Zug is a city in Switzerland. Zug, Switzerland: city overview, attractions, interesting facts and reviews

Switzerland is characterized by social and political stability, low crime and a high standard of living. However, as one of its inhabitants, Albert Einstein, said, everything is relative. Some regions do particularly well compared to the average, while others lag behind in one way or another.

The local newspaper Die Weltwoche ranked 893 communes (communities) in Switzerland. The attractiveness of cities and towns was assessed according to several criteria: the state of the labor market, development dynamics, welfare, tax burden, socio-economic status and real estate value.

The top ten included only the communes of the German-speaking cantons - Zug, Zurich and Schwyz. According to Die Weltwoche, they are the ones with the highest standard of living. Franco- and Italian-speaking cantons are left behind.

Nearly half of the top ten communes are in the canton of Zug, Switzerland's richest region. In the vicinity of the city of Zug, which took the first line, there is the famous private school Institut Montana Zugerberg, in which the children of the richest families in the world have been studying for almost a century. Among the alumni are Senator John Kerry, who ran for President of the United States, Pierre Mirabeau (President of the Association of Swiss Bankers), the Swarovski brothers and representatives of the Ferrari family. Zug is home to many international companies, including Hugo Boss and Nord Stream.

The ten worst communes for living included the settlements of the cantons of Bern, Solothurn and Neuchâtel. Bern is the official capital of Switzerland, but business life is concentrated in Zurich and Geneva. Solothurn, located in the north of the country, lives mainly on electricity exports.

The most expensive housing in Switzerland is in the village of Cologny on the shores of Lake Geneva. Houses cost an average of 2.8-2.9 million euros, apartments - 1.5-1.6 million. For comparison, in Courjenay, which occupied the last line of the rating, real estate is 4-5 times cheaper. Buyers of housing in Cologny are dominated by bankers and representatives of trading companies. Among them are many foreigners, especially the French, British, Italians, citizens of countries of Eastern Europe and the Far East.

The richest people in Switzerland prefer to settle in the commune of Wollerau. It is located in Schwyz, which is also called the "canton of billionaires". Here average income per capita exceeds 120 thousand euros per year. Celebrities live in Wollerau, including Formula 1 driver Felipe Massa and tennis player Roger Federer. The inhabitants of Kurwalden (the canton of Graubünden) earn the least in Switzerland - about 9 thousand euros per year per capita.

Foreigners can only purchase residential property in certain Swiss cantons. These are generally tourist regions such as Bern, Valais, Vaud, Graubünden, Ticino and Schwyz where local authorities issue purchase permits according to approved quotas.

Capital of the canton of Zug.

Located at an altitude of 425 m above sea level on the shores of Lake Zug. Zug is located between the northern shore of Lake Zug and the foot of the Zug Mountain (Zugerberg - German, 1039 m), in Central Switzerland. The distance from Zug to Zurich, which is located to the north, is 23 km.

land use

The area of ​​33.8 km ² of a large municipal area includes the territory on the northeastern shore of Lake Zug at the transition of the Swiss plateau to the Alpine foothills. Of these thirty-four square kilometers a little more than 12 falls on Lake Zug. The length of the lake shore near Zug is about 11 km and extends from the bay east of Cham to Lotenbach near Walchwil. The land part of the Zug municipal district in 1997 consisted of 23.8% of the area of ​​​​the settlement, 35.5% of the agricultural area, 38.1% of the forest and shrubs and 2.6% of the unproductive area.

Water resources

The Lorze Plain (also called the Baarer Plain) includes a 1 km wide strip along the northern shore of the lake, which is on average 420 m above sea level. This floodplain was formed during the last Ice Age due to the erosion of material that Lorze brought with her from the upper catchment. Three watercourses flow from this plain into the lake, above named Lorze from west to east from Steinhauser Dorfbach (German: Steinhauser Dorfbach) (forming the western border of the municipality), the Old Lorze and the lock Lorze. Downstream in 1976, Lorze was adjusted and moved more than 1 km to the east. Whereas the former mouth of the Lorze was characterized by an alluvial fan at the mouth of the lake at Kollermühle, a straightened riverbed flows at the Brüggli recreation area on Lake Zug.

