Vitznau

This small village is built on a narrow strip of land on the shores of Lake Lucerne, facing the eastern end of the Bürgenstock peninsula and at the foot of the steep slopes of the Rigi.

In the past, Vitznau made its living from boating on the lake, fishing, woodworking, chestnut cultivation, and a small amount of field and vine cultivation. The development of tourism, mainly from England, in the 19th century changed this.

A steamboat landing stage was built in 1865, and in 1871 Europe's first cog railway, which climbs to the top of the Rigi, was opened.

These innovations contributed to a rapid rise in summer tourism, which remains important today. But Vitznau is largely just a place of transit, where visitors disembark from the boat just to hop on the Rigi train, before heading back the other way without even visiting the village.