Best Things To Do In Lucerne, Switzerland

Lucerne is a cosy, manageable city nestled in the middle of Switzerland’s mountain and water world. Here, you’ll find trendy cafes, hipster stores, and well-known brand stores, and you’ll still be in the middle of the Alpine mountains within a short time to switch off.

Lucerne, AKA Luzern, is located directly on the water. It is situated on the shores of the Lake of the Four Cantons and is surrounded by mountains. The city is famous among tourists because of its location and charming old town. Lake, mountains, and a mesmerizing historical centre—what more could you ask for?

Lucerne is simply an excellent starting point for exploring various places. Within an hour, you can reach famous tourist hotspots like the Rigibahn or the Pilatus. Even if you want to make a day trip to Zurich or Bern, you can get to both cities within an hour by train.

Here is our list of the best things to do in Lucerne and places to visit, bringing you the best of what the city offers.

The Old Town

Take as much time as you can to wander along the right bank of the river Reuss and explore the historic centre of Lucerne. Here, you’ll find several squares surrounded by colourful medieval houses. Cobblestone market streets connect the squares.

Traffic is prohibited in the central part of the old town for the convenience of shoppers and all other tourists. An unmissable starting point during a walk around the old town is Weinmarkt Square, surrounded by medieval town halls, some of which stand out for their colourful decorative facades.

Another must-see in the area is the Old Town Hall, built in the early 17th century in the Italian Renaissance style. Its ground floor houses magnificent arcades. A stroll through The Old Town is the perfect start to your trip to Lucerne.

Kornmarkt Square

The Kornmarkt is the site of the medieval market square. It is a small, quiet area of the city with many stores, restaurants, and the charming clock tower Kornschütte. Most of the buildings on this square look incredibly decorative, thanks to the brightly coloured facades.

The square is certainly worth a visit. It’s beautiful and close to landmarks like the railway station and the Chapel Bridge.

Swan Square

Schwanenplatz Square is located in the old part of the city near Lake Lucerne, where you can often see graceful swans—that’s why it got its name—Swan Square. This is a must-visit for fans of good watches, as the square has many stores where you can buy high-end watches such as Rolex, Patek Philippe, Omega, and others.

There are also many patisseries selling excellent chocolates and a number of lovely establishments perfect for a quick bite to eat.

Chapel Bridge

The Chapel Bridge, or Kapelbrücke, crosses the river Reuss and is considered Europe‘s oldest wooden covered bridge. It is also among Switzerland’s major attractions and a symbol of the city of Lucerne.

The Kapelbrücke Bridge, over 200 meters long, dates back to the 14th century. The most striking feature of the bridge is the paintings on the roof; there were 111 triangular paintings on the bridge. The pictures depict essential events in Switzerland and Lucerne’s history and scenes from the lives of the town’s patron saints. There are no bridges with similar paintings in any city in Europe.

After a fire in 1993, only 30 of the original 111 paintings remained. In the middle of the bridge is a 35-meter tower, which was built some 30 years before the bridge. It was originally a watchtower; later, it was used for different purposes—water tower, fire tower, archive, etc. The Chapel Bridge is like no bridge you have ever seen before.

Jesuit Church

The Jesuit Church is dedicated to St. Francis Xavier. It was the first large baroque church in Switzerland at that time. At the height of the Counter-Reformation, it became a kind of beacon for Protestant cities such as Geneva and Zurich.

The construction of the structure continued throughout the 16th and 17th centuries, and the temple was lit in 1677. The exterior and interior of the Jesuit church are characterized by luxury, typical of the Baroque style. For example, inside the temple, you can see rich stucco in the side chapels, a striking example of the work of the Wessobrunn School of molders (Germany).

The Jesuit church is an imposing church located on the river. It is pretty from the outside but reveals its richness when you pass its door: it is a masterpiece of baroque art! It is one of the best places to visit in Lucerne.

Church of St. Leodegar

The medieval Romanesque Basilica that stood in the 17th century on the site of the present church burned to the ground in a great fire. In the 1630s, when the Thirty Years’ War was still raging, the town decided to build a new church, one of the few built north of the Alps.

The church is a Romanesque building that belongs to the canonical monastery of St. Leodegar. In former times, it belonged to a Benedictine monastery.

In the north aisle, you will find a colourful Gothic relief depicting the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, dating back to 1500 – it was miraculously saved in a fire. Other interior elements, added in the 17th after the reconstruction of the old building, are also worth attention: the high black marble altar and the wooden choir with filigree carving. The Church of St. Leodegar is one of the most beautiful churches ever seen.

Mount Pilatus

Mount Pilatus is closely connected with local folklore. According to a medieval legend, dragons with healing powers lived on its summit, so Pilatus was called the Dragon’s Mountain in those days. Hiking to the top is one of the best things to do while there; it is an unforgettable adventure.