Geology

Eastern and South part The community lands start from the Zug Mountain, which geologically consists of layers of folded subalpine molasse. This pre-alpine mountain, which reaches highest point 1039 m above sea level on the top of Hyunggigyuch (German - Hünggigütsch), has a plateau up to 2 km wide in the crest zone. Between the moraines of the glacier of the last ice age of the Reuss Glacier, the Eigenried raised bog (German - Eigenried) arose here (mostly in the Walchwil area), which is considered one of the most valuable nature reserves in the canton of Zug. On the western side, the Zugerberg descends steeply to the lake, only in the lower part, near the city of Zug, the slope becomes more gentle.

City `s history

Name

The name "Zug" comes from the Old German generic word "zug" (Fischzug - fishing), an abstract concept from the Old German "ziuhan", corresponding to the modern German "ziehen" - to pull. The word "zug" originally referred to the area in the lake near the shore and the right to fish in this part of the lake, later the nearby settlement was also called that.

History of the foundation of the city

The emergence of the city of Zug is attributed to the 12th century and is associated with the dynasty of the counts of Kyburg, but this is not known for sure. The counts of Kyburg received, possibly, the lands belonging to the city of Zug on the shores of Lake Zug in 1173 in connection with the extinction of the noble family of Lenzburg.

One of the motives for founding the city was its convenient location on the trade route from Zurich to northern Italy through the St. Gotthard Pass, to lead across Lake Zug to Immensee, and from there to Küssnacht and further to Lake Vierwaldstet (Lucerne).

In the first period of its development, the city existed only in one part of today's old city, which, however, had a third, now not preserved, lane, below today's Lower Lane (Untregasse). The current Lower Lane was thus the Middle Lane (Mitelgasse) until the disaster of the Strict City in 1435. Consequently, the area of ​​the city included six approximately parallel lines of houses descending to the South.

In a written reference from 1242, Zug is called Oppidum (lat. Oppidum - city, small town), in 1255 - as Castrum (lat. Castrum - fortress, castle). Chapel of the Blessed Virgin Mary (German - Liebfraukapelle) was first documented in 1266.

To the north of the old town was a small settlement, a modern suburb of Zug. Archaeological finds and historical sources testify that the city was called the Craft Village with private sheds and moorings for boats no later than the 14th century.

Zug under the Habsburgs

In 1273, less than a month before his election as king of Germany, Rudolf Habsburg bought most of the property previously owned by the Kyburg and Laufenburg families, the city of Zug and Art am See (German: Art am See) from the Kyburg heiress Anna. The Habsburgs immediately laid Zug and some lands in the vicinity of Zug in the direction of Amt.

The Habsburgs built massive city fortifications in Zug. The simple Durchlasstor gate and the Zitturm tower were fortified at the end of the 13th century or around 1300. The defensive walls around the city, internal and external, were fortified, outside of which there was a protective moat. The inner defensive wall may have been built between 1326 and 1370. Earlier studies erroneously interpreted the inner wall as an expansion of the city after 1435 or 1478. In 1315 Zug was to serve as a rallying point for troops led by Duke Leopold I before the Battle of Morgarten. After the defeat of the Habsburgs, Zug remained Habsburg, but was completely surrounded by the territories of the Swiss Confederation with the entry of Lucerne in 1332 and Zurich on May 1, 1351. After the confederates did not meet any resistance in the vicinity of the city, on June 8, 1352 they laid siege to Zug. When Duke Albrecht did not want to send help, the city surrendered. Zug joined the Swiss Confederation along with the administratively related settlements Ägeri, Menzingen and Baar. However, the so-called annexation of Zug did not change the situation of dominance much, because it did not mean the removal of Habsburg dominion over Zug, on the contrary, Zug undertook to continue to recognize the Habsburg courts and continue to levy taxes in their favor.

Business

• Division of Hugo Boss
• Office of international integration of pharmaceutical generic company Actavis
• The headquarters of the mining company Xstrata plc.
• The headquarters of the largest offshore drilling contractor Transocean Ltd.
• Headquarters of Nord Stream AG, which operates the Nord Stream gas pipeline (formerly the North European Gas Pipeline)
• Headquarters of Shtokman Development AG Shtokman Development AG). This company is engaged in the financing, design, construction and operation of the facilities of the First Phase of the development of the Shtokman gas condensate field.
• Headquarters Stadler Form
• East Metals AG - subsidiary Evraz Group.
• Luxoft headquarters.

