Luzern (Lucerne in English) is a city filled with medieval charm, historic wooden covered bridges surrounded by mountains on an alpine blue lake. It has many charming buildings in the cityscape itself along with several museums, including one with art by Pablo Picasso.
Kapellbrucke (Chapel Bridge)
One of the oldest covered wood bridge in Europe and dates from the middle of the 14th century. The bridge is 557 feet or 170 meters long. It crosses the Reuss River at an angle, which helped for fortification for attack from the lake. The bridge joins the Wasserturm, an octagonal water tower that currently holds a tourist shop, but once was a prison and torture chamber.
The bridge is decorated with paintings dating from the 17th century that show the development of the town. Sadly, the bridge was damaged extensively in a fire in 1993. The bridge was rebuilt and most of its paintings either restored or replaced with copies.
Address: Kapellbrücke, 6002 Luzern, Switzerland
Spreuerbrucke (Mills Bridge)
Built in 1407 and also spans the Reuss River and more importantly is all original. Its gables are painted with the “Dance of Death,” a mural by Kaspar Meglinger commemorating a plague that swept through Luzern. On the way to the bridge you can admire the Nadelwehr, Luzern’s 19th century needle dam that uses posts to control the water flow from Lake Lucerne.
Address: 6004 Lucerne, Switzerland
Sammlung Rosengart Luzern (Picasso Museum):
The museum includes the collection of Siegfried and Angela Rosengart, who were close friends of famous artist Picasso. Along with paintings, there are drawings, engravings and ceramics. There are also photos of Picasso at work done by David Douglas Duncan on display.
Hours: Nov. – March, open daily 11 am – 5 pm (incl. public holidays); April – Oct. open daily 10 am – 6 pm (incl. public holidays).
Admission: Adults 18 CHF (Swiss currency of francs), Seniors 16 CHF, Students 10 CHF and children 7-16 years of age 10 CHF.
Address: Pilatusstrasse 10, 6003 Luzern, Switzerland
Lowendenkmal
A massive figure of a dying lion pierced by an arrow carved into a rock cliff side. In 1792 a 1,000 Swiss guards were seeking to protect French King Louis XVI from the revolutionists marching on the Palais de Tuileries and paid the ultimate sacrifice with their lives. Any Swiss soldiers who survived the attack faced the guillotine. The monument is powerful memorial to these soldiers of the Swiss Guard. Mark Twain called the monument “the saddest and most poignant piece of rock in the world.”
Hours: 24 hours
Admission: Free
Address: Denkmalstrasse 4, Lucerne 6006, Switzerland
Richard Wagner Museum
The German composer Rich Wagner wrote his opera “Tristan and Isolde” here along with some of his other famous operas. He lived here with his wife and son from 1866-1872. Rooms include original furniture and other memorabilia from his life.
Hours: April- Nov. 10 am – 5 pm. Closed Dec. – March.
Admission: Adults 10 CHF, Students 5
CHF and Children up to 12 years – free.
Address: Richard-Wagner-Weg 27, 6005 Luzern, Switzerland
Kuntmuseum
This museum houses Swiss art from the Renaissance to the present including many baroque artworks. A few artists include: Kaspar Meglinger, Franz Ludwig Raufft, Felix Maria Diogg, Josef Reinhard and Fredrick Holder. More contemporary pieces can be found in the modern art collection. The museum is closed until early March 2019.
Hours: Tuesday to
Sunday 11 am – 6 pm; Wednesday 11 am – 8 pm and
Monday closed
Admission: Adults: 15 CHF, 7-16 and students with a student cart 6 CHF and children up to the age of six are free.
Address: Europaplatz 1, 6005 Luzern, Switzerland
Bourbaki Panorama
One of the few remaining panoramas, which are huge circular murals, it commemorates when the defeated French forces sought safety in Switzerland from the Prussians during the Franco-Prussian War (1870-71). This was also an early time for the use of the Red Cross to help out and helped to solidify Switzerland as a neutral nation.
Hours: Open every day April to Oct.: 9 am to 6 pm; Nov. to March: 10 am to 5 pm.
Admission: Adults 12 CHF, Students 10 CHF and Children 6-16 7 CHF.
Address: Löwenpl. 11, 6004 Luzern, Switzerland
Swiss Transport Museum
A large transportation museum housing trains, airplanes, ships and even spaceships. The museum also includes a Cosmorama relating to space travel, an Imax theater, a Planetarium along with other special exhibits.
Hours: Summertime 10 am – 6 pm. Wintertime 10 am – 5 pm.
Admission: 56 CHF, students 39 CHF; children under 16 – 22 CHF and young children under 6 – 11 CHF.
Address: Lidostrasse 5, 6006 Luzern, Switzerland
Gletschergarten
A glacier garden. Excavation here uncovered a rock with 32 large potholes created by the interaction of water and stones that fell through crevasses in the overlaying glacier. You can also see a collection of fossils and a recreation of an Ice Age hunter’s cave.
Hours: April 1 – Oct. 31, 9 am – 6 pm daily; Nov. 1 – March 31 10 am – 5 pm daily.
Admission: Adults: 15 CHF, Seniors/Disabled/ Students 12 CHF and Children 6-16 years 8 CHF.
Address: Denkmalstrasse 4, 6006 Luzern, Switzerland
Historisches Museum (Museum of Swiss History)
This structureserved originally as an arsenal and now houses exhibits that follows the history of Luzern starting in 1300, along with art and sculptures. The museum also does special exhibits.
Hours: Tuesday- Sunday 10 am – 5 pm.
Admission:
Address: Pfistergasse 24, 6003 Luzern, Switzerland
Other sites to see includes: Schwanenplatz, Kapellplatz, Kornmarkt, Muhlenplatz, Weinmarkt, Hirschenplatz, Hofkirche and Mount Pilatus.
MORE SWITZERLAND DESTINATIONS:
HOMETOWN CONNECTIONS TO ZURICH
In researching Zurich I found it had connections to our lives back in the states. I have listed the sites to see in order from walking from the train station in which is where we’ll be arriving at.
WALKING IN EINSTEIN’S FOOTSTEPS IN BERN
Bern is the capital city of Switzerland and traces its history to the 12th century and was the home of the genius Albert Einstein during his formative years of figuring out the universe.
