Lake Zug is the quiet one among the central Swiss lakes, long and slender, with the Rigi rising steeply from its southern end and gentle farmland and orchards rolling down to its northern shores. Around its edges, as around many Alpine lakes, people built villages on the shore in prehistoric times, and the remains of these settlements at places like Oterswil and the little island of Eielen are among the sites of the transnational pile dwelling listing inscribed by UNESCO in 2011. Under water and mud, wooden piles, pottery and tools have survived for thousands of years.
Zug itself, the cantonal capital, is a small, wealthy town with a charming old centre on the lake, a clock tower, narrow lanes and a lakeside promenade famous for its sunsets. The canton's low taxes have attracted many international companies, but the old town and the countryside around it have kept their calm. Zug is also famous for cherries, and its cherry kirsch and the Zuger Kirschtorte, a layered cake soaked in kirsch, are local specialities. The orchards around the lake are a sea of white blossom in spring.
The roads around Lake Zug are a pleasure. The eastern shore road, from Zug through Walchwil to Arth, is narrow and winding, squeezed between the lake and the steep slopes, with constant views over the water and the Rigi. On the western side, the roads through Risch, Buonas and Immensee are quieter, through farmland and orchards. From Arth or Küssnacht, roads climb towards the Rigi and the Lake Lucerne region. Swiss speed limits are enforced strictly, and traffic can be heavy at peak times.
Rotkreuz, five kilometres to the west, takes care of petrol and groceries, and Zug covers everything else. The lakeside restaurants serve fish from the lake, often perch or whitefish, and their terraces face west for the famous sunsets. A slice of Zuger Kirschtorte, nutty meringue layers soaked in cherry kirsch, with a coffee, is the local ritual, and in May the orchards around the lake are worth the trip on their own. On hot summer days the lido areas along the shore are an easy, cool way to end a ride.