Tourist magnet of the north
An hour by train from Basel, Lucerne lacks the former’s cosmopolitan swank, but this tourist epicentre provides charm, history, tradition, and idyllic waterfront beauty.
Frescoed streets and wooden bridges beckon, and cafes provide abundant opportunity to blow the froth off an extra creamy latte and escape the masses. And then there’s the lake. Skirted by forest and framed by 6,000-foot peaks, the landscape is breathtaking.
Let’s take a walk (and cruise) around Lucerne, Switzerland’s tourist centre of the north.
By the numbers
On an overcast morning in May, the friendly, English speaking staff at the Visitor Centre (1) have few diversions and load us with literature, including a self-guided city tour that we adapt to our own interests.
Shrouded in mist, the lake’s indefinable features resemble an impressionist painting and we stroll riverside to the 17C Baroque-style Jesuit Church (2)with its feast of interior frescoes. Artwork also features inside the 15C Spreuerbrucke (3), an eerie, wooden, walk-through canvas of paintings illustrating Europe’s gruesome surrender to the 14C plague. Poor light has Karen lingering to examine the work but has me looking over my shoulder.
A short, uphill walk leads to the old town wall (4), providing panoramic views and a close-up of its decorated watchtower. Built in Basel in 1385, this beautifully ornate clock still keeps impeccable time.
Karen is unmoved. "Of course," she says. "This is Switzerland!"
Near Lowenplatz the tourist crowds swell, divining us to the Lion Monument (5). Mark Twain coined this monument to the Swiss Guard, "the saddest, most moving piece of rock in the world." Carved from a cliff-face in the 19C by Lucas Ahorn, it commemorates the 760 men who died defending Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI against marauding French revolutionaries in 1792. Even amidst today’s crowd, the personal impact of this iconic memorial is undiminished.
Back in the Old Town at the Weinmarkt (6) we find fairytale, 16C frescoed buildings and gothic fountains, stopping to enjoy our picnic and a mug of Kafi Laz from a small café. This Schnapps-based coffee is a local favourite, but needs loads of sugar to tame its fiery impact. Karen’s love of sugar [sic] has her returning for seconds.
Inside the nearby Picasso Museum (7) we enjoy a display of the master’s later works, including a handful of ceramics and a remarkably comical and insightful collection of photographs, before we cross the river again at the Kapellbrucke (8), Europe’s oldest wooden bridge. Devastated by fire in 1993, many of the 100 roof paintings in this 14C wonder have been restored, but hordes of camera-toting, flag bearing tour groups sour our appreciation.
Emerging unscathed, we return to the train station and nearby dock with most of the afternoon to enjoy the lake. Sadly, the famous Lucerne paddlesteamers aren’t operating today, but we’re spoiled for alternatives with dozens of destinations on offer. Indulgence prevails, and we opt for a three-hour cruise(9) along the length of the lake to Fluelen – an inspired choice since it connects with a return train to Basel.
For the price of a pizza we close the day aboard MV Lucerne, dining on a sublime soup of mist, wild forests and secret villages. No mountain peaks today, just teasing glimpses of the Pilatus and Rigi giants through occasional breaks in the pea-soup haze, but hey, there’s always next time.
Need to Know More?
Refer to the map for directions; this tour covers around five kilometres at an easy pace, leaving enough time for an afternoon lake cruise.
* Any day is good, although some museums close Monday.
* Be prepared for rain, Lucerne is one of Switzerland’s wettest towns.
* The Picasso Museum costs 6Sfr and is open 10-6 daily.
* You’ll find good cafes along Rathausquai and Nationalquai.
* If you’re into mountains, consider staying in Lucerne and plan a trip up nearby Mount Pilatus – the sunrise and sunsets here come recommended by Mark Twain and a stellar cast of thousands.
* Free lake transport comes with your Euro or Swiss rail pass but if you have to pay, 12Sfr will get an hour of floating solitude. Frequent services link dozens of lakeside destinations all year round. The three-hour trip to Fluelen is highly recommended - it touches some of the lake’s most remote and exciting corners, and Fluelen trains connect with Zurich’s main north-south line.
***** DAVE’S FAVES are the illustrated history provided by Lucerne’s covered wooden bridges; views from the Old Town wall; lump-in-the-throat beauty of the Lion Monument; a candid collection of Picasso photographs, and the incomparable atmosphere of the lake.