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Since 1873 | 6354 Vitznau (LU)

Hotel Terrasse am See

The lake hotel with steam trains and steamers right at its front door.
The Vitznau-Rigi railway opened the hotel on the shores of Lake Lucerne in 1873. Just as in the past, the elegant steamboats whizz by just a few metres from the Rondel hotel restaurant to the boat station, where electric and steam trains are already waiting for travellers.
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The Vitznau-Rigi railway opened the hotel on the shores of Lake Lucerne in 1873. Just as in the past, the elegant steamboats whizz by just a few metres from the Rondel hotel restaurant to the boat station, where electric and steam trains are already waiting for travellers.

The cool shade under the old chestnut trees invites you to take a break with food and drink, just like in the old days. The legendary sunsets and the play of light after a thunderstorm are spectacular. In 2022, the hotel passes into the hands of the Edith Maryon Foundation and will continue to be managed on behalf of the Friends of Swiss Historic Hotels. The next step will be to renovate the Rondell in order to bring the hotel as close as possible to its original architectural character and allow guests to experience and savour it as a historic building.

Location

In the country, By the water, In the mountains

Hotel classification

3 Stars

Opening Hours

April - September

Type

Banquets/Weddings, Seminar/business, Active/sport
1 | 5

History

In 1873, two years after the train line opened, the Rigi Railway Company built the Hotel Rigi-Bahn at the valley station in Vitznau. It was meant to offer the many visitors to the famous lookout mountain an ideally situated place to eat and spend the night. The building, with walls made of exposed brick and decorated with various pilaster strips and moldings, had a main floor, one floor above that and an attic with more guest rooms.
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A semi-open garden area and a terrace with chestnut trees directly on the lakeshore provided a quiet place to wait for the train or boat. In 1901, another floor was added to the building and the façades were altered with new balconies while the window frames were simplified. The canted southwest corner was graced with a small turret with a pointed spire. In 1931, the side of the hotel facing the lake was completely transformed. The terrace and the lounge were torn down and replaced by an extension designed by Lucerne architect Arnold Berger. The skeletal, semi-circular rotunda in reinforced concrete, standing on supports and jutting out into the lake, is one of the finest examples of 'Neues Bauen' in central Switzerland. Simultaneously, the main building was 'purified' to fit the spirit of the times. The corner turret was removed, a hipped roof with skylights was added, the façades lost all decorative forms and were painted a light green. Since 1983, a public footpath placed in front of the semi-circular building has spoiled the elegant appearance of the overall complex. Following the renovation of the façades in 2001 by the previous owners, today's proprietors extensively renovated the interior of the hotel in 2011/12. Many rooms now feature restored parquet floors, historic furniture and wallpaper and colors in line with the past. The restored entrance hall with its historic terrazzo floor deserves particular mention. The Terrasse am See has been a member of Swiss Historic Hotels since 2008. With a view to the future, the hotel was transferred to the Edith Maryon Foundation and is now managed by Historic Hotel AG on behalf of the Friends of Swiss Historic Hotels. The next step is to renovate the Rondell to make the stylish dance hall once again the centre of convivial evenings under a starry sky and by candlelight. In this way, the hotel combines its rich history with a promising future.

Rooms

1 | 3

Rooms

The hotel's 21 rooms are individually and lovingly furnished with historic furniture that gives each room its own charm. Some rooms offer breathtaking views of Lake Lucerne, while others look out onto the tranquil spa gardens or the lively heart of the village, where boat and train meet.

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