Museums

• Regional Museum Seehof ( Heimatmuseum Seehof)
• Tiling Museum ( Ziegelei-Museum)
• African Museum ( Afrikamuseum)
• Museum of Fisheries ( Fischerei-Museum)
• Art Gallery ( Kunsthhaus)
• Museum of the history of primitive society ( Museum fur Urgeschichte(n))
• Museum in Fortress Zug Museum in der Burg)

Educational institutions

School Institut Montana Zugerberg

Photos

View of Zug from the Zugerberg



The building where the cantonal government and the council of state meet



Town Hall at Kolinplatz



station Square and railway station in the background



oldest of famous images Zug in the chronicle of Johann Stumpf Johannes Stumpf), 1548

Zug- the capital of the neighboring small canton of the same name - south of Zurich. Canton, despite its size, is the richest in all of Switzerland, ahead of even such "monsters" as Zurich and Geneva in terms of income. The secret lies in the extremely low taxes that attract the rich and oil companies from all over the world.

Despite this, an excess of luxury is not as striking as in the capital of Russia - Swiss modesty and a craving for moderation do not allow you to scatter money. However, if you look closely, you will notice more luxury cars and high-quality expensive clothes than in most other cities in Switzerland.

In addition to the number of rich people per capita, Zug is famous for its promenade and the most beautiful sunset: the sun sets directly over Lake Zug. In addition, it is very pleasant to stroll through the old cozy quarters of the city, concentrated near the lake. Children will be interested in a small open-access zoo, located right on the waterfront. Walkers have the opportunity to climb the nearby mountains.

Getting around in Zug:

The station is located about 1 km from the old town of Zug. If you exit the main exit of the station to the beginning of Alpenstrasse (landmark - Confiserie Albert Meier on the left), go south for about 700 m, you will find yourself in the very center.

Getting to Zug:

Direct trains to Zug go from cities:

• Luzern (from 20 min)
• Zurich HB (from 21 minutes)
• Baar (5 min)
• Rotkreuz (14 min)
• Pfäffikon SZ (via Rapperswil - Zurich HB and other Zurich stations)
• Erstfeld (via Flüelen - Brunnen - Schwyz - Arth-Goldau)
• Thayngen (via Schaffhausen - Winterthur - Zürich Flughafen - Zürich Oerlikon - Zurich HB - Baar)
• Winterthur (via Zürich Flughafen - Zürich Oerlikon - Zurich HB - Thalwil - Baar)
• Locarno (via Bellinzona - Biasca - Flüelen - Brunnen - Schwyz - Arth-Goldau)
• Zürich Flughafen (via Zürich Oerlikon - Zurich HB - Thalwil)
• Milano Centrale (via Monza - Como S. Giovanni - Chiasso - Lugano - Bellinzona - Arth-Goldau)
• Lugano (via Giubiasco - Bellinzona - Arth-Goldau)

From Zurich to Zug:

From Zurich, trains to Zug leave every 5 to 15 minutes, but run from 21 to 45 minutes, depending on the type of train. Hurry up? Then avoid trains with the prefix S - this is suburban trains, which stop at every small station (S5 is especially slow, 45 minutes on the road, S24 is 34 minutes, departing at 09/39 and 21/51 minutes hourly respectively). On the contrary, the InterRegio and InterCity trains will take you just 21-24 minutes (departures at 04, 09 and 35 minutes hourly).

Travel time: 30 minutes.

Ticket price: CHF 13.80 one way second class.

Directions: from Zurich HB:

• by train S9 (non-stop, but long - 45 minutes), departure platform 21/22
• on intercity high-speed trains - 30 minutes on the road. Departure - at 35 and 4 minutes of each hour (direction - Luzern). There may also be trains at 9 minutes every hour (to Lugano, Locarno or to Italy).

See www.sbb.ch for the exact timetable.

Tariff zones and transport scheme in the canton of Zug:

Attractions in Zug:

Zytturm

Clock tower at Kolinplatz. The roof of the tower is covered with tiles of blue and white colors - in the colors of the canton. The heraldic shield below the clock, 1557, reflects the first 8 cantons that joined the Swiss Confederation (Zug was the seventh canton, having joined the Confederation in 1352).

After passing under the arch of the tower, you can turn into the charming pedestrian streets Fischmarkt, Ober Altstadt and Uner Altstadt.

Museum in der Burg

Uphill from the clock tower (which is reflected in the name), opposite the church of St. Oswald, you will find this museum. He is known for his 3D model of the city, and has comments in it., fr. and English. languages. This is an excellent museum about Zug, here you will also learn about the threat of the city sliding into Lake Zug.

