Dear Reader,
If you are visiting Switzerland, you have probably already looked at trying to visit Luzern. This is one of the most visited cities in Switzerland and a great base for visiting some mountains. Here are some of the best sights you cannot miss while being there.
Basic Information
Luzern (or Lucerne as it's spelled in English) is located in the center of Switzerland at the bank of one of the most spectacular lakes of Switzerland. It is one of the most popular cities to visit, besides Zurich and Geneva of course. With a beautiful old town and amazing mountains around, it is easy to see why people want to visit.
Luzern is easy to reach from Zurich via train. The connections are frequent during the day and are included if you have a SwissPass or relatively cheap with a Halffair card. You can also find good connections to other parts of Switzerland such as Lausanne or Geneva.
Once you are in the city, the public transport system is very well established. You can take buses almost anywhere in the city from the central train station. However, if you are moving around the center, there is no real need to take buses. The sights are so close together that you can easily walk from one stop to another and you will be able to enjoy the views over the lake from many spots.
Regarding the weather, it is best to visit in the summer since it can be very cold in the winter. You are also more guaranteed nice weather in the summer, which is essential if you would like to visit the mountains around. If you go in the spring or fall, you will be able to enjoy the gorgeous colors but you run the risk of fog, cloud or rain. In the winter you will have snow on the mountains which cuts off the access to some of them.
Kapellbridge
This is one of the most famous sights in Luzern. It has been represented on many pictures and shows in many campaigns. It is only a few minutes walking away from the train station. You can easily walk there from all points in the old town. It is free to walk over the bridge and enjoying the gorgeous architecture. If you would like to get a good picture, you have to get early since the bridge starts to fill with people very early in the morning.
Walking around the old town
Luzern has a gorgeous old town. There are many cute stores to explore and just get lost in the streets. I love doing this in every place I go to. You can also decide to grab lunch or dinner in one of the many restaurants and cafes in the streets. There are also many bars or cafes along the river where you can enjoy the view. You can walk through half of Luzern in this old town.
Lion Monument
The statue depicts a dying lion made out of sandstone. It is a monument dedicated to the fallen Swiss soldiers of the French Revolution. It is a very sad and moving monument, but it brings across the sentiment the statue is trying to depict.
It is one of the popular sights in Luzern so go early if you don't want the place to be completely crowded and overrun by tourists. This is one of the gorgeous sights to visit during spring and fall since the trees around the monument look amazing.
Glacier Garden
Visiting the mountains
This is one of the most sought-after adventures in Luzern. There are three or four different mountains you can go to, therefore you have to make a choice. The most famous and high mountain in the area is the Pilatus. Unfortunately, when I visited the Pilatus was in the clouds and the view would not have been good. Therefore I decided to go to the Bürgerstock.
The Bürgerstock is one of the easier sights to reach. There is no hiking involved and you have the views over the mountains and the lake. To get there you have to take the ship across the lake and then a cable car up the mountain. It is a gorgeous journey that is worth it just to see the views.
Once you have reached the top, there are many hikes you can go on. There are shorter or longer ones, with some of the ways asphalted down and others are natural paths. Since I was not wearing proper clothes for a hike and it was cold, therefore I decided to do one of the shorter walks along the asphalted road. It took me about thirty minutes walking along the path to a parking lot and the same time back. While it may not be the most authentic hike, the views were still spectacular and I had a great time.
That is my guide to Luzern. I hope this gives you a good start to plan your trip to Luzern. There are many more sights to see or places and mountains to visit in this area that are definitely worth a visit.
If you have any other tips or have visited Luzern and want to share your stories, I would love to hear them in the comments below or on social media.
Kisses,
Juli