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Lucerne

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Overview of Lake Lucerne and Rutli meadow from Fronalpstock.

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Overview

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

  • Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrücke).

    Kapellbrücke

    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…

  • Sammlung Rosengart

    Sammlung Rosengart

    Lucerne

    Lucerne’s blockbuster cultural attraction is the Sammlung Rosengart, occupying a graceful neoclassical pile in the heart of town. It showcases the…

  • Museggmauer

    Museggmauer

    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…

  • Lion Monument

    Lion Monument

    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…

  • KKL culture and convention centre and Museum of Art in Luzern.

    Kultur und Kongresszentrum

    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…

  • Verkehrshaus

    Verkehrshaus

    Lucerne

    A great kid-pleaser, the fascinating interactive Verkehrshaus is deservedly Switzerland’s most popular museum. Alongside rockets, steam locomotives,…

  • Old Town

    Old Town

    Lucerne

    The medieval Old Town, with its ancient rampart walls and towers, 15th-century buildings with painted facades and two covered bridges, is fascinating…

  • Spreuerbrücke

    Spreuerbrücke

    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…

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Planning Tools

Expert guidance to help you plan your trip

Best Things to Do

Heading to Lucerne? Museums, concerts, lakeside dining and historical sites are among the top things to do in Central Switzerland’s biggest city.

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Day Trips

Hiking, boating or riding the funicular, there are plenty of slow travel attractions on the doorstep of this gorgeous Swiss city.

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