In the summer, there is a particular route, Goldene Rundfahrt, during which tourists go from Lucerne on a paddle steamer. Once ashore, you can take the world’s steepest railroad, with a maximum gradient of 48º and a unique gearbox.

After admiring the mountain scenery, you can take the new Dragon Ride cable car and go down. Visiting Mount Pilatus is one of the best things to do in Lucerne.

Mount Rigi

Mount Rigi is a mountain range in Central Switzerland, clearly visible from the city of Lucerne. This unique place is surrounded on three sides by lakes—Lucerne, Zug, and Lauerz. You can climb the mountain by cable car or cogged railroad, and from the top, you will enjoy a stunning panoramic view.

There are regular shuttle buses to Mt. Riga; however, you can get to the cable car, or if you are looking for a more exciting way, you can take a steamboat cruise that departs from the Lucerne city wharf. While visiting the mountain range, photographers can take some incredibly picturesque and captivating shots! As for hikers, there is a fascinating and unforgettable ascent to the summit waiting for them!

Lake Lucerne

Lake Lucerne, AKA Lake of the Four Cantons, is a body of water of great beauty. Mountains on all sides surround the lake, consisting of four basins connected by narrow straits. In the 1880s, the coastal areas of Lucerne were redeveloped to make the most of the beauty of the local landscape.

To admire Lake Lucerne, you have to get to the city harbour, Luzern Bahnhofquai and board one of the five paddle steamers of the early 20th century, which regularly take sightseeing cruises. It is not to be missed!

National Transport Museum

The Verkehrshaus der Schweiz (National Transport Museum) is one of the most visited museums in Switzerland. It is located on the shores of Lake Lucerne and has a rich collection of all kinds of vehicles, including cars, planes, trains, fire engines, and other special vehicles.

There are more than 3,000 exhibits in the museum’s 20,000 m² area. There are special machines, such as the first diesel locomotive in Switzerland, 30 aeroplanes, and even an Automobile Theater. In this garage, models of cars from different epochs are placed on the shelves like toy cars in rows in six tiers.

Apart from the different kinds of vehicles, there are other attractions such as a renovated planetarium, Switzerland’s first IMAX cinema, and a 200 m² sizeable aerial view of Switzerland from space – a map of the country. Visiting the National Transport Museum is a must while in the city.

Lucerne railway station

If you like trains and haven’t admired them enough at the Swiss Transport Museum, head to the Lucerne railway station. The substantial two-story building with interesting architecture is located near the lake in the central part of Lucerne. It has a huge waiting room, ticket offices, luggage lockers, and other passenger services, but there are also many stores, cafes, and snack bars in the train station, where you can get a quick and delicious meal.

The Town Park of Inseli

Just a stone’s throw from the train station, on the shores of Lake Lucerne, there’s a lovely green park, The Town Park of Inseli. In sunny weather, locals like to come to relax on the lawn, play ping pong outdoors, or sit at tables in the Volière and Buvette summer bars. Make sure to visit the park while in the city.

The Dying Lion Monument

The dying Lion of Lucerne is one of the most famous monuments in the world. If you love sculptures, you will like the Lion Monument. It is over 200 years old and shows a lion dying because of a spear in its back. It is meant to commemorate the fallen Swiss guardsmen during the French Revolution.

Based on a sketch by the Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen, the sculptural composition was executed by another sculptor, Swiss Lucas Achorn. The work was completed in the early 1820s. The parted lion personifies the brave Swiss Guard who fell on 10 August 1792 while defending the Tuileries Palace, where Louis XVI was staying.

Under the dying lion is inscribed Helvetiorum Fidei ac Virtuti, which means to the loyalty and bravery of the Swiss. This sculpture is very famous, and you will see a lot of tourists around it, but it is worth seeing it. The statue is a 5-minute walk from the city centre and awe-inspiring!

Glacier Garden

Next to the Lion Monument is a natural site whose discovery in 1872 shocked the scientific world. This geological phenomenon is a bizarre ancient rock formation with potholes, caverns, and caves, which was formed 20,000 years ago during the Ice Age. The ice caves contain even more ancient formations—fossils of palm leaves and shellfish, showing that about 20 million years ago, this place was a subtropical sea.

In addition to unique natural formations, the Glacier Garden features a hall of models with landscapes of Switzerland. Visitors are invariably interested in the mirror maze Alhambra, an attraction with 90 mirrors that opened in 1896.

Climbing up to the observation deck, you can admire Lucerne’s breathtaking panorama against the Pilatus Massif’s backdrop. Make sure to add visiting the Glacier Garden to your program.

Bourbaki Panorama Museum

Not far from the Lion Monument and the Glacier Garden is another city attraction, the Bourbaki Panorama Museum. The museum has a huge circular painting about the French army’s internment in Switzerland after its defeat against Germany in 1871.

