From Lugano or Bellinzona to Lucerne with the Gotthard Panorama Express

The journey time is about five and a half hours; it starts from Lugano/Bellinzona and arrives in Flüelen by train. From Flüelen to Lucerne you travel by steamboat and the journey can also be undertaken in reverse. The Gotthard Panorama Express is spectacular: it leads past villages, pastures and granite rocks. From a technical point of view, it was a great achievement for the time: it covers an altitude difference of 600 metres thanks to seven helical tunnels. From Lugano and Bellinzona, it leads from the Mediterranean south to the north through the heart of Switzerland and through the Gotthard Tunnel of 1882, crossing the Swiss Alps. Along the route, the Wassen Church can be seen three times, which has become world famous thanks to its daring railway structure with its numerous helical tunnels. From Flüelen, passengers then continue by boat along the waters of Lake Lucerne. Places steeped in history, such as the Grütli meadow, the Schillerstein and the Tell chapel welcome guests with the charm of the oldest Switzerland. In the evening, you reach Lucerne harbour, close to the famous Kapellbrücke bridge. Worth visiting en route are San Salvatore, Lugano's mountain and sugar loaf; the Bellinzona Fortress, a Unesco World Heritage site; Pilatus, Lucerne's legendary mountain. and Rigi, the queen of mountains. To stay there is the Hotel & SPA Internazionale, which is located opposite Bellinzona's railway station, a stone's throw from the historic centre and the three UNESCO World Heritage castles. If you have a sweet tooth, you absolutely must try Bellinzona's famous 'bissoli': delicious chocolate disks with a chestnut filling, the shape of which recalls an ancient 300-year-old coin.