Glacier Express as the latter ascends to the Oberalp Pass. In Wassen, the train loses altitude by spiraling down two loop tunnels. The church in Wassen is notable because this unusual route allows it to be seen three times from different aspects.
In Fluelen, we switched to a side-paddle wheel steamboat for a cruise that crisscrossed Lake Lucerne for another 2.5 hours. We were able to get seats on the top deck and there was enough room to shove our suitcases under our seats. There were great views from the water of places we had visited during the first few days of our trip, plus a few new sights. For example, the Telleskappel marks the spot where folk hero William Tell leapt into the lake and swam to shore, escaping from the clutches of the Habsburg overlord Gessler. The ceiling of this small chapel is decorated with frescoes illustrating the Tell legend. In the meadow above another spot is the site of the swearing of the Rütli Oath, an alliance against the Habsburgs that marked the beginning of the Swiss Confederacy. In another spot is the “Schiller Stone”—a natural stone obelisk honoring the man who dramatized the Tell legend in 1804.
The boat dock in Lucerne is opposite the main train station; thankfully we did not have to make a detour to a nearby COVID testing center. Once again, we were overwhelmed by the number of options for train travel to our hotel near the Zürich airport. Once again an agent at the Rail Information counter came to our rescue by providing a sheet showing the train numbers, times of arrival and departure, and the track numbers where the trains would arrive and depart. We caught an express train to the Zürich main station and then switched to a local train to the airport hotel area in Rümlang.