Grand Hotel National

César Ritz — the man whose surname became a byword for luxury — managed this hotel in the 1870s, bringing along a young Auguste Escoffier to revolutionise the kitchen. Queen Victoria stayed here. So did the composer Richard Wagner, who lived in Lucerne and clearly had impeccable taste in both music and accommodation. Opened in 1870 on the shores of Lake Lucerne, the hotel occupies one of the most photographed positions in Switzerland, with the lake, the Chapel Bridge, and Mount Pilatus all in view. 41 rooms — intimate by grand hotel standards — and a renewed commitment to its Ritz-era legacy following a comprehensive restoration.