Lucerne, Switzerland

Lucerne, Switzerland is located on Lake Lucerne and surrounded by mountains including the Pilatus and Rigi, making it a very picturesque city. From Bern we traveled by motorcoach to Lucerne.

Hotel Schweizerhof, Lucerne

We stayed at the Hotel Schweizerhof located near the old town on the shores of Lake Lucerne. It opened in 1845. Overall, it was a nice hotel, but of the 5-star hotels we stayed in on this trip it was our least favorite.

The rooms were small, the spa facilities were limited and there wasn’t much in terms of spaces to hang out and enjoy a drink or coffee and read a book. Oddly, each room was themed after someone who previously stayed there. Ours was a Swedish punk band who we’d never heard of. There were obnoxious pictures of them and memorabilia on the walls. Worse yet, the word HOLLYWOOD in white letters was above our bed. Hardly a 5-star hotel, maybe a Hard Rock Hotel.

We enjoyed the last dinner with our friends Katie, Jim and Tom before they went back home the next day. We stayed on for a couple more nights.

Chapel Bridge

The Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrücke) stands as Lucerne’s signature landmark, Europe’s oldest covered wooden bridge dating to the 14th century. Adorned with 17th-century paintings depicting local history, it spans the Reuss River and features a surviving water tower from a 1993 fire reconstruction. Nearby, the Spreuer Bridge offers similar timber architecture with macabre Dance of Death frescoes.​

Old Town, Lucerne

Lucerne’s Altstadt boasts frescoed buildings, cobblestone streets, and vibrant squares like Weinmarkt—once a medieval fish market with a Gothic fountain—and Kornmarkt, anchored by the Renaissance-style Old Town Hall. Over 200 public fountains provide fresh drinking water throughout the city.​

The Church of St. Leodegar (also known as Hofkirche St. Leodegar) has distinctive twin Gothic spires that dominate the city’s skyline along the Reuss River. Built mainly between 1633 and 1639 in the Baroque style after a fire destroyed the earlier medieval structure, it blends Gothic towers (over 60 meters tall) with a light-filled white stone interior, ornate altars, wood carvings, and one of Switzerland’s finest historic organs from 1640. The site traces back to an 8th-century Benedictine monastery.

Lion Monument, Lucerne

The Lion Monument (Löwendenkmal), carved into sandstone in 1821, honors Swiss Guards killed during the French Revolution. It was designed in Rome by one of the most famous sculptors of the day, Danish artist Bertel Thorvaldsen, and carved in the rock face of a former quarry by stonemason Lukas Ahorn. Mark Twain called it “the most mournful piece of stone in the world,” set in a serene park beside the Glacier Garden’s Ice Age potholes and prehistoric fossils.

After exploring the Lion Monument we enjoyed pizza for lunch.

Musegg Wall

We explored the Musegg Wall, a preserved medieval rampart with towers like Zyt—home to the city’s oldest clock—offering panoramic views of the city.​

Seehotel Baumgarten

Lake Lucerne has numerous boat cruises to see Mount Pilatus and Rigi’s majesty. Baumgarten lakeside hotel-restaurant lies at the foot of Bürgenstock Mountain, offering stunning views of Mount Pilatus across the water. It’s a classic boat cruise destination from Lucerne’s main piers—about 20-30 minutes via public lake steamer or private boat, docking right at their small marina. The spot feels serene and rural, ideal for escaping the city’s buzz. The on-site restaurant serves Swiss and European cuisine, including hearty regional dishes like veal, roast beef and fresh lake fish, paired with local wines and beer. Above is a group photo of everyone on our tour. A couple of them were very skilled at playing the swiss Alphorn, which was used by Swiss shepherds to call the cows from the pastures into the barn at milking time.

Rosengart Collection Lucerne

The Rosengart is a modern art museum in central Lucerne that grew out of a former Picasso-focused museum opened by the Rosengart family in 1978. It now houses a major private collection centered on Pablo Picasso and Paul Klee, along with works by more than 20 other Impressionist and Classic Modernist artists such as Cézanne, Monet, Matisse, Chagall, and Kandinsky. The entire ground floor is dedicated to Picasso, arranged roughly chronologically so visitors can follow his development from the late 1930s to the 1960s. There are over 100 works—paintings, drawings, and prints—plus several portraits of Angela Rosengart that Picasso painted.

The Quetscher Mehlsecken is a Guggenmusik ensemble that plays upbeat brass music, often in costumes and masks, especially around Fasnacht (carnival) season and at special events in Lucerne. They travel from pub to pub enjoying the local beer and are quite a happy group.

Lakeshore Walk, Lucerne

We spent half a day just walking the lakeshore. It was a perfect temperature and partly cloudy. Fall plants were still in bloom.

We passed by the Transportation Museum and a musical event at this odd shaped inflatable event center.

Lucerne was a nice way to end our Switzerland trip. The view from our hotel room was scenic. For dinner we ate like a local. That morning we took a very early private ride to Zurich to fly back to San Diego.