Lucerne Landmarks: Bridges, Memorial, Wall
This list covers the landmarks that visitors usually see in one or two days, with the facts that matter for each. Costs are in Swiss francs (CHF).
The two covered bridges
- Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrücke). A covered wooden footbridge, about 204 metres long, dating from around 1365 and angled across the Reuss. The Water Tower beside it is about 34 metres tall. After the fire of 18 August 1993 the bridge was rebuilt and reopened on 14 April 1994, and the gable paintings under its roof are partly restored and partly replaced. Walking across costs nothing at any hour. Only the outside of the Water Tower can be seen, because the tower is closed to visitors.
- Spreuer Bridge (Spreuerbrücke). Built in 1408, with a 17th-century Dance of Death cycle painted by Kaspar Meglinger. The 1860 needle dam next to it regulates the water, and the current is strong, so view it from the bridge.
A memorial
- Lion Monument (Löwendenkmal). It remembers the Swiss Guards killed in Paris on 10 August 1792 and was inaugurated on 10 August 1821. Bertel Thorvaldsen designed it, and it is carved into a quarry face on Denkmalstrasse. The inscription reads in Latin “to the loyalty and bravery of the Swiss”. Access is free all year. Treat it as a place of remembrance and keep conversation quiet.
A museum next door
- Gletschergarten. A paid attraction beside the monument, with glacial potholes, a rock world and a mirror maze that dates from 1896. Adults CHF 24, reduced CHF 18, under 16 CHF 12, under 6 free. Open daily from 10:00 to 17:00, March to November. Family tickets cost CHF 60 or CHF 45. See the official admission page .
Churches and squares
- Jesuit Church. A Baroque church from the 1660s and 1670s on the south bank, free to enter. Opening times should be checked at the door.
- Hofkirche. The main parish church, with twin spires.
- Squares. Weinmarkt, Hirschenplatz and Kornmarkt form the core of the Old Town, and the Altes Rathaus on Kornmarkt dates from the early 1600s.
The wall above the city
- Musegg Wall. Roughly 870 metres of medieval wall with nine towers. Four can be climbed, namely Männliturm, Zytturm, Wachtturm and Schirmerturm. It is free, open daily from 08:00 to 19:00 between 1 April and 1 November, and closed in winter. The Zytturm clock is from 1535.
Time budget
| Stop | Time |
|---|---|
| Chapel Bridge and Water Tower exterior | 30 minutes |
| Spreuer Bridge | 20 minutes |
| Old Town squares and churches | 1 hour |
| Musegg Wall | 1 hour |
| Lion Monument and Gletschergarten | 1.5 hours |
The Lucerne Visitor Card, free to overnight guests, gives free buses in zone 10. More on the Luzern tourism site .
Read more: Lucerne walking routes and Couples in Lucerne .
An organised city tour can be found on Viator .