Three Days in Lucerne
Lucerne is one of the most beautiful and quaint cities we have been to in our travels. Surrounding the city is a beautiful panorama of the Alps with Lake Lucerne in the foreground. The building characteristics in Lucene are charming and an example of medieval architecture. There is plenty to see in the city as well as the surrounding areas.
How to Get to Lucerne
Lucerne is an easy 40-minute drive from Zurich or you can even take the train. The train station is conveniently located right in the center of town, which is close to hotels, so it is very easy to navigate.
Where to Stay in Lucerne
The center of Lucerne is split between Old Town (Altstadt) and New Town (Neustadt) which is connected by several bridges crossing the Reuss River. These two areas of Lucene are all within walking distance, only a few minutes' walk to about everything you will want to see. So choose your lodging based on your budget (accommodations in Switzerland are generally more expensive than in other European countries). We chose Hotel Continental Park Luzern and it was lovely with an amazing breakfast each morning. It was only 2 blocks from the train station and bridges to cross over to Old Town.
What We Did in Lucerne
There is so much history in Lucerne, and exploring it on foot is the best way to soak it in. Some of our favorite sites were:
We loved the Chapel Bridge, which is the oldest sheltered bridge in the world. It is a symbol of Lucerne and one of the city's main tourist sights.
The stunning Jesuit Church was the first baroque church to be was built in Switzerland north of the alps. We thought the church was the most gorgeous at night.
The Lion Monument is deeper into the old town, but worth the walk. You can browse many shops along the cobbled pavements until you finally reach the monument. This sculpture was carved into a natural cliff dedicated to the Swiss soldiers who lost their lives in the French revolution
We were fortunate that the Lilu Light Festival Lucerne was happening the week we were in Lucerne. Artists from all over the world created 20 different light installations on buildings, bridges, landmarks, and even inside some buildings. This was a fun way to walk around the city and explore the city illuminated in the evenings. Beer/drink and food vendors were set up along the streets in Old Town as well.
Where We Ate in Lucerne
Bierliebe & Friends - This was a small place in Old Town that has at least a dozen brews on tap as well as some fun cocktails. They serve snacks, salads, burgers, and gourmet hot dogs.
Pfistern - For typical Swiss fondue - this is the place! Growing up our family had a fondue dinner on New Year's Eve. Our fondue consisted of dipping battered meat, vegetables, or cheese into a hot oil fondue pot or blocks of bread or vegetables in a cheese fondue pot. However, authentic fondue is melted cheese with wine, and bread and potatoes are dipped in it.
La Baracca - While in Switzerland, we were surprised by the number of restaurants that had pizza on the menu. Although much of the pizza we had was very good, the pizza and calzones at La Baracca were the best!
Bachmann - Need a sweet treat after a long day of site-seeing, this bakery/confectioner has everything from delightful truffles and delicious baked loaves of bread to appetizing lunches and salads. Travel Tip: make sure to bring Swiss chocolate back for everyone back home to try. We stopped by a few grocery stores to stock up on different chocolate bars at the best prices!
Day Trips We Did from Lucerne
Mount Pilatus
We probably didn’t pick the best day to do it, but we took a Day Trip to Mount Pilatus. No need to drive, you can take a public bus (number 1) from the center of Lucerne to the Kriens, Busschleife stop (about 12 minutes). Then a short walk to the Kriens Panorama Gondola to the top of Mount Pilatus, which takes about 30 minutes to get to 7,000 feet above sea level. Because of our choice of day, it was cloudy and snowing, so our visibility wasn’t the best, however it was still amazing to be atop Mount Pilatus.
Midway up, you come to the Fräkmüntegg stop. This is where you get off to go tobogganing or snowshoeing. Stay on the gondola to make your way to the top and go to the visitor center. There you will find Dragon World, which is an interactive area with games and a short film about Mount Pilatus. Also, there are several viewing decks to get different scenic views of Lucerne, Lake Lucerne, and the Alps. Sadly, on this day, we couldn’t see Lucerne or Lake Lucerne. On a clear day, the view from Mount Pilatus would have been amazing. We grabbed a snack and soaked in the views, the best we could.
Mount Titlis
Another day trip is to Mount Titlis. You can drive or take the train (one hour) to Engelberg, we did the latter. Trains in Switzerland were very efficient and comfortable. The trains always ran on time and it was easy for us to take our skis/snowboard from Lucerne to the mountain. Engleberg is a small alpine town at the base of Mount Titlis. Hop off the train and wait for a bus to take you to the Titlis Base Station. This is where you can buy your ski pass or return tickets (for persons wanting to go up to the top and also ride back down on the gondola too).
The skiing at Titlis was good. We searched all over for a Mount Titlis shirt, hat, or anything, but none of the stores sold logo apparel, which is crazy, right? The longest downhill run here covers more than 12 km (over 7 miles). The top of Titlis is about 3,020 meters or about 10,000 feet. The summit elevations are a bit lower than we see in Colorado, but they are still steep and challenging.
While Titlis isn’t as extreme as other mountains in Switzerland, we enjoyed the variety of runs here. I hadn’t been on skis for 11 months, so this was a great warm-up after traveling from the US and before heading to some more difficult mountains. Titlis has 82 km (over 50 miles) of runs and offers a ton of variety. From December to April, most runs are open for skiing. If you want to try something more challenging, you can skin on the glacier from October through May.
In the winter or even the warmer months, make sure to take the Titlis Rotair (revolving cable car) to the top of Mount Titlis. This cable car rotates its way up to the top from the middle station on the mountain. It is about a 5 minute trip up and worth it for the views of steep rock faces, deep crevasses, and distant snow-covered mountain peaks.
Once at the top, explore the Glacier Cave, test your nerves crossing the Titlis Cliff Walk, and soak in the sweeping panoramic views of the Swiss Alps. The Titlis Cliff Walk is a suspension bridge that spans almost 330 feet between two summits. It is the highest suspension bridge in Europe. The views from here are breathtaking and a little scary. For the entire 330 foot walk, while looking around at the views and looking at the empty space below my feet, I couldn’t take my hands off the cables.
The Glacier Cave is carved into a glacier that is more than 5,000 years old. The walkway is about a 490 feet loop that is about 30 feet below the surface of the glacier. It remains around 29 degrees Fahrenheit all year. Make sure to hold on to the handrail when walking through, it is pretty slippery.
There is a large outdoor deck at the top of the building where you can get your perfect selfie in front of the Swiss Alps, definitely, a must-do!
After a day of skiing or exploring, plan on stopping by the bar at Ski Lodge Engelberg for après ski. They have a cozy indoor seating area and also a large outdoor space with blankets and heaters. Drinks were flowing and this was a great place to regroup after a long day. We just spent a day skiing in the Swiss Alps! So amazing! Excited to see what our next 7 days in this beautiful country will bring? Read about our time in Davos-Klosters or Zermatt!!!