Zug-Sumpf was a Bronze Age village on the northern shore of Lake Zug, near the mouth of the river Lorze between Cham and Steinhausen, and the waterlogged ground preserved wooden floors, posts and objects for over three thousand years. Excavations in the twentieth century recovered pottery, bronze tools and even remains of food, and the site sits on the World Heritage list as part of the prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps. Some of the finds are displayed in the museum of prehistory in Zug. Today the site lies under modern buildings and meadows, and only the name, which means swamp, recalls its watery origin.
The town of Zug, a few kilometres away, is a curious mix of tradition and money. It has a medieval old town with a clock tower, narrow streets and lakeside promenades, where the sunsets over the lake are famous. It is also one of the lowest-tax cantons in Switzerland, which has made it home to many international companies and a lot of wealth. The local speciality is the Zuger Kirschtorte, a cherry brandy cake, and the region is known for its cherry orchards, which blossom in spring.
The riding is pleasant. The roads along Lake Zug are scenic, with views of the water and the mountains, especially the Rigi to the south. The road climbing from Zug to the Zugerberg offers views over the lake, and further east, the Ägerisee and the passes toward Sattel and Einsiedeln have curves and fine scenery. Traffic around Zug can be heavy, especially in rush hour, and speed limits are strictly enforced, with cameras everywhere. The surface is excellent. Weather is variable, with fog on the lake in autumn and winter.
Cham and Steinhausen have fuel, shops and cafés, and Zug has everything. Food here includes lake fish, such as Zuger Röteli, a local char, and the famous cherry cake, along with all the Swiss classics. A coffee by the lake in Zug at sunset is a fine way to end a ride. As for the Bronze Age village, it lives on in the museum cases, a reminder that people have enjoyed this lakeshore for a very long time, even before the tax advantages.