Built in about 1300, the Chapel Bridge is Lucerne's icon – Europe's oldest preserved wooden bridge. With a total length of 204 meters, it is only slightly shorter than the wooden bridge at Bad Säckingen (Germany), making it the continent's second-longest covered wooden bridge. You will enjoy a superb panorama as you pedal along the lake, with many stately churches on view.

A welcome change: the scheduled boat crossing from Beckenried to Gersau, the oldest spa resort on Lake Lucerne. You'll admire stunning views of the Vitznauerstock (a.k.a. Gersauerstock) and Mount Rigi, the "Queen of Mountains". All the ships and pretty palm trees are somewhat reminiscent of the Riviera or Ticino. Enjoy the journey to Brunnen, a popular summer resort with its venerable Belle Epoque hotels. Although "Stadt Luzern", the ferryboat, roars across the water, you'll be virtually unable to hear the ships once you're on the Axenstrasse. Loud engine noise echoes from the massive rock walls. Some riders may regret not staying on the ship until Flüelen.

But that would also mean missing some highlights – such as Tell's Chapel near Aussertellen, which you reach after Sisikon. And "Tell's slab" – the Tellsplatte. It's worth taking the steep walk of about 10 minutes down to the lake. No wonder that this appealing scenery inspired Tell to make such strenuous efforts to rout the Habsburgs. Soon, a viewing platform appears with a magnificent panorama – an entrancing vista of the lake and the mountains: Gitschen (2,511 m.a.s.l.), Uri Rotstock (2,928), Oberbauenstock (2,117) and even more peaks. But the iconic Uri bull stares fiercely down from the rock walls. Meanwhile, cyclists ride down to Flüeli: to the Reuss Delta and Lake Uri, the southernmost arm of Lake Lucerne.