Switzerland - Lucerne

This was day 3 of our Switzerland trip. We are staying at Interlaken and make day trips to various places in Switzerland. Lucerne was another of those day trips, but the amount of sightseeing the city had to offer, we could have stayed for another day.

Lucerne, situated at the shores of Lake Lucerne, is a city of town squares and churches and most populous in Central Switzerland. It is one of the most coveted of tourist stopovers in Europe. Most tourists make it a daytrip and visit the 'must-see' attractions of the city which includes:

• Kapellbrücke- The wooden chapel bridge built in 1333, has around 120 triangular paintings from 1500's. These paintings capture the city's history through the years. Kapellbrücke was destroyed in a 1993 fire, but an excellent restoration work has recreated the magic.
• Lion Monument - In a small park off Lowenplatz, this famous carving of a dying Lion was made by Bertel Thorvaldsen. This monument commerates the swiss guards who died during the French Revolution. The beauty of the monument is that it has been created using a single giant stone.

• Church of St. Leodegar, with their twin towers is a popular tourist spot. The church is popularly known as the 'Hofchile' locally. The present structure was made in 1633.

Apart from these places, one can take one of the many cruises on the scenic lake. For more adventurous tourists, Lucerne offers an opportunity to get up-close with mountains with an excursion to Pilatus or Rigi. You have options to take a cable -car all the way up or trek around the mountains for a beautiful panaromic view from the top.

But one place a tourist should definetly visit in Lucerne is the Altstadt (Old Town),having many traditional Swiss houses decorated with frescoes lines and picturesque old squares with fountains. The only way to explore Altstadt is on foot.

For shopping, Kapellgasse is the street you should be looking for. The street also leads to the Kornmarkt (Corn Market). Very close to the Kornmarkt is the Weinmarkt (Wine Market), another of the many popular traditional squares which Lucerne has.





We had a great trip to Lucerne. The old part of the city is amazingly beautiful and tells you a great deal about the traditional ways of the Swiss.

Do send me an email if you want to know more about Lucerne.