• Opening hours: Tue-Fri 14-17; Sat-Sun 10-12 and 14-17.
• Admission: Adults CHF 5, Children CHF 1, Sun free.
• Address: Kirchenstrasse

Langsgemeindeplatz

This square is located on the coast, north of the Old Town. Here is a mini-zoo with aviaries of colorful exotic birds (mostly belonging to the ibis family). A deer family grazes nearby.

Funicular Schoenegg

On this funicular you can get to the mountain Zugerberg ( Zugerberg) to a height of 988 m. The mountain offers excellent views of the city and the lake, and there are also several routes for hiking. Zug day pass- a day ticket for Zug, costing 11.40 CHF - the best option for you: it includes everything bus routes around the city and the funicular. The bottom station of the funicular can be reached by bus 11.

Tourist itinerary in Zug:

The map shows:

1. Zytturm
2. Rathaus
3.Fischereimuseum
4. Altstadthalle
5. Greth Schell-Brunnen
6. Liebfrauenkapelle
7.Pulverturm
8. Huwilerturm
9. Kunsthhaus
10 Burg Zug
11. Kirche St. Oswald
12. Kolinbrunnen

Map of Zug:

Around Zug:

Baar and Hell's Grotto

Just an hour's walk from the small town of Baar in the canton of Zug, you will discover the amazing beauties of the underworld -. Inside there is a backlight, and stalactites and stalagmites, along with small lakes, create an absolutely fantastic picture.

The city of Zug in Switzerland is the capital of the canton of the same name in the central part of the country. About 25 thousand people live here. The city is considered to be the richest settlement in the state. Here the level of income is even higher than in Geneva and Zurich. And the secret is simple - low tax rates. However, you should not think that, having come here, you can see luxury at every step, on the contrary, in the city, like nowhere else, there is a craving for moderation. Although people wear expensive and high-quality clothes and shoes, they drive prestigious cars.

But the city is famous not only for its high standard of living, but also for its local surrounding beauties, ancient quarters and a beautiful lake.

By the way, the action of the novel "Tender is the Night" by Scott Fitzgerald takes place in this city.

A bit of history

The city of Zug (Switzerland) is located at an altitude of 425 meters above sea level in the Glarn Alps, on the shores of Lake Zug. Confirmation of the fact that people lived in these places in ancient times is the artifacts found on the northern shore of the lake. They date back to the XIV century BC - this is the Paleolithic.

There are also finds from the Bronze and Iron Ages. Also from the year 58 there was the province of Helvetia, until the area was conquered by the Alle-mans. Then the Franks came here, and already in 858 there are written references to the city. Then the Carolingian dynasty of Ludwig the German was founded. For many centuries the city passed into the dominion of various monasteries and feudal lords.

In 1798, Napoleon proclaims the Helvetic Republic, then the canton gains independence, but not for long, only for 5 years. Then begins the struggle of supporters of centralized power and federalism, which lasts half a century. In 1848, the canton enters the union state on equal terms with other cantons.

It is believed that the name of the city did not come from the word "train", but from the fishing syllable "catch" or "pull". In the Middle Ages, fishing was practiced here.

There were three serious disasters in the city against the backdrop of floods, when many quarters were hidden under water and many people died. There were tragic events in 1435, 1585 and 1887.

Niche for big business

There is a joke in the canton of Zug (Switzerland) that there are more legal entities than individuals. In fact, there is more truth in this joke than jokes. But even before 1834 it was an agricultural region. But as soon as Zug appeared Railway, the development of the canton accelerated. In the second half of the 20th century, the canton became practically an understudy of Zurich in the financial sector. And after a short time, thanks to tax policy, aimed at attracting foreign companies, overtakes Zurich in terms of income.

Today, Zug in Switzerland is the most liberal canton in the entire country in terms of tax law. Although without special knowledge it is quite difficult to understand all the subtleties. In 2010 alone, approximately 30,000 headquarters of companies from all over the world were registered in the canton.

Getting to know the city

If the purpose of the trip is sightseeing in Zug Switzerland, then it is best to start it from the embankment, preferably in the evening. As tourists say, original buildings look very unusual in the rays of the sunset against the backdrop of the lake. You can walk to the symbol of the city - the Zytturm clock tower. Here, on the embankment, there is a zoo with a magnificent collection of ibis.

The city has many museums dedicated to Africa, fishing, history. There are art galleries.

In the district of the old part of the city, fragments of the once impregnable wall have been preserved, they are especially well preserved in the Knopfleetrum area. In the same part there is an old town hall, which is more than 500 years old.

The modern attraction is Train Station, which in the evening is more like a scene from a light show.

