Kehrsiten is a small settlement on the southern shore of Lake Lucerne, at the foot of the Bürgenstock, a steep, forested ridge that juts out into the lake, and it feels almost cut off from the rest of Switzerland. A narrow road follows the shore from Stansstad, squeezed between the rocks and the water, and ends here; beyond, the cliffs of the Bürgenstock drop straight into the lake. For most visitors, Kehrsiten is the place where the boat from Lucerne stops and the Bürgenstock funicular begins, climbing steeply through the forest to the resort on top, which has been welcoming guests since the late nineteenth century.
Along the shore at Kehrsiten, archaeologists have found the remains of prehistoric pile dwellings, which UNESCO also counts in its group of Alpine lake villages. Like other such sites, they lie underwater or under the ground, invisible to visitors, but they show that people were drawn to this sheltered shore thousands of years ago.
The Bürgenstock itself is famous for its views over the lake to Lucerne, Pilatus and the Rigi, and for the Hammetschwand lift, an outdoor elevator built into the cliff, which rises over a hundred metres to a viewpoint at the top of the ridge. The cliff path to the lift, cut into the rock face, is spectacular. The resort, rebuilt in recent years, has hotels, restaurants and spas, popular with wealthy guests from around the world.
The road to Kehrsiten from Stansstad is narrow, with tight bends and sections where two cars can barely pass, so take it slowly, especially in summer when it is busy. The road up to the Bürgenstock from Stansstad is better, climbing in hairpins through the forest. The wider area of Nidwalden and Lucerne has excellent riding, from the lakeshore roads to the passes of central Switzerland. Kehrsiten itself has few services; Stansstad, about four kilometres away, and Horw, across the lake, have fuel and shops, and Lucerne has everything. A swim in the lake, followed by a coffee on the terrace at the boat station, is a pleasant way to spend an afternoon.