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Lovely LucerneBy Jerome Richard
You can also take a lake steamer to the foot of nearby Mount Pilatus and then the world’s steepest cogwheel railway up the mountain for a terrific lake and mountain-top view. Have lunch or dinner there and then enjoy a gondola ride back down for a bus back to Lucerne. The town of Lucerne with its population of about 60,000 sits astride the River Reuss as it emerges from the lake. It is German speaking (the local spelling is Luzern), but most people, particularly those that visitors are likely to encounter, also speak English. Its location puts it at a crossroads to several other Swiss cities, but because of its size and mountain setting there is no airport. It is well-served by Swiss Rail and its brand new station puts you right at the heart of tourist Lucerne and the outdoor municipal bus terminal.
In the 17th century paintings depicting scenes of Swiss and local history were added on plaques hanging from the ceiling of the bridge, but between age and darkness, they are hard to make out. An octagonal water tower adjoins the bridge. In the past it has been used for storage as well as a prison and a torture chamber. Now it is a focal point for photographs.
Close to “The Dying Lion” is the Glacier Garden (Gletschergarten), encompassing remnants of Europe’s ice age along with 20 million-year-old fossils. There is a glacial diorama and a glacier museum, historic relief maps of Switzerland, and an ornate mirror maze that was created for the 1896 Swiss National Exhibition. Admission is 9 Swiss francs; discounts for students and children. The Gletschergarten along with many other attractions are discounted via the Visitor’s Card which is printed on the City Guide available at the tourist office. It must be validated at your hotel. Among other attractions on the Visitor’s Card are several museums, including the new Rosengart Collection consisting of an array of modern works by Picasso (there is also a separate Picasso museum), Matisse, Klee, and others, a transportation museum, and a planetarium. The card also entitles you to discounts on some lake cruises, car rentals, and bus tickets (though from close-in hotels, the bus is free to the Bahnhofplatz which is within easy walking distance of most sites.) A part of the 14th century city wall is preserved along with nine of its towers, three of which are open to the public. One, the Zyt Tower, contains a 16th century clock which in deference to its age is privileged to chime one minute before all the other clocks in town. Among the many places to eat, the Old Swiss House, located near the Dying Lion Monument, stands out. Its specialty is Wiener Schnitzel. In fact, it’s the Wiener Schnitzel show. Order it and the waitress wheels to your table a portable gas stove and a cart containing a tub of egg-cheese-herb mixture and another of bread crumbs. Then she displays the veal. It’s the size of a Roman shield. She rolls up the veal, dips it in the egg mixture and the bread crumbs and fries it in half a pound of butter. It is served along with egg noodles. One portion would easily serve two Roman soldiers. Lucerne also boasts a full range of hotels, including four 5-star establishments. Of those, the Schweizerhof is particularly impressive, combining old world charm and architecture with modern conveniences. Its location, facing the lake and across from the train station, is ideal. The 5-star establishment called The Hotel is as sleek as its name; it features movie stills splashed against its room ceilings. The 3-star Lowengraben was a prison until 1998. Some of the windows still have bars and there are a few rooms that are only a little updated from their days as cells. Switzerland has not joined the European Union so euros are not the currency of the country. You need Swiss francs (CHF) which are useless as soon as you leave the country, especially the coins which banks will not exchange, so spend them all before you leave. The charm of Lucerne is the easy way it neighbors mountains, a lake, modern architecture, and a medieval town. http://switzerlandisyours.com/e/guide/lucerne/ Images by J. Richard |
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TM
There is something about a mountain lake that is more
awe inspiring than either feature by itself. Switzerland, of course, is
blessed with many such prospects. Among them is Lake Lucerne, pretty much in
the center of the country. At forty-four square miles, the lake (actually
four lakes that are conjoined) is too large to be the jewel that Tahoe or
Louise are, but the mountain setting is magnificent and when a mist rises
the scene is positively Wagnerian. (Wagner, in fact, once lived in Lucerne.
His former residence is now a small museum.) There are several lake
excursions available, the longest lasting six
hours. 
Lucerne’s signature structure is the Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrucke),
a covered wooden bridge across the Reuss River close to the lake. It was
built in the early 1300s and what is peculiar about it is that while just
about every other bridge in the world goes straight across whatever it is
spanning, the Chapel Bridge starts out straight but quickly takes off at
about a 45 degree angle to reach the other bank. No one seems to know why it
was built this way, and what is even more odd is that no one seems curious
except visitors. Ask at the Tourist Office, conveniently located in the
train station, and they say they don’t know, they just like it that way.
One of the most remarkable sculptures in the world is
“The Dying Lion of Lucerne,” carved out of the side of a granite cliff. The
monument commemorates the Swiss soldiers who died in the French Revolution.
(You have to probe a bit to find out that they died fighting for the king.)
Commissioned by one of the survivors and designed by a Danish sculptor, the
monument can bring tears to your eyes. In fact, Mark Twain described it as
“the saddest and most moving piece of rock in the world.”