Cruise on the lake

Arriving in the city of Zug in Switzerland, you should definitely take a boat ride. The lake itself is spread over the territory of three cantons - Zug, Lucerne and Schwyz. During the tour, the boat makes several stops. By the way, one of the four boats received a prestigious design award.

Around the lake there is also the opportunity to ride a bike or walk along specially laid hiking trails.

Representatives of the ruling families lived in the palace, now this building is a kind of landmark in the city of Zug, Switzerland. For a long time the castle was under reconstruction, from 1979 to 1982, and now it is a landmark of national importance.

It is located in the old part of the city. Inside are collected artifacts that clearly tell the story. locality.

Funicular

An overview of Zug in Switzerland is impossible to imagine without a funicular that rises to a height of 900 meters. It is from this height that all the beauty of the settlement opens. And at the height where the funicular rises in 8 minutes, tourist routes, total length which are about 80 kilometers long. There are restaurants along the way, cozy and with delicious dishes. You can walk on your own or go with a guide.

If you decide to take a walk, then be sure to look into the Church of St. Oswald, which was built in the 15th century. The interior decoration will not leave anyone indifferent, it is very rich. The central place is occupied by a baroque organ. Concerts are held here in the evenings.

The Swiss town of Zug is famous for its unique underground lakes. Their main highlight is the beautifully illuminated stalactites and stalagmites. Getting into the caves, it seems that you find yourself in a real mystical fairy tale. In addition, in the caves beautiful lakes.

Annual Entertainment

You can plan your trip to the city on the date of a certain holiday. For example, from late February to early March, a festival is held each year dedicated to the local story of how in the old days Greta Schell carried her drunken husband home in a special basket.

In the summer season, the city hosts a fun holiday, where there are a lot of treats, performances by artists and orchestras. Everything ends with fireworks.

And if you want to enjoy the smell of cinnamon to your heart’s content, come to the city for the Christmas holidays, when mulled wine is served on every corner, handmade souvenirs are put up for sale and exciting New Year stories are told to children.

Engelberg

Not far from the city (some 39 kilometers) Zug in Switzerland is a resort and a real paradise for ski lovers. Here great hotels, cozy restaurants and great ski slopes. Even if you are not fond of skiing, you can always take a walk around the beautiful area - in the picturesque forest of Mount Titlis.

In an authentic village, there is an ancient monastery (1730), where the largest organ in the whole country is installed. And for two cable cars you can reach the highest mountain glacier routes for tourists. One of the last stations houses the highest mountain karaoke bar in all of Europe. The main natural attraction of the settlement is Lake Trubze, which is advised to look at by all tourists, and if they allow weather then you can take a dip.

Hallwil Castle

And what are other sightseeing spots in the neighbors of Zug? Must visit majestic castle XII century. It is located 30 kilometers from the city, on the banks of the Abakh River, at the place where it flows into the Halvil Lake.

It was erected by Count Halvil on an artificially created island. In 1380, the building was badly damaged due to a fire, in the 15th century it was completely restored. Since then, he has remained virtually unchanged.

In the 16th century, Burkhard von Hallwil, known as a scientist and pharmacist, lived in the castle. His collection consists of 2.5 thousand pharmacy recipes.

Tourists were allowed into the castle only in 1925. Many objects that once surrounded the Halvil family have been preserved here. Even some pharmacy items have been preserved. Medicinal herbs are grown in the garden near the castle to this day. And in the building where horses were once kept, a very cozy cafe was equipped.

Pilatusban railway

30 kilometers from the city of Zug in Switzerland there is a unique railway, which was built back in 1889. On it you can get from the town of Alpnachstadt to the very top of Mount Pilatus. But the most important thing is that this is the most dangerous path, passing through a narrow tunnel, and the edge of the cliff is visible from the windows of the cars. The car covers the journey in 30 minutes. In some places, the embankments have collapsed, so the rails even protrude beyond the edge of the cliff.

An interesting fact: Eduard Locher built it according to a technology that is used all over the world to this day.

The car is moving quite slowly, at a speed of 12 km/h. There are 10 wagons on the road, which can accommodate only 40 passengers. Inside each trailer there is a medieval atmosphere. According to tourists, if you are afraid of heights, then it is better not to look out of the windows, otherwise 30 minutes of fear are provided.

Zurich

34 kilometers from Zug is the economic center of the country - Zurich. This Big City, with a population of 340 thousand people, where only 30% of the non-indigenous population. Despite its fame as a business center, Zurich can surprise the tourist with its beauties, shops with designer clothes and active nightlife.

