Lucerne is this picturesque and quintessential Swiss city nestled at the Northern tip of Lake Lucerne. It’s known as a gateway to the Swiss Alps as it’s surrounded by Alpine peaks like Mount Pilatus and Mount Rigi. Lucerne is centrally located between Zurich and Bern.
We chose our visit specifically to run in the Swiss City Marathon and Half Marathon. I mean not a bad place for a long run!! But regardless of the marathon, this a wonderful city to visit for a few days. This is my 3 day itinerary taking in the major sites and some great restaurants. I hope it helps you on your visit to Lucerne. Any questions reach out to me on my Instagram or my Youtube channel.
How to get here
We flew into Zurich airport, and took the train to Zurich HBF, and then changed and hopped on the one headed to Lucerne HBF. The total transport time is just a little over an hour, which I thought was pretty quick. I would recommend buying your tickets ahead of time using the SBB website and creating an account so you can retrieve them easily.
Alternatively, you can buy the tickets at the station when you arrive or on the app before the train leaves as well. There were no gates to scan your ticket, as Switzerland seems to operate on the honor system. But ticket agents do random inspections with hefty fines for not having tickets, so I wouldn’t risk it.
The SBB online portal for timetable, trains and public transport.
Where to Stay and Getting Around
Our primary reason for the trip to Lucerne was to participate in the Swiss City half marathon/marathon so we thought staying in an Airbnb was a better option so we could cook and stick to our pre-race regime. The flat we chose was pretty central, only a 10-minute walk to the river and Chapel Bridge, and a 15 min walk to the central train station, so was the perfect location.
Lucerne can be expensive so I would recommend to book as early as possible, and choose something that has free cancellation.
Our Airbnb apartment in Lucerne – Airbnb.co.uk
We walked everywhere while we were here. The city is small and extremely walkable so bring some comfy trainers and take advantage of that!
Day 1
We started our first morning in Lucerne with a free walking tour – my favourite first thing to do in any new city. We had such a wonderful guide who provided some very insightful and interesting information about the city, and walked us us around all the main sites in the historic old town!!
Chapel Bridge
Chapel Bridge is not only the oldest wood covered bridge in Europe, built in 1333, but also the symbol of the city. The bridge is set across the Reuss River at a diagonal which makes it quite unique, and from Spring though early Autumn the bridge features flower pots along the length of it with colorful and bright vibrant flowers. It’s no wonder this is the most photographed spot in all of Lucerne!
Be sure to walk across the bridge as well so you can see the surviving triangular paintings inside. Originally there were 158 of these that depicted scenes from Lucerne’s history and Swiss legends. However, in 1993 there was a fire on the bridge, and sadly only 30 paintings remain.
Wassertrum "Water Tower"
Wassertrum “Water Tower” is the tall tower literally next to Chapel bridge, and was built around 1300 making it older than the bridge itself. Despite the name of the tower, it was actually never used to store water. It was built as part of the city’s medieval fortifications as a crucial military lookout. Despite serving various roles throughout its history; as a prison, a treasure vault and an archive for valuable city documents, today, its main purpose is to serve as a symbol of the city, and is only occasionalluy used to host private events. The tower forms part of the iconic picture that you will no doubt take many of as it’s just so beautiful at every angle.
Spreuer Bridge
Spreuer Bridge is another wooden bridge found downstream from Chapel Bridge. It was constructed in 1408, and was a key part of Lucerne’s medieval defenses, controlling access to the city and protecting against potential invaders. It connected the Mill square to the Southern bank of the river, and in its initial usage was the only place where residents were allowed to throw their waste into the river. Gross right…thankfully this stopped a long time ago. Don’t miss walking across this bridge as well, so you can see the 67 triangular paintings known as the “Dance of Death”, that depict scenes of mortality and a reminder that death comes for everyone. It’s pretty incredible that 8 centuries later these incredible paintings still exist!
