Travel Flashback: Lucerne, Switzerland

On my last travel flashback post I talked about my day in Verona, Italy on my trip through Europe in college. After we left Verona we made our way to Lucerne, Switzerland. Lucerne is a beautiful city located in the German speaking portion of Swizterland and has long been a popular destination for tourists due to its location on Lake Lucerne and in the shadows of Mount Pilatus. Lucerne is an incredibly beautiful country, sadly we only spent one night there. That amount of time is plenty to see all the sights the town has to offer, but, it is so quintessentially Swiss that spending more time there is definitely a must. Here are some of Lucerne's must-see sites!

Walk Along the Kapellbrücke (Chapel) Bridge: A covered wooden footbridge, the Chapel bridge spans the Reuss River. The bridge was originally built in 1333, a fire in the early 90's destroyed a significant portion of the bridge but was later rebuilt. What makes this bridge special is the paintings that line the interior walk.

Take a stroll through the Old Quarter:  The old quarter situated north of the Reuss River is so beautiful. It has lovely Swiss architecture with incredible painted buildings. So wander along the cobble-stoned streets and soak it all in.

Hike up to the Musegg Wall: The nine towers and walls are the framework for the 13th century fortification that protected the city. Four of the towers are open to the public and offer scenic views of the city and the lake. It can be a bit of a hike up their from the city (note the red face in the photo below) but the views are definitely worth it.

Visit the Lion Monument: Sculpted in the 1800's the Lion of Lucerne was made to commemorate the Swiss Guards who were massacred in 1792 during the French Revolution while they were acting as guards for King Louis the 16th. It is a beautifully tragic carving of a mortally wounded lion, that was glorified by Mark Twain as "the most mournful and moving piece of stone in the world."

Have you ever visited Lucerne, or Swizterland? What are your favorite kinds of sites to see when visiting a new city?