Lucerne (Luzern)

Lucerne City Guide: What to See, Do, and Know

Lucerne is the Switzerland most people picture before they arrive: a medieval Old Town on a lake, wooden bridges, painted facades, and mountains rising straight out of the water. It is small, easy to walk, and one of the most visited places in the country, which means it can be busy in summer. The city itself takes a day; the reason to stay longer is the lake and the mountains around it. Plan two to three days.

Top Things to See in Lucerne

The Chapel Bridge and Water Tower

The Kapellbrücke, a covered wooden footbridge dating from the 14th century, is Lucerne’s symbol and one of the oldest covered bridges in Europe. Much of it was rebuilt after a fire in 1993, but many of the triangular paintings under its roof survived. The octagonal stone Water Tower beside it is even older. Visit early in the morning to see it without the crowds.

The Spreuer Bridge

Further downstream, the smaller Spreuerbrücke is quieter and just as interesting, with a series of 17th-century paintings on the theme of the Dance of Death. Nearby, the Needle Dam (Nadelwehr) is still used to regulate the level of the lake.

The Old Town and the Musegg Wall

The Old Town’s squares, such as the Weinmarkt and Kornmarkt, are lined with buildings covered in painted frescoes. Above them runs the Musegg Wall, a long stretch of medieval city wall with nine towers. Several towers can be climbed in the warmer months, and the Zyt tower houses the city’s oldest clock, which by tradition strikes one minute before all the others.

The Lion Monument

Carved into a sandstone cliff in the 1820s, the Lion Monument commemorates the Swiss Guards killed defending the Tuileries Palace in Paris during the French Revolution in 1792. The image of the dying lion is one of the most moving monuments in Switzerland. It is free to visit and a short walk from the Old Town.

Museums in Lucerne

The Swiss Museum of Transport, on the lakeshore east of the centre, is one of the most visited museums in the country, with trains, planes, boats, a planetarium, and a lot of hands-on exhibits. It is the best rainy-day option, especially with children. The Rosengart Collection, in the city centre, has an outstanding collection of works by Picasso and Paul Klee. The KKL Luzern, the culture and convention centre by Jean Nouvel beside the station, houses the Kunstmuseum and a concert hall with famously good acoustics.

Lake Lucerne Boat Trips

A boat trip is essential. The lake fleet includes several restored historic paddle steamers, and the boats connect Lucerne with lakeside villages and the lower stations of the mountain railways. Even a short round trip gives you a very different view of the city. Most scheduled boats are covered by the Swiss Travel Pass.

Mountain Excursions from Lucerne

Mount Pilatus is Lucerne’s own mountain. In summer, the classic Golden Round Trip combines a boat to Alpnachstad, the world’s steepest cogwheel railway to the summit, and a cable car and gondola down to Kriens, with a city bus back to the centre. The cogwheel railway only runs in the warmer months (roughly May to November), but the cable car route from Kriens operates most of the year.

Mount Rigi, often called the Queen of the Mountains, is reached by boat and cogwheel railway from Vitznau or by train from Arth-Goldau. Its railway, opened in 1871, was the first mountain railway in Europe, and the summit views over the lakes are exceptional at sunrise and sunset.

Other popular options include the Stanserhorn, reached by the open-top CabriO cable car, and Mount Titlis above Engelberg, which has snow and glacier activities all year. Check the weather forecast and live webcams before paying for any summit trip, and see our mountain weather guide.

Events Worth Planning Around

Lucerne Carnival (Fasnacht) begins before dawn on the Thursday before Ash Wednesday and fills the Old Town with masked groups and brass bands for almost a week. In summer, the Lucerne Festival brings world-class orchestras to the KKL. In December, a Christmas market takes over the square in front of the Franciscan church.

What to Eat in Lucerne

The local dish is the Luzerner Chügelipastete, a puff pastry case filled with veal and small meatballs in a creamy sauce. Fish from the lake, particularly perch and whitefish, appears on many menus. Restaurants along the river and lakefront charge for the view, so wander a few streets back into the Old Town or across to the Neustadt for better value.

Getting to and Around Lucerne

Direct trains reach Lucerne from Zürich in under an hour, and from Bern and Basel in about an hour. The scenic Luzern-Interlaken Express crosses the Brünig Pass to Interlaken in about two hours, one of the most beautiful regular train rides in the country. Zürich Airport is about an hour away by train.

The station sits right on the lake, next to the Chapel Bridge, and almost everything in the centre is within walking distance. City buses cover the rest, including the Transport Museum and the Pilatus cable car station in Kriens. See our getting around Switzerland guide for more.

Where to Stay in Lucerne

The Old Town is the most atmospheric area, while the Neustadt, just south of the station, has more mid-range and budget hotels and is only a few minutes’ walk from the sights. Lakefront hotels along the Schweizerhofquai have the best views and the highest prices. Lucerne is one of the most popular overnight stops in Switzerland, and waterfront hotels book up well in advance for July and August.

How Many Days in Lucerne?

One day covers the bridges, the Old Town, the Musegg Wall, and the Lion Monument. With two days, add a boat trip and Pilatus or Rigi. With three days, add a second mountain or the Transport Museum. Lucerne fits naturally into most Swiss routes; see our one week in Switzerland itinerary.

Related: All Destinations | Zürich | Bern | Iseltwald | Hiking in Switzerland