Lake Lucerne (German: Vierwaldstättersee, lit. "Lake of the Four Forest Cantons") is a lake in central Switzerland, the fourth largest in the country. The lake has a complicated shape, with bends and arms reaching from the city of Lucerne into the mountains. Much of the shoreline rises steeply into mountains up to 1,500 m above the lake, resulting in many picturesque views including those of Mount Rigi and Mount Pilatus.