Lucerne, Switzerland. Nested near the mountains of the Swiss Alps, on the shores of Lake Lucerne, this city is the picturesque Swiss escape of my dreams. With an Old Town right out of a storybook and local cuisine consisting of cheesy fondues, crispy potatoes, buttery schnitzels, cuts of meat, not to mention Swiss chocolate, Lucerne shouldn’t be missed on any central Europe itinerary. We spent two nights in Lucerne, and wished we had more time to admire the beautiful scenery. Here’s how we’d recommend spending your time:
24 Hours In: Lucerne’s Old Town (Aldstrat)
For the first day in Lucerne, we’d recommend start out by exploring the iconic city and Old Town (Aldstrat).
Jesuitenkirche & Kapelbrucke
After grabbing a Swiss pastry or breakfast sandwich for breakfast from Backerei Brunner AG or Bachmann, both on the south bank of the river, check out the Jesuitenkirche, considered by many to be one of the prettiest churches in Switzerland. Its interior has a beautiful painted ceiling and a large wooden altar. It’s domed exterior catch the eye from many locations across the Ruess River. Steps away from the church lies the Kapelbrucke, or Chapel Bridge. Built in the 14th century and considered to be the oldest covered bridge in Europe, this may be the most famous landmark in the city. Don’t forget to look up as you traverse it – there are a series of triangular colored panels across the ceiling as you walk across, depicting pieces of Swiss history, including the biographies of the Patron saints of the city.
Wasserturn
Jesuitenkirche
Wasserturn
The water tower, or Wasserturm, is connected to the bridge. The water tower was constructed around the same time of the bridge and was used at various times as an archive, prison, treasury, and torture chamber.
St. Peter’s Chapel and Kappellplatz
Across the bridge, St. Peter’s Chapel welcomes you into the heart of Old Town, or Altstadt. Spend some time admiring the various buildings or stall s that pop up within the Kappellplatz, or Chapel Square. When we were there, there was a variety of cheese, meat, and wine stalls to choose from, offering up free samples and selections for purchase. Throughout Altstadt, the squares are aplenty, with Kornmarkt, Weinmarkt, and Muhlenplatz all providing open air views of surrounding churches, cafes and restaurants. Any of these markets provide excellent stops for lunch, with Mill’Feuille and Brasserie Bodu providing additional options for those who’d prefer to sit down.
Lion Memorial & Museums
After lunch, continue onward to the Hofkirche St. Leodgar, another popular Church with twin pillars. Nearby is the Lion Memorial, a huge lion statue that commemorates Swiss fighters from the French Revolution. From here, feed your cultural impulses. Lucerne offers a number of museum options to choose from
We stopped into the Glacier Garden, right outside of the Lion Memorial. This museum highlights local history, dating back to a time when Lucerne was covered in ice glaciers, demonstrating how rocks flowed down with glaciers millions of years ago. It was interesting to see and read about the history of the region, and the museum felt very interactive, as there were sections where you can walk by and see walls carved by glaciers. The museum felt very family friendly, and we personally felt a bit old for it.
Some other highly recommended museums include the Swiss Museum of Transportation, the Rosengart Collection, the Richard Wagner Museum, and the Bourbaki Panorama Lucerne. We didn’t make it to these, but had we had more time, we definitely would have stopped inside.
Museggmauer
If museums aren’t your thing, head over to the Museggmauer for a chance to scale the old city walls and experience fantastic views over the city. This was one of the things I enjoyed the most throughout our stay in Lucerne. This complex hosts nine Towers and the wall itself, where travelers can walk in between the towers and up to get inside them. Directly behind the wall is a farm restaurant, the Hinter Musegg Farm, that is organic, offers food and beverages, as well as farm animals behind stable doors.
Rathaus Breuerie and Old Swiss House
Before dinner, check out the Rathaus Breuerie back on the Reuss River for some local brews with a fabulous view. This would be a great spot to catch a sunset.
Our dinner was at the Old Swiss House and it was fantastic. Serving local specialties, Weinerschnitzel cooked tableside, and a fine wine list, a reservation is highly recommended.
If you’d rather book a guided tour of the city, check this one out:
Day Two: Further Afield
We felt we had a pretty good sense of the city in one day. With our remaining time in Lucerne, we used Switzerland’s great train connections to take a day trip. Check out our post below on our favorite day trip from Lucerne: