Things to do in Lucerne
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La Terraza
Set in a 12th-century building that has housed fishmongers, dukes and scribes over the years, La Terraza oozes atmosphere. High-back chairs and monochrome shots of bella Italia give the vaulted interior urban edge. When the sun’s out, sit on the riverfront terrace for favourites like clam and rocket spaghetti.
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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.
The lake's northern point is expansive; the southern spur (Urnersee) is more fjord-like and has special significance for the Swiss as it's home to the Rütli meadow where the country was, in a way, born. The southern springs (now marked by the Kaltbad) were discovered to have curative properties, as far back in 1885. You…
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Jungfraujoch Top of Europe Day Trip from Lucerne
9 hours 30 minutes (Departs Lucerne, Switzerland)
by Viator
This unforgettable Alpine tour to the majestic world of the Jungfraujoch from Lucerne takes you to the Top of Europe, at 11,333 feet (3,454 meters). The views a…Not LP reviewed
from USD$193.89 -
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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'.
The Lion Monument commemorates (as the plaque says in Latin) the 'loyalty and bravery of the Swiss' who 'fell in the line of duty' or 'survived the battle through the care and attention of friends' during the French Revolution in 1792 while defending King Louis XVI, Marie-Antoinette and their children in Paris's Tuileries Palace. Some 800 Swiss mercenaries died while defending the palace, unaware that their royal emplo…
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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.
The bridge is famous for the triangular, painted roof panels that line its ceiling, created by Heinrich Wägmann in 1614 and depicting important events from Swiss history and mythology. Fortunately, some 30 of these were also rescued from the blaze and have been replaced at either end of the bridge. Gaps between them have been retained as a constant reminder of the loss of others.
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Kultur und Kongresszentrum
With striking angles and clean lines, Parisian architect Jean Nouvel’s waterfront Kultur und Kongresszentrum is a post-modern marvel in an otherwise historic city. But don’t think a pretty face implies a superficial soul: the main concert hall’s acoustics are as close to perfect as humankind has ever known, according to many musicians and conductors who have performed here. The trick is that the tall, narrow concert hall, partly built below the lake’s surface, is surrounded by a reverberation chamber and has an adjustable suspended ceiling, all creating a bubble of silence.
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Mount Titlis Eternal Snow Half-Day Trip from Lucerne
5 hours 30 minutes (Departs Lucerne, Switzerland)
by Viator
Immerse yourself in the glacial landscapes and eternal snow of Mt.Titlis in the Swiss Alps on this guided half-day coach tour from Lucerne, including return coa…
Not LP reviewed
from USD$129.26 -
Mount Pilatus Summer Day Trip from Lucerne
5 hours 30 minutes (Departs Lucerne, Switzerland)
by Viator
For a full day of summer splendor, make for the mountains on this guided roundtrip from Lucerne to central Switzerland's Mount Pilatus. Your full day guided tou…
Not LP reviewed
from USD$118.84 -
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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.
In each scene Death may change his garb but his mocking smile never wavers as he shows no mercy to the painted facsimiles of priests, nuns, warriors, royalty, academics, the hunter, the young bride, and even the artist himself.
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Sammlung Rosengart
Lucerne’s blockbuster cultural attraction is the Sammlung Rosengart, occupying a graceful neoclassical pile. It showcases the outstanding stash of Angela Rosengart, a Swiss art dealer and close friend of Picasso. Alongside works by the great Spanish master are paintings and sketches by Cézanne, Klee, Kandinsky, Miró, Matisse and Monet. Standouts include Joan Miró’s electric-blue Dancer II (1925) and Paul Klee’s childlike X-chen (1938).
reviewed
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Löwendenkmal
Weird and wondrous Victorian attractions lure nostalgia buffs north of the Old Town. By far the most touching is the Löwendenkmal. Lukas Ahorn carved this 10m-long sculpture of a dying lion into the rock face in 1820 to commemorate Swiss soldiers who died defending King Louis XVI during the French Revolution. Mark Twain once called it the ‘saddest and most moving piece of rock in the world’. For Narnia fans, it often evokes Aslan at the stone table.
