Great Luzern Switzerland

Luzern, also known as Lucerne, is a compact city in Switzerland known for its preserved medieval architecture, sits amid snowcapped mountains on Lake Lucerne. It is the gateway to central Switzerland, sited on Lake Lucerne, is embedded within an impressive mountainous panorama. Thanks to its attractions, its souvenir and watch shops, the beautiful lakeside setting and the nearby excursion mountains of the Rigi, Pilatus and Stanserhorn, the town is a destination for many travel groups and individuals on their journey through central Switzerland.

There are hills in the north and mountains in the south. The town lies along the banks of Lake Lucerne. Scenic boat trips can be made directly from the town center. Lucerne is one of the towns that is ideal for first time visitors to Switzerland. Also, it’s a good place to start or end your visit to Switzerland, as Lucerne is easily accessible from Zurich and Zurich airport. The town has a lot to offer: a picturesque and compact town centre, museums, boat cruises, and a generous choice of hotels, shops and restaurants.

Chapel Bridge, Lazern. Switzerland

Complete with gable paintings, the covered, medieval Chapel Bridge forms the centrepiece of Lucerne’s townscape and is considered to be one of the oldest, covered wooden bridges in Europe. A further landmark of the town is the Museggmauer, a wall which, with the exception only of one of its towers, has been preserved in its original, well-fortified state

Many attractions can be reached easily from Lucerne. The Pilatus mountain is right next door. A short trip gets you to the Rigi railways, or the famous cable car up the Titlis. Lucerne allows you to be very flexible in choosing your activities, as there are plenty of good and bad weather options. The town has lots of facilities, it’s lively, but not as big as Zurich or Bern for example. If you want to see the highest peaks of the Swiss Alps, then Lucerne is not the best base. In that case you’d best consider regions further south, e.g. the Jungfrau region.

Highlights

• Chapel Bridge – one of Europe’s oldest wooden bridges and landmark of Lucerne, faithfully restored to its original design after a serious fire.
• Culture and Convention Centre of Lucerne (KKL) – unites a large concert auditorium, the convention centre and the art museum under its imposing roof.
• Swiss Museum of Transport – one of the most diverse museums in Europe for transport and communication, and the most-frequented museum in Switzerland. Has its own IMAX cinema on site.
• Lake Lucerne – the scenic beauty of the lake can be discovered on the many different cruises offered by paddlewheel steamers and motor vessels.
• Pilatus, Rigi, Stanserhorn – excursion mountains made accessible by cableways, offering up picture-book panoramas of the regions around Lucerne.