Switzerland once built the world’s largest non-military submarine. During the national exhibition of 1964, the Mésoscaphe, powered by an electric motor, undertook approximately a thousand diving excursions, showing about 33,000 passengers the world below the surface of Lake Geneva.

9 comments

1. It’s said in the article but: Today the Submarine stands in the Museum of Transportation in Luzern and can be visited. Did that two years ago, it’s fascinating.

   https://www.verkehrshaus.ch/footer/menu-quicklinks/unternehmen/medien/medienmitteilungen/detail/pressrelease/show/piccards-u-boot-auferweckt.html

2. I have seen this on place while the exhibition in Lausanne. As just 9 year old boy i was not able to dive with the boat. I am glad to know that this boat is still there.

3. That is so cool! Maybe time to build another one? 🙂

4. We also have a [Swiss Navy aircraft carrier](https://aviationhumor.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/swiss-aircraft-carrier.jpg) in Lake Constance.

5. I remember the Mésoscaphe. I was there at the Expo in Lausanne and could go diving with it. I think, it was the mésoscaphe that sparked my interest in the sea, I started to read books from “Hans Hass” and watch “Jacques Cousteau” etc. Somehow I never got round to get my own diving permit, though.

6. I remember the last time I was in the Transport Museum the Mesoscaphe was little more than a sad rust bucket. So happy to see it restored!

7. and you know what? years ago with our team, i was there cleaning up the Mesoscaphe (volunteering day in Verkehrshaus Luzern).

8. Man this thing gives me flashbacks to my time playing subnautica non stop for two weeks last year. Good thing there are no reapers in lake geneve 😉

9. I wonder if there was actually anything interesting to see