Tips for festivals on Lake Lucerne

The Hotel Schweizerhof in Lucerne has distinguished itself as one of the leading national festival hotels."Vo Luzern uf Wäggis zue" (From Lucerne towards Wäggis)Similarly committed and successful "above the lake" is the five-star Hotel Park Weggis and its long-time host, Peter Kämpfer. Weggis also offers a wide range of art exhibitions, lectures, activities and music festivals throughout the year, always decorated with creative titles such as Sparkling Wellness or Kitchen Safari. Next month, for example, there will be an exhibition of works by Swiss painter Claudio Viscardi on the theme of "Vo Luzern uf Wäggis zue".However, Kämpfer and his team have become known in the business and political communities primarily for their successful China Festival, which will be held for the ninth time in January/February 2016. For over three weeks, local and international thought leaders, politicians, captains of industry and artists give lectures, presentations and make music about the Middle Kingdom. Always there also delegations from China; be it speakers of the cooks. The program 2016 stands not yet completely; first information can Angela Roth give, the manager Meeting & Incentive (angela.roth@phw.ch).Summer concerts in the castleAlso well established outside the Central Swiss hotel scene are, for example, the "sound makers" at Meggendorf Castle not far from Lucerne. Here you can experience chamber music very close to the artists and in a dignified setting. Perhaps a more sensual event for employees or even end customers. For companies, there is a basic package consisting of a concert, an aperitif afterwards (in summer on the castle terrace in fine weather) and a three-course gourmet menu. If desired, the castle's residential museum can also be visited. Meggenhorn Castle belongs to the municipality of Meggen and the brand "klang-Musiktage" to the supporting association "klang" with Robert Meier, president, Fabio Di Càsola, artistic director, and Roland Meier, artistic director. The next klang summer concerts will take place from June 12 to 14, 2015; companies with up to about 40 guests are welcome (www.klang.ch).

Chamber music experiences in a dignified setting are available at Meggendorf Castle.Festivaltown AltdorfAt the other end of Lake Lucerne lies another festival community, the Uri capital Altdorf. Here, people of different cultures have been meeting for centuries and they find each other again at the biennial Alpentöne music festival. The next edition will take place from August 14 to 16, 2015 and is again not committed to any musical style. Whether classical, jazz, folk or folk music, or mixtures thereof, the approaches are all based on sound ideas with a direct reference to the Alps. That is why the musicians come from all countries of the Alpine arc: from Bavaria, Lombardy, Tyrol, Appenzell or Engadin (www.alpentoene.chBut Altdorf also hosts the Tell plays, and has done so for more than a century. In 1898, the Tell play society performed Friedrich Schiller's "Wilhelm Tell" for the first time; and for the last time in 2012 with almost 15,000 guests. The next Tell plays will take place from August 20 to October 22, 2016. Only recently it became known that the German director Philipp Becker was entrusted with the production. The organizers offer companies the opportunity to actively participate with sponsorship or to purchase performances in part or in full (www.tellspiele-altdorf.ch).

The traditional Tell plays in Altdorf can be booked by companies in whole or in part. © Judith SchlosserDedicated to hospitalityCentral Switzerland is currently celebrating 200 years of hospitality with the "Gästival" brand. The center is a mobile platform built especially for the anniversary, a kind of stage ship, called Seerose. It will dock at various landing sites in the five lakeside cantons from May 29 to October 4, 2015, and serve as a meeting place for guests, cultural professionals, festival visitors and companies. The water lily does not appear as a ship, but as an extraordinary sculpture with a diameter of 48 meters and a height of 16 meters. The idea originated from a competition at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts; the floating amphitheater was designed by the architects Dolmus.Depending on the event, one to four petals on the Seerose are used as grandstands and thus smaller events can also be held; with audience capacities of 165 to 500 people. Tavola Catering is responsible for the catering; a maximum of 300 guests can be catered for. The Seerose can be rented exclusively by companies, but only during the week, and there are probably not many free dates left. On offer for this are "corporate events" packages, with which companies can buy into the public events. For more information, contact Felicia Bertschmann at ticketing@gaestival.ch or visit the website of the same name. www.gaestival.chThe festivals and festivals in central Switzerland are open this summer and companies and associations are welcome to move their events to Lake Lucerne again. Especially now, in the year of Central Swiss hospitality.

The Seerose docks in five lakeside cantons and is a meeting place for cultural workers and festival visitors.