Lucerne Holidays

Lucerne is a quaint picturesque town in central Switzerland on the shores of Lake Lucerne. Its scenic location and pristine natural beauty make it a highly popular tourist destination.

1. Scratch the map

Lucerne city is the capital of Lucerne canton located approximately 40-50 km southwest of Zurich. The river Reuss flows along this city with a picturesque backdrop of Alps making Lucerne a lovely location for tourists.

2.How to reach 

Lucerne can be easily reached from Zurich via a train journey in 40-50 minutes. The distance between Lucerne and Interlaken can be covered by a train journey in approximately 2 hours. 

3.Tour Highlights

You can spend a relaxing vacation in Lucerne for 2-3 days in Lucerne and visit the key attractions in and around the city.

3.a Chapel Bridge

The Chapel Bridge - a wooden footbridge supposedly constructed long back during the 14th century on river Reuss has become the symbol of this city and possibly the most visited tourist spot. In the bridge complex, you can also spot the Wasserturm (water tower) which was used originally as a prison and later as a municipal archive. Not only is it beautifully decorated from outside, but the bridge also has some lovely paintings inside. The Chapel Bridge is also apparently the oldest covered bridge in Europe.

3.b Lion Monument

The Lion monument in Lucerne was built to commemorate Swiss soldiers who died in 1792 during the French revolution. This beautiful work of art is carved in a park setting in the north of the city located about 1-1.5 km away from the Chapel Bridge.

3.c Lake Lucerne cruise

Perhaps the best way of enjoying the beautiful views of the lake and the surrounding mountains is to hop on a cruise ship from the pier near the railway station. You can either sit back and relax while the ship gives you a round trip of the lake or head to one of the surrounding mountains where the ship makes a stop.

3.d Bürgenstock

The Bürgenstock mountain along the southern edge of Lake Lucernce has amazing views of the lake and the alpine landscapes. Many cruise ships provide a stop at Bürgenstock where a funicular ride will take you to the mountain top.

4. Useful Tips 

• Accomodation: If you want to avoid crowd, consider staying in areas around Lucerne rather in the main town itself. We stayed in Hergiswil which is also on the lake but much more idyllic and peaceful. You can reach the main town via trains or ferries in case you don’t have your own car.

• Associated trip ideas: If you are heading out for a longer trip, it would be a good idea to spend 2 days in Lucerne on the way to Interlaken. Check my post on Interlaken for Things to do in Interlaken.

5. Goodbye Notes

Finally its time to bid goodbye today! The more I travel to places in Switzerland, I realize that you can never get tired of visiting this country!! With the magnificent backdrop of the mighty Alps, each destination is charming and unique in its own way. I thoroughly enjoyed Lucerne and hope you like it too 😀

6) Associated Posts

You may like to check out the following post on Interlaken for a longer trip in Switzerland

a) Interlaken Diaries