Day 15 - Saturday May 29, 1999 - Lucerne, Switzerland: Checked out of my hotel in Munich early in the morning, and walked to the train station to take the 8:14AM train to Zurich. Arrived at Zurich at 12:26PM, then jumped on the 1:01PM train to Lucerne, arriving there at 1:49PM. I stopped by the Tourist Information office at the train station and got the handy 50-page city guide booklet. I walked to the Hotel Flora (Seidenhofstrasse 5, 190SF per night, breakfast included) which was a few blocks from the train station, and checked in. This hotel is a Best Western hotel, and it was very busy since it was accommodating several guided tour companies of American, and Japanese tourists. The room was very small, with slightly worn furnishings, but it was clean, and comfortable.

I headed out with the city guide booklet in hand into Lucerne, my first impressions of the city were very favorable. Lucerne is a very nice, clean, small city with many upscale shops, and restaurants that are mostly catering to the tourist industry. It was a beautiful warm sunny day, and the city was full of tourists and locals alike. The heart of the city is the area around the five bridges that cross the mouth of the Reuss river where it carries out the waters of the Vierwaldstattersee (Lake Lucerne). When I got to the edge of the lake, I could see that the water level was very high. So high in fact, that the banks of the lake, and the river were lined with sandbags to prevent inundation of the streets, and the businesses bordering them. The water's color was a dark green, and it was very cold since it is snowmelt runoff from the surrounding mountains. The Seebrucke (Lake Bridge) is the largest bridge over the lake, and it carries both pedestrian and automotive traffic. To the east of the Seebrucke is the large Vierwaldstattersee, the vistas looking to the east over the lake show that it is completely surrounded by mountains most of which still had snow capped peaks. The lake was also dotted with many sailboats, and cruise ships making for a very picturesque scene. To the west of the Seebrucke is the Kapellbrucke (Chapel Bridge) with its Water Tower, this pedestrian covered wooden bridge is Lucerne's symbol, and its most famous landmark. The Kapellbrucke snakes diagonally from the left bank to the right bank of the Reuss river. Inside its roof's gables contain painted panels depicting the history of Lucerne, and Switzerland. Connected to the bridge near the left bank is the octagonal Water Tower that was once a prison, and torture chamber in the Middle Ages, but it now houses a souvenir stand. The original bridge was built in the 14th century, but it burned down in 1993 with the current bridge being completed in 1994.

Several beautiful white swans were swimming in the slowly moving currents of the river on the west side of the Kapellbrucke. I walked on the Kapellbrucke from the left bank to the right bank into Lucerne's old town. Then, I walked around the small narrow streets, and squares of the old town. Next I walked east along the shore to the Hof Church, the original church at this location was built in the 8th century, but the current church dates only from the mid 17th century. The church's building is not spectacular, but its two towers are among the tallest structures in the city. Next I headed north going uphill until I got to the Lowendenkmal (Lion Monument). This monument is a sculpture of a dying lion carved out of the rock face of a cliff, and it commemorates the Swiss guards who died defending King Louis XVI of France in Paris during the French Revolution in 1792. I find it interesting that Switzerland, a country that now prides itself in having being neutral during both World Wars, in ancient times provided soldiers to protect important persons such as the King of France, and the Pope in Rome. I retraced my steps downhill back towards the lake, and then headed west along the river's right bank past the Seebrucke, and the Kapellbrucke until I got to the Spreuerbrucke. This is a smaller pedestrian wooden covered bridge dating from the 15th century. Like the Kapellbrucke, the Spreuerbrucke has interior gable frame paintings, in this bridge they tell the story of a plague that went through Lucerne during the Middle Ages. The river at this point has narrowed significantly, and the water is moving much more swiftly here. Taking advantage of the fast currents were three young men who had tethered a surfboard to the bridge and were taking turns jumping into the water to ride the board while many spectators stood around and watched.

I really liked Lucerne, but it was really only a convenient stopping place on may way to Interlaken where I would head into the Jungfrauhoch region. Next time I hope to spend more time in Lucerne in order to: 1) view the city from the decks of one of the ships that sail the Vierwaldstattersee, 2) walk up and around the remains of the surrounding old town wall, 3) take a trip to Mount Pilatus (7,000 ft), 4) take a trip to Mount Rigi (6,000 ft), and 5) take a trip to Mount Titlis (10,000 ft) for views of the Matterhorn and Jungfrau.

Previous

Next