If a trip to railway transport, then vacationers will immediately see the first sight of the city - the station (1871). It was built in the Neo-Renaissance style, a modern sculpture of a guardian angel hovers under the ceiling, under the building itself there is shopping mall. In front of the station there is a sculpture of the famous industrialist Alfred Escher.

Fraumünster monastery church flaunts on Münsterchow Square (Zurich), which is famous all over the world for five stained glass works by Marc Chagall.

The largest cathedral in the city is Grossmünster, which, according to legend, was founded by Charlemagne and stands on the burial site of Felix and Regula.

Significant Art Museum business city - Kunsthaus. IN permanent exhibition works by Alberto Giacometti, paintings by Munch, Monet and Van Gogh. It also hosts gallery shows of contemporary Swiss artists.

Theater lovers should head to the Zurich Opera House, which was the first such venue in the world to feature electric lighting. Now Alexander Pereira, the most famous choreographer in the world, creates here.

And, of course, you should look into the Design Museum, where the concept of this word is presented very widely. Here you can see tree-like structures analyzing dendrites and how a Bollywood movie is filmed.

shopping

When you return to Zug, do not forget about souvenirs for yourself and your loved ones. Switzerland is associated with quality watches, it is here that you can buy them, and much cheaper than in your own country. There is a lot of chocolate in the country, which is completely different in taste and attracts with incredible packaging. Here you can buy any thing, it will definitely be of excellent, even better, quality. Most stores issue Tax-free Shopping Checks. In no case should they be thrown away, VAT is returned to foreign citizens under such a document.

In this part, since we are in Central Switzerland, I propose to walk through the places associated with the most famous Swiss symbols - William Tell and pocket army knives. And in general, this region laid the foundation for the Swiss confederation - it is no coincidence that it was from the toponym Schwyz originated the name of the country. You can also try the famous fondue, rösti and "toffee" soup. Yes, there is a lot to do, the main thing is to get up early and hit the road!

As for early - I, of course, embellished it. We usually don't go briskly. From the moment you wake up to check out, well, no less than two hours pass. So this time we gathered for a long time in our modest but comfortable See hotel Riviera (85 CHF) in Gersau overlooking the lake and the pier on the shore:


Yes, and moving forward, rejoiced at the sun and stopped at every step to see the classic Swiss views around Lake Lucerne, which you expect to see in this country:




If in the previous days in the north of the country the road and the landscapes surrounding it were rather ordinary (we even managed to draw hasty conclusions about the greater picturesqueness of Austria), then on the road from Gersau to Zug we were forced to admit the prematureness of our criticism:




So, Zug.
The car was left in a convenient covered parking, where we had to return immediately for a thorough change of clothes. And no wonder, the breeze invigorated zugersee and easily shuffled the deck of seagulls in the air:


Zug swans on the shore of the lake - alive and, as it were, alive:

According to our guide, Zug has the lowest tax rates in the country and the highest per capita income. Business life takes place in modern quarters, but Old city, full of Swiss order and charm, is the ideal place for a tourist:





Clock tower tsitturm- most high building Old city:

In the lower and upper parts of the old city there are several pedestrian streets with houses in the traditional Swiss style with bay windows and paintings:




And this is downright "The Cossacks are writing a letter to the Turkish Sultan"!


A statue of a boy with a huge pike as a symbol of the fish market that used to be here:

The remarkable building at the top of the old town is nothing short of a castle!


Remains of medieval fortifications around:




The upper part of the old town is green and looks more like a park area:

At a certain moment, this phone suddenly rang for no reason!

Before leaving Zug, it was imperative to try the famous Zuger Kirschtorte- cherry cake. After ordering two servings of a local delicacy at a restaurant overlooking the lake and the old town, we prepared to get what? - Well, yes, a cake with cherries. And here they bring it:


It turned out that Kirschtorte is not a cake with cherries, but a cake with kirsch - a local strong cherry brandy. The cake turned out to be freaky, but the fact that I got carried away with it is for sure. I was afraid for Andrei, because the person does not drink at all, and here he is driving - and on this basis I tried to take away his portion from him. Received a polite but decisive refusal. Eeeh…

Without what it was impossible to leave Switzerland - this is without a knife Victorinox . This factory with a specialty store is located in the town Schwyz- the very one that gave the name to the country:






After buying almost a dozen knives (both as a gift to relatives and in fulfillment of orders from friends and colleagues), we could not help but walk along the streets of Schwyz and its main square with an elegant building town halls:


The painting, made in 1891, tells about one of the key moments - the signing of the charter on the unity of the first cantons of Switzerland:


They say that the natives of Schwyz were excellent workers who were paid very good money. Returning home Swiss built solid big houses:


Once again, we note that outwardly quite ordinary St. Martin's Church inside it turns out to be very magnificent and solemn:



And a few more pictures from the place "where the earth came from" Swiss:

It so happened that on this day we had to constantly refer to the legendary events in the history of Switzerland. It was legendary - because until the evening we continually encountered the legend of William Tell. The same one - with a son, an onion and an apple.
On the way from Schwyz to Altdorf, Andrey once again stopped to take a photo of a truly breathtaking picture of the lake and the mountains surrounding it:




In general, he left - and disappeared. Left the phone in the car. Half an hour later (as it seemed to me - the next day) he appears and explains the reason for the long absence. At first, they say, I was tempted by the figure of the legendary Swiss, prudently installed by a local patriot and marketer on the territory of a small restaurant:

And that's right, a proud profile, an open look - a spitting image of a hero, albeit a wooden one:


Then I spotted some path down - I decided to quickly take a look with one eye. And there - that's what (and at the same time he shows me photos):

And on the birch of the lake he discovers such a memorial in memory of the events that unfolded here:


Inside are four frescoes illustrating key moments in the legend of William Tell:

In general, I, of course, regretted that I did not go. Although I still had a reason to “touch the legend” that evening. We arrived at a small Altdorf, on the square of which William Tell just shot an apple on his son's head:


You can climb the tower:


View from above:


We were pleasantly surprised that in Altdorf they honor and keep the memory of our great compatriot, commander Alexander Suvorov. The tourist office gave us a whole booklet dedicated to "House of Suvorov"- at the address Hellgasse, house 9, in the house of the head of the city government on September 16, 1799, the Russian generalissimo was located:


In addition to the Suvorovhaus, in tiny Altdorf there is also a very pretty building of the arsenal:


In principle, there was nothing else to see here ...

... and we decided to catch another place with a hissing name - Stans.
The central square of this village is Dorfplatz- one of the nicest and most deserted places due to the late time that we were lucky to discover in Switzerland.

At Dorfplatz, a fountain and a monument in honor of the heroic Swiss from the past attract attention:

Church of St. Peter and St. Paul, which in the Middle Ages was the only church in the canton:

And here is another unexpected composition in the spirit of medieval edifications about the futility of earthly beauty and the omnipotence of death:

This village was remembered not only for unusual monuments, but also for dinner at a local restaurant.


By the evening of this eventful day, we were rather hungry, so in addition to the main dishes, we also added soup to the order. One of them made a lasting impression: we were never able to determine the composition of the ingredients. It looked like toffees were dissolved in boiling water and then boiled for some time with spices. I doubt, of course, the realism of such a recipe, but it felt like it was.
In addition to the “taffy soup”, we also had a chance to taste the famous Swiss rosti(or rosti). This hefty potato pancake is eaten not only on Belarusian soil, but also in Germany, and the central and German-speaking cantons of Switzerland. Later, we even visited the boundary where the border of the use of Röshti and, accordingly, the language section passes - in the city of Fribourg.