Dam areas
As you stroll along the river from Chapel Bridge on the side with the Jesuit Church, you will undoubtedly come across the Needle Dam, which is a manually operated wooden dam that has long thin wooden slats/”needles” to regulate the flow of water. This dam and the ones before it were used to support the nearby mills that were on the Reuss River. I thought this area was not only interesting to watch the water rapidly divert from the dam down the river, but also to stop and read about the city’s historical engineering, which you can do from the plaques nearby. It’s actually quite picturesque and makes for some great photos. I personally enjoyed making a mini stop here, watching the water and the lovely backdrop of the old buildings behind it.
Altstadt
Altstadt is the old town of Lucerne and has several very charming and beautiful squares that are surrounded by historical buildings, many of which are decorated with these very cool and intricate frescoes. I thought that Weinmarkt was one of the most stunning squares, and as the name might imply, it was once a wine market. As many pictures as I took, they really couldn’t capture just how marvelous the square was with the colorful medieval buildings around and the Renaissance fountain.
The old town is small and just walking through this square along with the others like Hirschenplatz, Kornmarkt, Rathausplatz and Muhlenplatz make you feel like you are in some fairy tale village. There will be plenty of Swiss chocolate stops to fit in as well.
Lion Monument
The Lion Monument is found in a small park near the northeastern edge of the Old Town. Tourists stop here by the bus load to view this grand carving. It was carved in 1820 to commemorate the Swiss Guards who were killed during the French Revolution. With the small lake in front, and the beautiful foliage surrounding it, you get this gorgeous serene spot.
My favorite take away from our stop here was a story our tour guide told us about the carved shape around the lion subtly resembling a pig. Apparently, this was done on purpose as the carver who was working on this was not happy with his treatment or pay and to express his dissatisfaction, they incorporated this pig shape as a hidden insult to mock the patron funding the project. And I will say once you see the shape you can’t unsee it.
Mill Feuille restaurant
Mill Feuille is located directly on the river, right by the Spreuer Bridge and was the perfect spot to sit outside and enjoy a drink and some nibbles. We actually came here twice during our time in Lucerne as we loved being on the water with the views of the bridge and the surrounding historic area!
Mill’Feuille Restaurant | Mühlenplatz 6, 6004 Lucerne, Switzerland
Day 2
Swiss city Half Marathon!
I set out to embark on my first ever half marathon. We chose Lucerne because we knew that the scenery along the run would be beautiful and well, we had heard it was relatively flat. The day was incredible as the sun was out and it was actually quite warm for the end of October. For the sake of this blog, I will skip all the details and just say that it was a beautiful run, especially along Lake Lucerne! But relatively flat – it was definitely not. After finishing the race, we could not be more ready to enjoy our first drink in 5 weeks. We got dressed and headed out to make the most of the rest of the day.
Look out for a video about my Swiss city marathon run on my Youtube Channel.
Hotel Chateau Gütsch
Hotel Chateau Gütsch is located on a hill just above Lucerne and looks like this grand castle. It’s about a 20-minute walk from the city center, and as if a half marathon wasn’t enough for one day, we set out to walk some more. Thankfully once you get here there is a funicular that you can use to get to the top. A one-way ticket is 2.5CHF, but on this particular day we managed to ride it for free.
The views when you get up here are incredible and definitely made that extra walk worth it. The observation deck is just past the hotel as you get off the funicular on the left. The unobstructed views of the lake, the old town below and the mountains in the distance is stunning. We decided to treat ourselves to some cocktails at the American Bar inside the hotel. When we walked inside, we were informed by the concierge to wait until a table opened up. We hesitantly decided to wait and I’m very glad we did, as it was only about 10 mins and we got a prime spot at the back near the large windows. What could be better than enjoying a cocktail in a swanky bar with one of the best views in the city.
Gartenhaus restaurant
This was the top choice when researching vegetarian restaurants, and even had reviews from meat eaters that said they never thought veggie food could be so good. With glowing reviews like that we had to check it out. It’s located about a 30-minute walk from the city center, and while we don’t mind walking, should that be just a bit too far there is a bus that stops right by the restaurant.
