Switzerland > The Dying Lion

It is warm at night. In the small room there is hardly any ventilation. The air conditioning is set to the lowest level, but this does not lead to lower temperatures. Probably every room’s air conditioning is running, making the capacity insufficient. It is raining outside as we enter the breakfast room. The weather forecast for today is cloudy with occasional showers. To be safe, we take a jacket and umbrella with us as we walk into the city. From the hotel, we received a booklet with a city walk along the highlights of Lucerne. The route starts at the Tourist Info, near the station. The old station building of Lucerne was lost to a fire in 1971. Only the entrance gate was spared. Behind this gate, a new and larger station was built. Lucerne station is one of the five busiest stations in Switzerland. The Kunst- und Kulturzentrum, next to the station, is a combination of a conference hall and museum. The modern building was completed in 1998. The cultural center is located on Lake Lucerne (Vierwaldstättersee). Boats are waiting to take passengers for a cruise on the lake. The lake flows into the Reuss River. Here lies also the Chapel Bridge. This is Switzerland’s main tourist attraction. The covered wooden bridge from 1365 was part of the city’s medieval defenses around old Lucerne. The water tower, part of the bridge, dates from 1300. The bridge has been restored several times. The last restoration was after a fire in 1993 destroyed two-thirds of the bridge. The bridge was restored to its original state, but many historic paintings under the roof of the bridge were lost forever. The fire started on a boat moored nearby. Since then, mooring at the bridge has been prohibited. At the quay, a market is taking place. We walk between the stalls to the Jesuit Church. The Jesuits settled in Lucerne in 1573 in response to the Protestant Reformation in predominantly Catholic Switzerland. On the bank of the Reuss River, they built a baroque Catholic church in 1667.

Switzerland - With wooden piles the water level of the lake can be regulated

The church has a beautiful interior and a marble altar. The church can compete with those in Ottobeuren and St. Gallen. Just behind the church is the Franciscan Church. This church was built in 1270 in a simple Gothic style. It was Lucerne’s first parish church. At the level of the church, in the Reuss River, lies the Nadelwehr. Since 1850, this dam structure has regulated the water flow into the river. By placing or removing wooden poles, the water level in the lake can be influenced. The more the inflow is closed, the more pressure is put on the poles, the ‘needles.’ The water pushes through the remaining opening with full force. The historic construction is still in use. Via the Spreuer Bridge, a second covered wooden bridge over the river, we enter the Altstadt, the old town. The old town has several squares. Each square has historic buildings adorned with beautiful paintings and decorations. Via the Weinmarkt, we arrive at the Kornmarkt. Here stands Lucerne’s town hall from 1604. The market is held under the vaulted ceilings. It starts to rain lightly. With umbrellas up, we continue to the Hofkirche. This St. Leodegar im Hof Church, as it is fully called, is the most important church in Lucerne. The Roman Catholic church was built in 1633 on the foundations of a Roman basilica that was previously lost to fire. Inside, the gold-decorated ‘Mary altar’ and the likewise gilded ‘altar of the soul’ stand out. In the neighborhood behind the church lies the memorial for the Swiss military victims during the French Revolution in 1792. A dying lion is carved into the rocks. The animal symbolizes the victims. Via stairs and narrow streets, we reach the city wall, the so-called Museggmauer.

Switzerland - A memorial for the victims during the French Revolution

This northern wall around the Musegg district was built in the 14th and 15th centuries. The wall has been preserved over a distance of 870 meters, including nine towers. The wall is about nine meters high and two meters wide. We first climb the Schirmerturm. From the top of the tower, we look out over the city. We see the lake, the bridge, and the various churches we visited earlier. Via a footbridge, we reach the Zytturm clock tower. Inside, the clock mechanism is visible. The enormous pendulum swings slowly back and forth. The bell hangs at the top of the tower. There is a warning not to be present here on the hour. We follow the city wall to the Reuss River. Here the city walk ends. We think we have seen most of Lucerne’s sights. We settle on a terrace for a drink and a sandwich. In the afternoon, we cross the Reuss River and climb up to the Gütsch Hotel. This characteristic and historic hotel is visible from the whole city, so the city will surely be visible from the hotel. The hotel is housed in a 19th-century castle. From the veranda, we have a beautiful view over the lower city of Lucerne. What a beautiful view. We decide not to walk back the same way. We take the cable car back. We buy a ticket at the hotel. This seems unnecessary, as the ticket machine is broken. We simply board. In the evening, we eat on Rössligasse in the old town. In a dead-end street, tables are set out. A nice place to end our visit to Lucerne.

Switzerland - The church on the bank of the Reuss in Lucerne