Sights to See on a Lucerne Holiday in Switzerland

On a Lucerne holiday in Switzerland, there are lovely sights to delight your senses. It is easy to lose yourself in Nature's beauty as you indulge yourself in a fantasy world that brings you closer to heaven on earth!

Some people who travel to Switzerland on a Lucerne holiday however prefer checking off places to see from a list in a tourist guide - so this article will also provide a list of places to see on your Lucerne holiday. Enjoy.

Bridges in Lucerne, Switzerland

Since the city straddles the Reuss River where it drains the lake, it has a number of bridges. The most famous is the Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrucke), a 204 m (670 ft) long wooden bridge originally built in 1333, although much of it had to be replaced after a 1993 fire, allegedly caused by a group of smokers.

Partway across, the bridge runs by the octagonal Water Tower (Wasserturm), a fortification from the 13th century. Inside the bridge are a series of paintings from the 17th century depicting events from Luzern's history. The Bridge with its Tower is the city's most famous landmark.

Downriver, between the Kasernenplatz and the Muhlenplatz, the Spreuerbrucke or Mill Bridge zigzags across the Reuss. Constructed in 1408, it is the oldest covered bridge in Europe and features a series of medieval-style 17th Century plague paintings by Kaspar Meglinger titled Dance of Death.

Art in Lucerne, Switzerland

Meglinger's paintings portray various conditions of men and women, priests and warriors, princes and men of learning, the young bride, the devout nun, the lawmaker, the hunter, the miller, even the artist himself, are all depicted at the mercy of Death, with his mocking smile and his ever-changing garb.

These paintings, suitable for a Benedictine abbey, are seen by every inhabitant of beautiful Lucerne who crosses the river via the Spreuerbrucke. It has a small chapel in the middle that was added in 1568.

The Old Town Lucerne

Old Town Lucerne is located just north of the Reuss River, and still has several fine half-timber structures with painted fronts. Remnants of the old town walls exist on the hill above Lucerne, complete with eight tall watch towers. An additional gated tower sits at the base of the hill on the banks of the Reuss River.

The twin needle towers of the cathedral of St. Leodegar sit on a small hill just above the lakefront. Originally built in 735, the present structure was erected in 1633 in the late Renaissance style. However, the towers are surviving remnants of an earlier structure. The interior is richly decorated. The cathedral is popularly called the Hofkirche (German) and is known locally as the Hofchile (Swiss-German).

Lion of Lucerne

Bertel Thorvaldsen's famous carving of a dying lion (the Lion Monument, or Löwendenkmal) is found in a small park just off Lowenplatz. The carving commemorates the hundreds of Swiss Guards who were massacred in 1792 during the French Revolution, when the mob stormed the Tuileries Palace in Paris.

Museums in Lucerne, Switzerland

The Swiss Transport Museum is a large and comprehensive museum exhibiting all forms of transport, including locomotives, automobiles, ships, and aircraft.

The Culture and Convention Center Lucerne beside the lake in the center of the city was designed by Jean Nouvel. The center has one of the world's leading concert halls, with acoustics by Russell Johnson.

Events in Lucerne, Switzerland

The city hosts the Lucerne Festival for classical music each year in late summer. Lucerne has also hosted the Festival Rose d'Or in the spring since 2004. Each July Lucerne hosts the Blue Balls Festival, consisting of jazz, blues and funk music.

The city also annually hosts the final leg of the Rowing World Cup on Rotsee Lake, and has hosted numerous World Rowing Championships

Getting Around Lucerne

Luzern boasts a developed and well-run transport network, with the main operator being VBL which runs both buses and trolleybuses in the city. Other operators, such as Auto AG Rothenberg provide bus services to the neighbouring towns and villages. The city enjoys excellent links to the rest of Switzerland, with rail services operated by SBB and Zentralbahn.

More details about hotels in lucerne switzerland, including deluxe hotel lucerne and lucerne holidays at a deluxe hotel luzern are available at LucerneHolidays.com