After Thun, the route does not take the flat way across the Swiss Plateau. It first climbs into the hills above Lake Thun, then continues through Sigriswil and the Emmental towards Entlebuch, where farms, wooded ridges and pre-Alpine terrain shape the road. The next major shift comes in central Switzerland: Lucerne sits on Lake Lucerne, with its old town, the Reuss and views towards Pilatus close to the route. From there, the stage runs towards Lake Zug, passes Baar, crosses the Hirzel and drops to Lake Zurich. At Rapperswil, the route crosses the Seedamm before climbing over the Ricken into Toggenburg. Wattwil, Wildhaus and the Churfirsten mark the final Swiss section before the descent into the Rhine Valley and the approach via Feldkirch to Rankweil.
