Pete Seaward
Lucerne
Recipe for a gorgeous Swiss city: take a cobalt lake ringed by mountains of myth, add a well-preserved medieval Altstadt (Old Town) and a reputation for making beautiful music, then sprinkle with covered bridges, sunny plazas, candy-coloured houses and waterfront promenades. Lucerne is stunning, and deservedly popular since the likes of Goethe, Queen Victoria and Wagner savoured its views in the 19th century. Legend has it that an angel with a light showed the first settlers where to build a chapel in Lucerne, and today it still has amazing grace.
Attractions
Must-see attractions
Lucerne
You haven’t really been to Lucerne until you have strolled the creaky 14th-century Kapellbrücke, spanning the Reuss River in the Old Town. The octagonal…
Lucerne
Lucerne’s blockbuster cultural attraction is the Sammlung Rosengart, occupying a graceful neoclassical pile in the heart of town. It showcases the…
Lucerne
By far the most touching of the 19th-century sights that lured so many British to Lucerne is the Lion Monument. Lukas Ahorn carved this 10m-long sculpture…
Lucerne
For a bird’s-eye view over Lucerne’s rooftops to the glittering lake and mountains beyond, wander along the top of the old city walls that date back to…
Lucerne
French architect Jean Nouvel’s waterfront arts and convention centre is a postmodern jaw-dropper in an otherwise historic city. Inside, the tall, narrow…
Lucerne
A great kid-pleaser, the fascinating interactive Verkehrshaus is deservedly Switzerland’s most popular museum. Alongside rockets, steam locomotives,…
Lucerne
The medieval Old Town, with its ancient rampart walls and towers, 15th-century buildings with painted facades and two covered bridges, is fascinating…
Lucerne
Downriver from Kapellbrücke, this 1408 structure is dark and small but entirely original. Lore has it that this was the only bridge where Lucerne's…
Attractions
Top picks from our travel experts
Lucerne
Behind its elaborately frescoed facade, this perfectly positioned Old Town hotel flaunts a light and airy design ethos, with ice-white rooms, gilt mirrors…
Lucerne
Near the western end of the old city walls' walkway, you both ascend or descend here at Zytturm, with its legendary clock. Since the late Middle Ages the…
Lucerne
A great kid-pleaser, the fascinating interactive Verkehrshaus is deservedly Switzerland’s most popular museum. Alongside rockets, steam locomotives,…
Lucerne
The medieval Old Town, with its ancient rampart walls and towers, 15th-century buildings with painted facades and two covered bridges, is fascinating…
Lucerne
Lucerne’s blockbuster cultural attraction is the Sammlung Rosengart, occupying a graceful neoclassical pile in the heart of town. It showcases the…
Lucerne
Downriver from Kapellbrücke, this 1408 structure is dark and small but entirely original. Lore has it that this was the only bridge where Lucerne's…
Lucerne
Housed in the composer’s former residence in Tribschen, on the lake’s southern shore, this museum harbours historic musical instruments, including…
Lucerne
French architect Jean Nouvel’s waterfront arts and convention centre is a postmodern jaw-dropper in an otherwise historic city. Inside, the tall, narrow…
Lucerne
The setting is incomparable at this Russian-owned, fairy-tale hilltop palace. Many rooms and suites enjoy sweeping aerial perspectives over Lake Lucerne,…
Lucerne
Just a stone’s throw from the train station, Inseli is a leafy lakefront park where locals congregate in sunny weather to lounge on the grass, play ping…
Lucerne
By far the most touching of the 19th-century sights that lured so many British to Lucerne is the Lion Monument. Lukas Ahorn carved this 10m-long sculpture…
Lucerne
For a bird’s-eye view over Lucerne’s rooftops to the glittering lake and mountains beyond, wander along the top of the old city walls that date back to…
Lucerne
You haven’t really been to Lucerne until you have strolled the creaky 14th-century Kapellbrücke, spanning the Reuss River in the Old Town. The octagonal…
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