Lucerne – the most beautiful city in Switzerland?

Lucerne is a city in central Switzerland, located on Lake of the Four Cantons. It is considered one of the most popular places in Switzerland, and this is probably due in large part to the famous wooden Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrücke). We checked whether it is actually as beautiful here as the guidebooks and other blogs praise.

We came to Lucerne for one day. We should add that it was a very nice and bright day, so we spent a great deal of time walking around the historic part of the city. Without any rush, we saw the aforementioned bridge, the ornate townhouses in the city center, and the old walls with their towers.

And this is definitely a plus – if you are not in a hurry, the most interesting places can be seen quietly walking around the city on foot. What’s more, the strict center is off-limits to automobile traffic, so you can get around safely and without hurry in Lucerne’s inner city.

What was our first impression of the city? A family-oriented, idyllic city. Walking from the parking lot at the marina where we left our RV, we passed lots of families and groups of friends who had come to spend time on the lakeshore, walking or sitting in the local bars and restaurants. Surprisingly, the closer to the center the fewer people there were. Only in the vicinity of the aforementioned bridge did it get more crowded (which, after all, is to be expected), but otherwise it was surprisingly quiet and peaceful.

So we circled around the city, looking in awe at the buildings and the beautiful ornamentation of the townhouses. After Sankt Gallen and Italy’s Lugano and Bellinzon, this was something completely different and divergent from previous views. However, as it turned out later, it is not only Lucerne that has such gems, and other, smaller and less frequented by tourists cities have, in our opinion, even more beautiful buildings!

But for now, let’s focus on Lucerne itself. Below you will find a description of some of the places we saw in Lucerne in one day.

Table of contents

Chapel Bridge (Monastery Bridge)

It was the first place we went to in Lucerne. Having already learned from our experience and “luck” with the aura, we preferred to take advantage of the nice weather and see Kapellbrücke firsthand. The literal translation is Chapel Bridge, but you may also encounter the name Monastery Bridge.

We expected to see a beautiful, flower-bearing, wooden bridge, but at the same time a crowded one that would be hard to cross (even more so with a stroller). The bridge can be seen from a distance and one could say that it can’t be mistaken for any other, but beware! There is another wooden bridge in Lucerne, and it is quite nearby – the Spreuerbrücke. Both are worth seeing, especially since they are separated by a short distance, and the Plevny Bridge, however, is a bit less frequented by tourists (we write about it below).

But let’s get back to the most important one. This bridge is the oldest wooden bridge in Europe (it was built in 1333)! However, being here we do not walk on the fully preserved 14th century structure, as it was 2/3 consumed by fire in 1993. Interestingly, the bridge was rebuilt at an express pace and was open to visitors again less than a year after the fire. This time enriched with monitoring and rapid fire detection and alarm systems.

Of course, the bridge is interesting not only because it is wooden. It also puzzles why it was not built straight across the river, but on a diagonal and thus its length is about twice as long as the width of the river. Well, this is due to the swampy ground, which prevented the construction of a shorter bridge. Next to the bridge, on the river, is a stone tower, older than the bridge itself and serving various functions such as defense or prison (it now houses a gift store).

However, more important than the length is the decoration of the bridge. Under its roof are 111 triangular paintings depicting both the city’s history and touching on religious themes (originally dating to the 17th century).

While on the Reuss River, pay special attention to the Baroque Jesuit church – you’ll recognize it by its two distinctive towers.

Plevny Bridge

The Plewny Bridge (Spreuerbrücke) is younger than the Chapel Bridge, with construction dating back to 1408. This bridge was destroyed before a flood in the 16th century (of course, it was later rebuilt).

It’s hard to avoid comparisons to big brother. It is shorter, but like the Chapel Bridge it is wooden, also roofed and also decorated with paintings, albeit with a less pleasant theme, as it depicts death and its inevitability.

Lucerne’s Old Town

Lucerne’s Old Town is a tight-knit development with stunning buildings.

Note the colorful, mask-decorated Fritschi fountain located in Chapel Square, a reference to the Lucerne Carnival tradition. The second square that can serve as a landmark is the Kornmarkt, where the old town hall from the early 17th century is located. More than the City Hall, our attention was drawn to the clock tower located here, which dates back to the 16th century.

However, we were more interested in the paintings on the walls of buildings, which are located, for example, at Hirschenplatz or Weinmarkt Square. We walked around looking up and admiring the unique decorations that give this city its unique character.

Museggmauer – the city walls

We also decided to see the city walls from the 14th century with as many as 9 towers along a fairly short section of the walls (less than 900 meters). According to the guidebook, these are the best preserved walls of this type in Switzerland so we couldn’t give up on at least approaching them.

Luckily, the approach itself did not end, and we took turns to walk on the walls (in turns, because climbing the walls with a baby stroller bordered on a miracle ;-)). What’s more, not only can the walls be viewed, but 4 of the aforementioned 9 towers are open to the public, all for free. Not only does it offer a nice view of the entire city, but there are various objects to see in the towers like the historic clocks in the Zagar Tower (Zeitturm).

So if anyone is looking for a way to find Lucerne cheap and interesting, we highly recommend walking the fortified walls.

What’s more?

There is undoubtedly plenty to do in this city. In addition to the aforementioned sites, Lucerne also offers museums (e.g., the Museum of Transportation – one of the most popular museums in Switzerland, the Museum of History, the Picasso Museum, the Wagner Museum), sacred sites worth seeing (e.g., the Baroque Jesuit Church of St. Francis Xavier), the Dying Lion monument dedicated to the Swiss Guardsmen who died during the attack on the Tuilerien Palace, the Bourbaki Panorama next door, or the Glacier Garden (unfortunately, far from the city center).

You can also go to the lake, to the marina we wrote about at the beginning, where, in addition to bars and rest areas, there is a Cultural and Convention Center (there is also an Art Museum here). You can also take a steamboat ride :)

Summary

In our opinion, Lucerne is a beautiful city, picturesquely located. You can marvel and spend a whole day exploring the interesting nooks and crannies of the old city. There are so many interesting places and attractions that and plan for a few days on site will be filled.

And while the city is definitely worth a visit, during our stay in Switzerland we saw several other places equally beautiful and less discovered, but which delighted us more…. about them we will write soon :)

We also recommend the photo gallery:

Zobacz galerię wszystkich zdjęć z Lucerny >>>