Schifffahrtsgesellschaft des Vierwaldstättersees
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| Aktiengesellschaft | |
| Industry | Transport |
| Founded | 1836 (current name: 1960) |
| Headquarters | Lucerne, Switzerland |
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Area served
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Lake Lucerne |
| Website | www |
The Schifffahrtsgesellschaft des Vierwaldstättersees or Lake Lucerne Navigation Company (commonly abbreviated to SGV) is a public Swiss company operating passenger ships and boats on Lake Lucerne. The company is based in the city of Lucerne, and its origins can be traced back to 1836. Today it is the largest inland shipping company in Switzerland, and is notable for operating a number of historic paddle steamers, in addition to more modern motor vessels.
The company provides public transport routes to 32 places along the shore of the lake, with interchange to both main line and mountain railways at various points. Whilst much usage of these services is tourist or leisure oriented, the company also continues to provide practical public transport links between the smaller lakeside communities.
The company also owns its own shipyard, Shiptec Lucerne, which undertakes new build and rebuild work both for the SGV and for other shipping companies.
Lake Lucerne has formed an important part of Switzerland's transport system for many centuries, and at least since the opening of the first track across the Gotthard Pass in 1230. This trade grew with the opening of a new mail coach road across the pass in 1830. This road had its northern terminus at Flüelen at the extreme eastern end of the lake, and the lake provided the only practical onward link to the cities of northern Switzerland.
In 1835, Casimir Friedrich Knörr decided to take advantage of the growing trade on Lake Lucerne by forming a steamship company and building a paddle steamer, the Stadt Luzern of 1837. His service began operating in 1837, although political pressure by the watermens guilds prevented it operating into the canton of Uri, and hence to Flüelen, for the first year of its operation.
Once this vessel showed the way, various other steamship companies were established. Eventually this led to price cutting, and several steamboat companies failed, or were merged into their rivals. In 1870, the two oldest and largest companies merged to form the Vereinigten Dampfschiffgesellschaft des Vierwaldstättersees (United Steamboat Company of Lake Lucerne). In 1885, this was renamed the Dampfschiffgesellschaft des Vierwaldstättersees (Steamship Company of Lake Lucerne; DGV), and in 1960 it became the SGV.
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Wikipedia