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Natur-Museum
Anyone intrigued by stuffed critters and creepy crawlies shouldn’t miss the hands-on Natur-Museum. Highlights feature a woodland trail with real trees and a mushroom computer (don’t eat the red spotty ones). Keep your peepers open, too, for the fabled Luzerner Drachenstein, which, according to legend, fell from a dragon’s mouth as it was flying over Mt Pilatus. Modern science suggests that the 15th century stone was probably a meteorite.
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Museggmauer
For a bird’s-eye view over Lucerne’s rooftops to the glittering lake and mountains beyond, wander the medieval Museggmauer. 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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Takrai
Judging by the anaconda of a queue at lunchtime, this pint-sized Thai joint is the place to be. Wafting spices and the rhythmic sizzle of woks lure you to the show kitchen. The accent here is on local organic produce and everything – from feisty papaya salads to the generously portioned curries – strikes perfect balance. Grab your chopsticks and Chang and pull up a stool. All dishes are available with tofu.
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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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Bucherer
If you can't stretch to a TAG Heuer, Rolex, Cartier or Patek Philippe, then a Swatch will stylishly tell you the time. But for high-end, elegant watches, jewellery, pocketknives and crystal, check out Bucherer, a family business that began in Lucerne in 1888. It still has its principal outlet and workshop here, where everything is designed and handcrafted.
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Bam Bou
The Hotel’s restaurant is an ode to 21st-century cool: black leather benches contrast strikingly with scarlet walls, gold script and an optical illusion where slanted mirrors reflect the street outside. The cuisine is a seductive French-Asian fusion, with signatures such as coriander-crusted tuna and Scottish salmon with ginger-sake sauce.
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Verkehrshaus
It mightn’t sound like an exciting way to pass an afternoon, but the interactive Verkehrshaus is actually fascinating. Alongside space rockets, steam locomotives, flying bicycles and dugout canoes are hands-on activities such as flight simulators, broadcasting studios and a shadow orchestra translating movement to music.
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Gletschergarten
Gletschergarten is a strip of rock bearing the scars (including huge potholes) inflicted on it by the glacier that slid over it some 20 million years ago. Cult kitsch fans love getting lost in the Thousand and One Nights –style mirror maze inspired by Spain’s Alhambra Palace.
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Penthouse
This is a ritzy rooftop lounge where, despite great views over Lucerne, the eye-candy crowd are busier discreetly checking each other out. On the ground floor is the swanky and popular Pravda nightclub (open Wednesday to Saturday), where top DJs spin everything from bootylicious R&B to house anthems.
reviewed
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Eiger and Jungfrau Panorama Day Trip from Lucerne
9 hours (Departs Lucerne, Switzerland)
by Viator
For the best Alpine views in Switzerland, don't miss the opportunity to take a day trip from Lucerne to ride the rack railway for magnificent panoramic vistas o…Not LP reviewed
from USD$113.62 -
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Bourbaki Panorama
History buffs might enjoy the Bourbaki Panorama. This painstakingly detailed depiction of the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71, with a moving narrative (also in English), brings to life the 1100-sq-metre circular painting of miserable-looking troops and civilians.
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Wirtshaus Galliker
Don’t eat for a day before visiting this old-style tavern, passionately run by the Galliker family since 1856. It attracts a lively bunch of regulars. Motherly waitresses dish up Lucerne soul food (bratwurst, rösti and the like) that is roll-me-out-the-door filling.
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Historisches Museum
The HistorischesMuseum is cleverly organised into a series of attention-grabbing themes, from lust and lasciviousness to government and tourism. Pick up a barcode-reading audio-guide and let yourself be guided through your chosen story in German or English.
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Mt. Pilatus Winter Day Trip from Lucerne
5 hours 30 minutes (Departs Lucerne, Switzerland)
by Viator
Join this partly guided coach tour from Lucerne to Mount Pilatus for a half day winter wonderland adventure on one of Switzerland's most majestic mountains! Exp…
Not LP reviewed
