Introduction
Lucerne is located in German Switzerland. It is an 82 000 inhabitant’s city sitting on the stunning lake Lucerne and surrounded by beautiful Alps Mountains.
It is the most popular town in central Switzerland and a nexus of economics, transportation, culture, and media in the region.
Lucerne is a great place to be and spend 3-4 days to relax and reunite with nature.
Table of Contents
Mapping the day
Moving Around
Moving Around Lucerne is super easy. The public transportation rocks! There are lots of buses and BRT line that can bring you everywhere. To know the direction Google map will tell you which connection and line to take.
There are also lots of trains that you can take to get around. For instance, to get to Alpnachstad (steepest cog railway in the world, going to Mount Pilatus), there are various train from Lucerne.
But you could also get on a boat. In fact, tons of ships are running as taxi on lake Lucerne to get you to many destinations around the lake.
Where to Stay
There are lots of hotels, Airbnb and camping:
- Budget: Young Backpackers Homestay
- Mid-Range: Hotel des Balances
- Luxurious: Penthouse by Art Deco Hotel Montana
- Luxurious Apartment: Lucerne Lake View Apartments
What to Eat
Some of the best food in Switzerland is going to be Cheese. With all the cows in the mountain pastures, Switzerland has some really good cheese. But local goat cheese is also really yummy!
Another dish could be the Rösti, the former farmers’ breakfast is a crispy fried potato.
Chapel Bridge
Cross the Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrücke), a 34.5m wooden bridge crossing diagonally the river Reuss to connect the city. The bridge is unique and contain inner paintings and arts. It is also the oldest wooden covered bridge in Europe, as well as the world’s oldest surviving truss bridge.
Road trip the lake
Roll on, and drive all around the lake to discover all its beauty in a one daytrip:
- Bürgenstock: The complex is made of an amazing hotel with a dedicated cog railway and an observation tower with restaurant. You can hike up there or simply walk to it to have panorama over the lake.
- Rütli: Is a mountain meadow on the lake. It is said to be the birthplace of Switzerland. It can be reach by hiking or boats. The hilltop behind it offer great views of the lake too.
- Meggenhorn: Visit the 1870’s castle and its stunning park. The castle can only be visited inside on special time but is completely worth going for a stroll around.
Itinerary
Day 1:
- Arrival
- Lucerne
Day 2:
- Cog Railway from Alpnachstad to Aemsigen
- Hike to Mount Pilatus
- Hike to Matthorn
- Back to town by cable car
Day 3:
- Road trip of Lucerne
- Bürgenstock
- Rütli
- Meggenhorn
Day 4:
- Boat trip from Lucerne to Vitznau
- Cog railway to Mount Rigi
- Mount Rigi
“The most beautiful in the world is, of course, the world itself.” -Wallace Stevens
