Lucerne (Luzern)

Located in the center of Switzerland, Lucerne is in the German-speaking part of the country. Our hotel is very near the landmark Chapel Bridge built in the 14th century. The last time I was here was in warm weather and the bridge was lined with bright red flowers. Today it has a different beauty with a light dusting of snow.  This is the more famous of the two covered bridges. The other has a small hydro-electric dam and is just below the walls of the old town, as shown in the picture below. Lac Luzern and the Reuss River flow through the center of town.

The famous Lion of Lucerne commemorates the Swiss Guards killed when revolutionaries stormed the Tuileries Palace in 1792 to reach King Louis XVI who had fled Versailles. In A Tramp Abroad Mark Twain wrote that the sculpture was “the most mournful and moving piece of stone in the world.”

“The Lion lies in his lair in the perpendicular face of a low cliff — for he is carved from the living rock of the cliff. His size is colossal, his attitude is noble. His head is bowed, the broken spear is sticking in his shoulder, his protecting paw rests upon the lilies of France. Vines hang down the cliff and wave in the wind, and a clear stream trickles from above and empties into a pond at the base, and in the smooth surface of the pond the lion is mirrored, among the water-lilies.

Around about are green trees and grass. The place is a sheltered, reposeful woodland nook, remote from noise and stir and confusion — and all this is fitting, for lions do die in such places, and not on granite pedestals in public squares fenced with fancy iron railings. The Lion of Lucerne would be impressive anywhere, but nowhere so impressive as where he is.” — Mark Twain, 1880

The Church of St. Leodegar is both a monastery and parish church. An easy walking tour beginning at the arch just outside the train station and continuing through old town shows you all this and more. 

Each facade is more beautiful and interesting than the one before. We had dinner at this lovely restaurant last night. The building is the former headquarters of the bakers’ guild and the painting is two vines with the family crests of the original members. 

If you look carefully, you’ll see the Swiss Alps rising in the background. This picture doesn’t begin to convey the majesty or comparative size but the alps tower over the city providing a magical background to this most special place. 

One night our entire dinner was chocolate fondu at this beautiful restaurant. Every place has so much history and is so old compared to our young country of the USA.

One more stop before we leave this beautiful country. Up early to catch an eastbound train to Zurich!

“Switzerland is a small, steep country, much more up and down than sideways, and is all stuck over with large brown hotels built on the cuckoo clock style of architecture.” Ernest Hemingway

“Switzerland is a place where they don’t like to fight, so they get people to do their fighting for them while they ski and eat chocolate.” Larry David