A ferry on Lake Lucerne, Switzerland, with a rainbow visible against the mountains. [Photo/Agencies]

Lake Lucerne winds through the Alps with a series of bends, S-curving around towering mountains like slalom skiers carving into snow thousands of feet above. But even though skiing gets all the glory in wintertime Switzerland, a ferry ride on the lake can also be a welcome diversion for a traveler with a few hours to spare.

Just an hour's train ride south of Zurich, the compact city of Lucerne has preserved its medieval treasures of cobblestone squares, timeworn shops and frescoed houses. Lucerne turned up on Travel+ Leisure's list of best 50 places in the world to travel in 2017.

Pressed for time, you could walk from the train station through the

old town, over the old wooden Chapel Bridge, and back to the ferry dock in 15 minutes.

On my visit, I caught the Unterwalden, a 113-year-old ferry that seemed like a cross between a Mississippi River steamboat and a bygone luxury ocean liner.

The red center paddle wheel was propelled by matching red turbines visible in the open engine room on the lower deck. On the main deck, waiters tended to first-class passengers in wood-paneled dining rooms with white tablecloths.