Bare feet, lake, sand, and the Alps standing quietly across the water.
Rotsee
Water so still even the rowers call it the lake of the gods.
The Rotsee lies two kilometres north of Lake Lucerne, tucked into the Maihof valley between the city and the village of Ebikon. It is small, only 2.5 kilometres long and barely 250 metres wide, but its shape makes it exceptional: no significant inflow, almost no current, and hills on both sides that block the wind. Rowers call it the Göttersee, the lake of the gods, a name coined by a Japanese official at the 1962 World Rowing Championships. The Lucerne Regatta, one of the sport's oldest fixtures, still fills the water with world-class crews each June.
A flat, mostly paved path circles the entire lake, an easy walk of about ninety minutes past reed beds, grazing cows and a stretch of protected nature reserve. Swimming is permitted only at the Rotsee-Badi on the northeast shore, open from May to September. The Seehüsli restaurant at the western end serves food year-round, and a small ferry crosses the lake in summer.