Product Description: Part 2: Ships of the Swiss Lakes and the French Alpine Lakes
by Brian Patton

Switzerland is famous for its lakes and as the author states, ‘it is from a lake that the beauty of both banks can be seen at one time; – hence the lake steamers for tourists, but they also, of course, in their initial prime role, provided internal transport for local people. The saloon steamer first appeared in the late nineteenth century and its advent made lake cruising much less dependent on the weather. From then on, the ship’s grew steadily larger and more luxurious, culminating in the magnificent Belle Époque vessels of Lac Léman and their counterparts on other lakes. In this book, in each case, a brief history of the operations on the lake is given followed by details of the present fleet, including current new buildings. The pattern of services, as of 2016/17, is then set out. Also included are the vessels that sail on the two French Alpine lakes.