In the meantime, after a hearty dinner, we went to Hergiswil where we booked hotel Roggerli. The price was twice as high as on the previous two nights, but the room for 130 francs was truly Spartan.
Right above our hotel was the famous Mount Pilatus. In the evening, they sat in the hotel and read about this place covered with legends, connected with the posthumous misadventures of the body of the procurator of Judea, Pontius Pilate:
« The body of the former procurator was thrown into the Tiber. However, the waters of the river washed the remains ashore. The same thing happened when Pilate was taken to France and thrown into the Rhone. After that, they tried to drown the corpse in Lake Geneva. But the soul of the criminal, who had been in the body all this time, brought illness and ruin to the inhabitants of the lake. I had to fish out the body and send it to a remote part of the Alps. Here, at Lucerne, Pilate was thrown into a deep dark lake, located near the mountain, which was later called Pilatus.
But the soul of the criminal again did not find peace: the surrounding villages were swept away by hurricanes and rockfalls, washed away by downpours, floods and mudflows. They say that a student who studied theology, and at the same time black magic, saved the inhabitants of the canton from the complete extinction. The theologian-sorcerer climbed to the top, where he met not the soul, not the procurator himself. Thanks to magical knowledge, the sorcerer achieved that the soul of the criminal began to leave the body only once a year, and on the rest of the days she behaved calmly and did not bother the inhabitants of the valley. There is a belief that every year before Easter, on the day of the execution of the Savior, Pontius Pilate tries to wash his bloodied hands in the waters of the lake. Then for some time the procurator, dressed in a purple toga, stands on the top and looks longingly towards the Holy Land. But woe to him who meets the gloomy Pilate. Even greater misfortunes await anyone who dares to look him in the eye. After all, this person is destined to live only until the next Easter. By the way, legends are legends, but for many centuries the authorities of the canton did not allow anyone to climb Mount Pilatus without special permission, and in 1585 the Swiss staged a stoning of the lake, and then, ten years later, they drained water from the lake. Only in 1980, after the construction of the dam, the lake was restored.».
We decided to give a damn about superstitions and climb up the mountain in the morning, since there is a funicular and other tourist infrastructure for this.
But once again, the weather interfered with our plans: in the morning the mountain was covered with a dense veil of clouds, so paying money (some rather big ones) for the opportunity to play “hedgehog in the fog” seemed like an unnecessary excess.
So we devoted the morning to looking at the surroundings from the wet terrace of our hotel and discussing the suddenly changed plans for the day:


To begin with, it was decided to visit a store at a local glass factory.
The production of glass products in Hergiswil, which began in 1817, almost died out safely in the 70s of the last century, but an enthusiast, designer Roberto Niederer, got down to business. Supported by local residents he bought the production and made a bet not on the machine production of stampings, but on the manufacture of unique handmade glass products. We wandered for half an hour between endless shelves of transparent glassware until we settled on a candlestick in the shape of a Swiss cross and a modest glass "bamboo" vase, as if broken in the middle. By the way, this vase has become a favorite and has found active use (thanks to my husband for the flowers!)


A couple of photos of Hergiswil:

Then we decided to drive to a place called burgenstock. To do this, I propose to refer to the map:


Lake Lucerne, or rather, Vierwaldstet, - a very bizarre shape. Reminds either a bird or a cross. We spent the night on two sides of this lake - in Gersau and Hergiswil. And now they were trying to get onto the rocky and steep bank, overgrown with dense forest - the same Bürgenstock. The guide promised magical views and - just a minute! - the fastest open lift in Europe, which in a matter of seconds will take us to the top of Hammetschwandt (1128 m). But first you need to get there:


Mmmm, I love it!
Having reached by car as far as possible, we set off along the hiking trail Felsenweg. Despite the rather difficult climb for us, we did not regret the chosen road for a second. With each new turn, more and more fantastic panoramas of the lake and its surroundings awaited us:




Even Lucerne could be seen:


The companies that met us to meet us warned us that today, due to windy weather, the elevator was closed. That's a shame! Although, in my opinion, some people were even a little pleased. Because otherwise, “just a few” seconds on such a bandura could seem like an eternity:


We nevertheless approached the elevator, greeted the door:

But we decided to go a little further:


Perhaps one of these villages is Gersau, where we spent the night yesterday.
The way back - from the hill - we rode much faster. I was spurred on by another thought about a very nice restaurant where we left the car. About fondue in this magical place, I will only note here that the paper napkin on the table gave us the opportunity to understand where we actually were.

The next step in our program is Reichenbach Falls, famous for centuries by Conan Doyle and thousands of tourists who consider it their direct duty to leave their own reviews about this place.
It seems to me that I have read so many reports about the falls - that I am no longer able to leave my own, at least somewhat original description.
I will say this: everything here is really the way everyone describes it. Getting into Meiringen, follow the numerous signs to the funicular car park. The funicular is exactly the same as you saw it in the photographs, even the aunt is the same:




The waterfall itself cannot cause a “recognition effect” for us, since “our” Reichenbach waterfall is registered in Abkhazia, and Livanov - Sherlock Holmes did not fight Mariarti here at all:


And Sherlock Holmes himself in Meiringen is not “real”!


But if you don’t bother with it, then everything is quite cool.
An overnight stay that day awaited us a few kilometers from the waterfall - in the town of Hasliberg at the Twing Hotel. The hotel was on sale - 70 francs per night, so I booked it for two nights at once. The rooms in the hotel were furnished in the spirit of "modest, but poor", but after all, we did not come to sit in the hotel. Around us were the most picturesque places!