Brunnen sits on a bend in Lake Lucerne where the water turns the corner toward the Urner arm, and from the promenade you can look straight across to the meadow of the Rütli, the spot where the founders of Switzerland are said to have sworn their oath in 1291. The town has a place in the story itself: in 1315, after the victory at Morgarten, the confederates met in Brunnen to renew their alliance, and a stone on the shore commemorates the writer Friedrich Schiller, whose play on William Tell made the legend famous.
The lake is the star. The water is cold, clear and a deep green, and the surrounding mountains drop steeply into it, so the atmosphere is almost fjord-like. The Föhn wind, when it blows from the south, sweeps down the Urner arm with dramatic force and turns the surface white, and the sky takes on a dazzling clarity. Brunnen has a lively waterfront, with boats, ferries and paddle steamers calling at the quay, and a long walkway with benches where it is pleasant to sit and eat a sandwich.
Swimming is a local pastime in summer, and there are public bathing places along the shore where the water is bracing even in August. A short dip is a good way to cool off after a long day in leathers.
Riding out of Brunnen on the Axenstrasse is among the great short drives in Switzerland. The road clings to the cliffs above Lake Uri, passing through tunnels and galleries blasted into the rock, with windows that open onto the water. It was built in the nineteenth century as a link between the cantons, and the engineering is still impressive. Be aware that rockfall can close sections of the road, so check conditions, and expect heavy traffic on summer weekends. Brunnen and the neighbouring municipalities have fuel and food in abundance, and the town is a convenient base before the climb or the run toward Altdorf.