Lucerne

    I guess we all need a small break after escalating Mount Titlis. The perfect place to enjoy it is the city of Lucerne, situated between Zürich and Engelberg.

     Let's see why...

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   I will start with those of you who are eager to check their emails, chat with friends online or read the latest news on the web. Lucerne has a big surprise for you : it is the first city in Switzerland with free wireless internet on the public domain. That means you will be able to visit your favourite websites in almost any part of the city, even on the lake shore. All you have to do is register on the page that appears when you connect to the wireless network and you will have 60 minutes of free internet access.

    If you are tired and you need to relax, you can enjoy the Lake Lucerne view at one of the coffee shops near the Museum of Art. You can also take a boat tour on the lake, either on a steamer or on a regular boat. The pier is right in front of the railway station. If you have any of the passes I've told you about in the post about Titlis, then you should ask at the counter if you have any discounts for the ticket.
    And if while you're admiring Lake Lucerne or Reuss River you see swans and mallards swimming fast in the same direction, don't freak out! Probably someone is feeding them, so you might as well get your camera ready.

Lunch time!

    If you think that a bit of shopping doesn't hurt, then you should explore the streets near Schweizerhofquai and also Pilatusstrasse. There are many shops in the area, but also some nice places where you can eat. If you are on a low budget, then you can choose the self service restaurants in the commercial area or the one in the shopping center situated in the basement of the railway station. You can also check out for more shops at the commercial center in Emmen, which is 10 minutes away from Lucerne.

Kapellbrücke and the water tower

    If you are not pleased with the options above, then you probably want me to talk about what you can visit in the city.
    The first thing you shouldn't miss is the Kapellbrücke ( the Chapel Bridge ), a wooden bridge erected in the XIVth century and which hosts many paintings inspired by events from Lucerne's history. The bridge has been partially rebuilt after being hit by a fire in 1993. The Chapel Bridge and the octogonal water tower ( 34m tall ) are the landmarks of Lucerne. But that doesn't mean there aren't any other interesting places to see here!
    Continuing your walk on the left bank of Reuss River, you will arrive to the Lucern Theatre, the Jesuit Church and, somewhere behind it, the Franciscan Church. Going up the river you will see the so-called water spikes, built in 1859-1860 and which are used to regulate the water level of Lake Lucerne.

Spreuerbrücke

    At this point, you are not very far away from the Lucerne Nature Museum and Spreuerbrücke ( Mills Bridge ), another wooden bridge which also houses many paintings and also a small shrine. From here, you have the following options :

• you can take it to the left and climb towards Gütsch Castle, where you can admire the lake, the city and you could have a walk in the forest. You can also arrive at the castle by taking the cogwheel train from Baselstrasse.
• you can go straight ahead and take it to the right on the next bridge ( Geissmattbrücke ) to get at the Musegg Wall and its nine towers, of which you can only visit three : Schirmer, Zyt and Männli
• or you can cross the river on Spreuerbrücke to reach the restaurants and the shopping area

Other attractions

• City Hall ( Rathaus )
• Am-Rhyn-Haus, where you can visit the Picasso Collection
• Museum of Transport
• Museum of Art
• St. Peter's Chapel
• The Lion Monument ( Löwendenkmal ), erected in the memory of the Swiss Guards who have defended Louis XVI during the French Revolution
• Glaciers Garden ( Gletschergarten ), situated close to the Lion Monument
• Kurplatz, where you can enjoy not only the view, but also the local band, if you're lucky enough to synchronize with its schedule
• Kappelplatz ( Chapel Square )
• Kornmarkt ( Corn Market )
• Weinmarkt ( Wine Market )
• Hirschenplatz ( Stag Square )
• Mühlenplatz ( Mills Square )

    And since I have mentioned entertainment, I should also tell you about the annual events that take place in Lucerne :

• February - March : The Carnival ( Fasnacht )
• May : Rose D'Or, a festival for entertainment television programming
• May : Lucerne City Run
• July : Blue Balls Festival ( rock, pop, jazz and folk concerts )
  
• October : Cheese Festival

View Lucerne on a larger map  

    And if you're still looking to hike, you should know that, besides Titlis, you can reach from Lucerne other two interesting peaks : Rigi ( 1797.5m ) and Pilatus ( 2132m ), where there are many  attractions waiting for you. But on that, maybe in another post...

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