The restaurant is decorated like a quaint and cosy ski chalet with very welcoming staff as well. It’s a set 4-course meal option that changes daily, and everything we had was just WOW, honestly so incredibly delicious. Also, there is a meat option in the set meal option for those carnivores. I highly recommend this place.
Restaurant gartenHAUS – the herb restaurant on the outskirts of the city
Day 3
Mount Pilatus
Mount Pilatus is located about 10-15 km from Lucerne and is home to the world’s steepest cogwheel railway. Now unfortunately we were just a few days late in the season and were not able to take the golden round trip, which combines a boat ride from Lucerne to the railway station and then allows you to return down by cable car. However, we were still determined to go up the mountain and experience the railway which was still running. Check the timetables and dates on the link below for your trip. I would also recommend checking the Mt Pilatus webcam to see what the weather will be like at the top. Despite being a very foggy overcast day in Lucerne, the weather at the top of the mountain was beautiful clear skies.
We took a train from Lucerne central train station to Alpnachstad station, which is only a short 20 min ride. We went early as queues for the railway can be long and bought our round-trip railway ticket at the ticket office, which is literally just right across the street from the station.
The cogwheel railway ride was lovely and some truly beautiful views on the ascent up especially as we got up over the fog and you could see it as a thin layer over the lake. Once at the top, there are several ways to spend your time with a few walking trails and some short climbs up several of the peaks. There is a gift shop, small snack bar, restaurant, outdoor terrace and two hotels. We spent about an hour at the top, which I thought was the right amount of time to walk up a few peaks, enjoy a coffee and take about a zillion photos of the 360 views!!
Golden round trip – A trip by boat, cogwheel railway and aerial cableway
The great thing about getting up early for this excursion meant that we were back early enough to enjoy the rest of the afternoon to explore a few more sights we had yet to see.
Musegg Wall
Musegg Wall is another medieval sight that was built as part of the city’s fortifications. It was originally 870 meters (2,584 feet) long, had 9 towers, and formed a complete circuit around the old town. We climbed up to the wall to walk along it and visit the three towers that are open to the public. The most famous of which is Zyt Tower (Time Tower) with its astronomical clock on the front that still works and chimes one minute before all other clocks in Lucerne. We timed it just right to hear this happening.
The other two towers you can visit are Mannli tower, and Water Tower. Having climbed two of these three to see the views from the top of them, I would say skip the climb up because the views from walking along the walls are actually better and unobstructed. There is no fee to walk up or along the wall so I would recommend it!!
La Bonne Cave
Right next to Chapel Bridge is this lovely wine bar with tables set alongside the river, which is the perfect place to enjoy some delicious wine and soak in the Swiss ambience around you.
Just a little brewpub
We just happened upon this place as it looked like a fun and hip place, so we popped in. They have several different craft beers on tap and offer taster flights of beer which is what we opted for!! And a pretzel – one of the big soft kinds which was the perfect complement to the beers we tried, all of which were really good! A nice little find!
After a few wines and a flight of beer, dinner was definitely needed. As we were near the train station, we had a little look to see what was nearby as the hunger pangs were setting in.
Ristorante La Cucina
Ristorante La Cucina is a beautiful Italian restaurant with a great selection pizzas and pastas! The service was quick and friendly and the food was delicious! If you like Italian put this one on your list!
Much more than a day trip
We had an incredible 3 full days in Lucerne, which included participating in the Swiss City Marathon/Half Marathon – a great first-time experience for me!!
I would say 3 full days in Lucerne is the perfect amount of time to enjoy the city as well as take a day trip or two to see the nearby mountains. We were there in late October and the weather was starting to get a bit colder, but not too bad and thankfully we had some beautiful sunny days! This was my second visit here, with my first just being part of a day trip from Zurich many years ago. While you can visit on a day trip, I personally think you would be missing so much that Lucerne has to offer so I would recommend staying a few days!!