The French army was then cornered by the German army in the Jura and had only one solution: to ask Switzerland for the right to take refuge on its territory. In the early 1870s, Swiss artist Edouard Kastr painted a grandiose canvas measuring 112 by 10 meters. It is one of the few large-scale panoramas of the 19th century that have survived.

In the painting, against the backdrop of snowy landscapes, exhausted soldiers are crossing the border, retreating into neutral Switzerland. In the pavilion, where the panorama is located, you will find a small museum that tells many exciting things about the events of the Franco-Prussian War and the history of the creation of the unique artistic canvas.

Historical Museum of Lucerne

If you want to learn more about the traditions and culture of this region of Switzerland, visit the Lucerne Historical Museum. It is located near the Jesuit Church and the Sproeuerbrücke Bridge. Although small, the museum has several captivating displays, including medieval artefacts from the 15th century, such as a Gothic fountain and Italian infantrymen’s shields.

The Jungfraujoch Pass (Jungfraujoch)

The Jungfraujoch Pass is about 80 kilometres from Lucerne. It is known as the summit of Europe and is listed as a World Heritage Site. It is also the highest railway station on the continent at 3,454 meters. On the elevator, you can go even higher – to the top of the Sphinx height of 3,573 m. You can visit the Ice Palace and enjoy the breathtaking mountainsides from the Sphinx observation deck there.

Engelberg Village and Mount Titlis

The small village of Engelberg in the mountain valley is a popular winter and summer destination in Central Switzerland. It is one of the top 10 Swiss ski resorts, attracting skiers and snowboarders worldwide.

Hikers, mountain climbers, bikers, and golfers come here in the summertime. At any time of the year, the chairlift Ice Flyer offers breathtaking views of the Bernese Alps; for lovers of old times, visit the active Benedictine monastery in Engelberg, which dates back to the 12th century and is still dominated by monks.

Culture and Congress Center (KKL)

The Culture and Congress Center (KKL) is a stunning work of modern architecture and the youngest of all Lucerne’s landmarks. The Culture and Congress Center (KKL) is located on the shore of Lake Lucerne, where the river Rois flows out. The famous French architect Jean Nouvel designed the high-tech building, and the centre took shape between 1995 and 2000.

The main feature of the building is its vast flat roof overhanging the waterfront. Beneath the enormous roof is a complex consisting of three separate buildings. Of all the rooms, the most famous is the concert hall, which has 1,800 seats and surpasses many world venues in terms of acoustics. The building also houses a part of the Lucerne Art Museum, which houses works by artists and sculptors from different periods, from the Renaissance to the present day.

The Musegg Wall

The Muzgg fortress wall is a remnant of the fortifications erected at the end of the 14th century to protect the city from the north. Along the 900-meter-long wall of Musegg, there are nine tall watchtowers. Four towers are open to the public, including the famous Zitturm Tower, where you can see the oldest clock in the city.

It was made in 1535 by Hans Luther, and the citizens gave it the unique privilege of striking the hour one minute before every other clock in the city. The other three towers are also worth a visit for a view of the city and the beautiful lake.

Rosengart Collection

The successful art dealer Siegfried Rosengart was in close contact with the famous artists of the first decades of the twentieth century. He and his daughter Angela amassed one of the wealthiest contemporary art collections in Europe, including many works by renowned artists such as Chagall, Monet, Matisse, Miró, Braque, and Fernand Léger.

But the real jewels of the collection are the priceless works of Pablo Picasso and Paul Klee—they have a special place in the Sammlung Rosengart museum, located in the former building of the Swiss National Bank. The museum was opened in 2002 at the initiative of Angela Rosengart, who inherited her father’s rich collection. Today, the museum has more than 300 paintings in its exhibition. It would be a waste to go to Lucerne without visiting the museum.

Richard Wagner Museum

This museum is located in Richard Wagner’s former estate. The world-famous composer lived here with his family for six years, from 1866 to 1872. It was here that Wagner began his musical drama Götterdämmerung (Death of the Gods), wrote his opera Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (The Meistersinger von Nürnberg), and wrote a number of other famous works.

The museum’s exhibitions are dedicated to Wagner and the years of his life in Lucerne. Here, you will see rare archive records, original scores, canvases, historic photos, and antique furniture. The unique collection of ancient musical instruments deserves special attention, and its pearl is undoubtedly the portable organ by Sebastian Érard, on which the composer composed his masterpieces.

Conclusion

It’s no wonder why tourists love Lucerne. The city is next to the picturesque Lake Lucerne, surrounded by breathtaking mountain scenery. Also, its natural attractions are not far from the city, so it’s easy to get to them, whether you’re planning to admire the lake on a steamboat cruise or conquer the mighty alpine peaks. There’s plenty to see and do in the city!