A different winter, please! This could be the motto of your next holiday in Switzerland. Embedded in the foothills of the Alps lies Lake Lucerne and the adventure region of the same name. In the dark season, this lures with lots of light, fondue sleds and a sauna boat. On a feel-good trip through the five cantons of Lucerne, Uri, Obwalden, Nidwalden and Schwyz, visitors can think about things and let themselves be heated away from the slopes.
When winter stretches out its cold fingers, it's not only time for gloves, but also for more light. Visitors to the Lucerne Lilu Light Festival can feel this in special installations. From January 12th to 22nd, facades and squares in the city center will be illuminated. The old town presents itself in a different light during an evening winter walk. If you like, you can also get a taste of the supporting program with a ticket and enjoy the light show in the Jesuit Church in Lucerne.
It continues radiantly, directly on Lake Lucerne. There, the sauna boat provides the right heat boost. It is the first of its kind in Switzerland and sails across the lake from the Hotel Kastanienbaum. On board, you can sweat comfortably and healthily while enjoying the view of the snow-covered mountains while taking a sauna. Admittedly - the subsequent jump into the ice-cold water of the lake takes some effort, but it's worth it! For the less courageous, the rain trowel will of course do the trick.
If you're in the mood for a little more activity, you don't have to strap your skis or board under your feet. Cuddly companions on four paws ensure the right portion of snow fun on skids. On a husky tour in the Muotatal, the dogs bring the far north to Canton Schwyz. Participants from the age of 13 navigate three to four huskies through ice and snow on a sled with their own team. The younger ones ride with the musher, the dog sled driver.
A different type of sled provides adequate refreshment. In the canton of Nidwalden, foodies can mentally prepare themselves for a Swiss specialty during a snowshoe hike. From Engelberg, you can first take the cable car along the steep Fürenwand to the plateau, which welcomes arriving guests with a great view of the monastery village and the imposing rock formations of the Spannörter. Once at the top, the fondue sledge awaits the hikers at the Fürenalp mountain restaurant and off we go! Depending on your mood and taste, you can stop and melt the fondue - good luck!
There are various ski tours to help you lose the pounds you've accumulated. The Urner Haute Route, for example, runs over five days from Andermatt in the canton of Uri to Engelberg. The ski tourers leave more than 5,000 meters in altitude and various peaks behind. In addition to good physical condition and the right equipment, mountaineers should also have sunscreen in their luggage. Because not only with our next highlight is a burned neck no fun.
After we have already brought the far north to Switzerland with a dog sled tour, a real Lapland feeling spreads while ice fishing. Surrounded by snow-covered mountains, anglers make themselves comfortable on one of the many frozen lakes in the canton of Obwalden and wait for the hoped-for catch. If it bites, holidaymakers in the Lucerne-Lake Lucerne Region not only have a fish on the hook, but also a winter holiday of a different kind.
