Showing 1-14 of 14 results
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Bourbaki Panorama
The renovated Bourbaki Panorama is an extremely professional depiction of the Franco-Prussian war of 1870-71, with a moving narrative (also in English) that brings to life the 1100-sq-metre circular painting of miserable-looking troops and civilians. All the same, it's hard to see the panorama appealing to those without a specific military interest.
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Gletschergarten
This strip of rock bears the scars (including huge potholes) inflicted on it by the glacier that slid over it some 20 million years ago. The best thing about the garden, though, is its kitschy 1001-nights mirror maze.
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Historisches Museum
Cleverly and carefully organised into a series of attention-grabbing themes, from lust and lasciviousness to government and tourism. Pick up a barcode-reading audio-guide, pick your topic and let yourself be guided through your chosen story in German or English.
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Kapellbrücke
Crossing the Reuss River in the Old Town, this bridge is Lucerne's most potent symbol. It dates from the 14th century and the octagonal water tower remains original. However its sides and gabled roof are modern reconstructions, rebuilt after a disastrous fire in 1993.
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Kultur und Kongresszentrum & Kunstmuseum
A striking work of postmodern architecture in an otherwise largely historic city, Parisian architect Jean Nouvel's Kultur und Kongresszentrum & Kunstmuseum really stands out with its prime waterfront location, neighbouring the main train station.
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Lake Lucerne
If you're not averse to breathtaking mountain scenery - perhaps a glance or two at a shimmering expanse of water with majestic steep peaks of limestone hunched over the coastline, forests coming down to the shore filled with deer, chamois, foxes, and Alpine-native marmots; and fertile hillsides, meadows and valleys beyond - then this lake won't disappoint.
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Lion Monument
Danish artist Bertel Thorvaldsen's Lion of Lucerne (Löwendenkmal) was built in 1819-21, a big dying beast sculptured into a former sandstone quarry wall. When author Mark Twain saw it he said it was the 'saddest and most moving piece of rock in the world'.
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Museggmauer
The well-preserved, 14th-century city wall (Museggmauer) provides marvellous views of Lucerne's rooftops, alleyways and squares with medieval, Renaissance and Baroque houses, and beyond to the lake and mountains. A walkway is open between the Schirmerturm (tower), where you enter, and the Wachturm, from where you have to retrace your steps. You can also ascend and descend the Zytturm or Männliturm (the latter not connected to the ramparts walkway).
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Naturhistorisches Museum
Offers an enticing entree into the natural world, especially for children, with lots of hands-on displays.
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Picasso Museum
Don't arrive at the Picasso Museum expecting to find many of the man's works. Although it does include a few ceramics and sketches, this is principally a portrait of the artist as an impish craftsman, lover and father. Nearly 200 photographs by David Douglas Duncan create a captivating picture of the last 17 years of Picasso's life with his family in their Cannes home. It's a uniquely revealing series.
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Richard Wagner Museum
Housed in the composer's former residence in Tribschen, on the lake's southern shore; it has a collection of historic musical instruments.
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Sammlung Rosengart
Contains a significant amount of Picasso's own art. Showcasing the works retained by Angela Rosengart, a Swiss art dealer and friend of Picasso's, its ground floor is entirely devoted to the Spanish master. In the basement, there's a selection of sketches and small paintings by Paul Klee; upstairs you'll find works by Cezanne, Kandinsky, Miro and Modigliani, and a fine handful of pictures by Marc Chagall.
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Spreuer Bridge
After fire destroyed the Kapellbrücke, the wooden Spreuer Bridge (Spreuerbrücke), zigzagging across the Reuss, became Lucerne's oldest bridge. It was built in 1407 and its 17th-century roof paintings remain intact, detailing 56 movie-storyboard-style scenes by Caspar Meglinger, called The Dance of Death.
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Verkehrshaus
Planes, trains and automobiles are showcased in the huge, family-oriented Verkehrshaus. They are found alongside space rockets, flight simulators and other interactive exhibits designed to bring out your inner child (or inner bully if you're one of the occasionally over-eager adults). Switzerland's most popular museum also has a planetarium, a giant-screen IMAX cinema and the Swiss Arena - an eye-catching floor map of Switzerland and accompanying geographical puzzle.
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Showing 1-14 of 14 results
