One Day in Lucerne

Disclaimer: Included in this post are links to tours I have personally taken, booked for clients or would recommend to clients on Viator. If you book these tours thru the links in this post, as a travel agent, I will receive a small commission.

No Switzerland vacation would be complete without a visit to the city of Lucerne. Located less than an hour train ride from the city of Zurich, Lucerne makes for a great first stop on your journey out of the city into the beautiful mountainous towns of Switzerland.

History and Facts of Lucerne

The city of Lucerne is the most populous city in Central Switzerland. While early history of this city dates back to the 8th century, the official founding of the city was centuries later in the year 1178. Over the years, the city was the site of many conflicts and wars including some that stemmed from Lucerne being the only city in Switzerland to reject The Reformation and remain a catholic city in the 16th century. Towards the middle of the 19th century, tourism became an important industry in Lucerne. The location on the lake and vicinity to the mountains made it a great escape for elite travelers. Grand hotels and railways were built to accommodate this increase in tourism.

The tourism industry in Lucerne has grown over the years, with people coming to the city to see its medieval walls, historic buildings & bridges and to enjoy the lake and nearby mountains. With its easy access from Zurich, it’s a city that can be explored on a day trip or as a few days stay. While I did stay overnight when I visited Lucerne, I only had one true day while I was there. It was a good amount of time to see the top sights, although I wouldn’t mind going back there for a few days visit to see more.

How to get to Lucerne from Zurich

Lucerne is incredibly easy to get to from Zurich. There are multiple ways to get there:

• By Train – The train system in Switzerland is one of the best public transportation systems in the world. It’s both efficient and easy to navigate. The train takes just about 40 minutes from Zurich’s main station to Lucerne. There are over 40 trains a day running between the two cities starting with the first one at approximately 5:30am and the last train just after midnight. You can’t get more convenient than that. A word of note on trains in Switzerland, they are extremely punctual and will leave right at the departure time, so plan to get there with plenty of time to spare. Tickets start at just $16. Check out the train schedule and buy tickets here.
• By Car – While I highly recommend the train, driving to Lucerne is also an option and it takes about 40 minutes just like the train.
• By Tour – If you are a fan of tours, there are many day tours to choose from to visit Lucerne from Zurich. Some just go to the city of Lucerne while others will also visit other sites in the area of Lucerne like nearby mountains.

Must See Spots in Lucerne

Below are the top things to see and do if you only have one day in Lucerne:

• Chapel Bridge – If you’ve seen photos of Lucerne, it’s likely been a photo of the most beautiful and popular site in the city of Lucerne, Kapellbrucke, or it’s more widely known English translation, Chapel Bridge. The city of Lucerne is located on the Reuss River, so bridges are very common here, but this wooden bridge is more than just a means of connecting the new town to the medieval old town across the Reuss River. In the 13th century, the water tower was built, over the years it’s been used as a prison, treasury and city archives. A hundred years later, in the 14th century, the Chapel Bridge was built around the water tower, and it is now considered the oldest covered bridge in Europe. In the 17th century, paintings depicting the history of Lucerne and the country of Switzerland were added to the almost 700-foot-long bridge. In 1993, a fire struck the Chapel Bridge and sadly ruined some of these beautiful paintings, but over 60 paintings still remain.

A walk along the Chapel Bridge is a must, view the paintings, take in the views of Lucerne from the bridge and even visit a gift shop in the middle of the bridge.

• Chaff Bridge – While not as large and impressive as the Chapel Bridge, the Chaff Bridge is also worthy of a visit. This bridge was built in two parts. The first part was built in the 13th century and was built from the right bank of the Reuss River to the mills that were located in the middle of the river. The bridge was used as a means for the mill workers to dispose of the grain residue, or chaff, from the mill, thus how the bridge got its name. In 1408, the Chaff Bridge was extended all the way across the Reuss River to the left bank. While smaller than the Chapel Bridge at only 265 feet long, it’s still a beautiful bridge to explore with its own paintings and even a small chapel in the middle of the bridge.

• Old Town Lucerne – Like most cities in Europe, a walk around the Old Town of Lucerne is a must. Here you can see the beautiful old and colorful buildings, explore the shops, grab a bite to eat, walk along the river and visit one of the many Swiss chocolate shops, my favorite was Laderach.

One of the many historic buildings located in the Old Town is the Old Town Hall. This building was built in the early 17th century and is one of Lucerne’s oldest buildings.

• Churches of Lucerne – There are a few beautiful churches in Lucerne that are worthy of a visit.
  • Jesuit Church of Lucerne – Said to be the most beautiful church in the city of Lucerne, the Jesuit Church is definitely worth a visit. Built in the 17th century, this Baroque style church is located on the left bank of the Reuss River. While the exterior is stunning, it’s the interior that makes it so special. Designed by Italian and Austrian architects, they used rococo stucco that appears to look like marble. It’s really a site to see.
  • Church of St. Leodegar – Known as the parish church of Lucerne, the Church of St. Leodegar has a long history. While the current church on this site was built in the 17th century, St. Leodegar dates all the way back to the 8th century when a monastery was located at this site. Later a gothic style church was built here. When a fire occurred in 1633, the current Renaissance style church was built.

• Lion Monument – When I arrived in Lucerne, I kept hearing that I needed to see the Lion Monument. It was a bit of a walk from the main part of the city, and I will admit that I was expecting to be disappointed, but my expectations were so wrong, this monument is worth the walk, everyone who visits Lucerne must see the Lion Monument! This monument commemorates the Swiss Guards who were protecting King Louis XVI of France during the French Revolution in 1792. One of their fellow guards who was back in Switzerland on leave brought up the idea and started raising funds to build the monument. In 1821, the Lion was unveiled in a rock wall in a park in Lucerne. It’s a very moving and beautiful sculpture and truly captures the sadness the guard must have struggled with after losing his fellow guardsmen.

• Musegg Wall and Towers – One of my favorite things about visiting older cities in Europe is seeing and walking on the walls that used to border the city centuries ago. The Musegg Wall in Lucerne was built in the 13th century and at over 800 meters long it’s the longest city wall in all of Switzerland. Of the 30 original towers, 9 still remain. Not only can you walk on the wall, but you can also climb these towers as well. Make sure you are up for a workout though as some of the stairs in the towers are quite steep and tall. From the wall as well as from the walkway along the bottom of the wall, you will get a great view of the city of Lucerne, the lake and the surrounding mountains.

• Lake Lucerne – The city of Lucerne is located along the shores of Lake Lucerne. This 44-square mile lake borders four cantons and is the 4th largest lake in all of Switzerland. Along with the city of Lucerne, you will find many small villages as well as the surrounding Swiss Alps including Mount Rigi and Mount Pilatus. A great way to enjoy Lake Lucerne is to take a boat cruise on the lake. You can take a narrated cruise around the lake, a lunch or dinner cruise, a sunset cruise and if you have more than a day in Lucerne, you can take a cruise to the cableway that ascends Mount Rigi. If you’d like to stay on land, I recommend taking a walk along the lakeside promenade. This is a beautiful walk with stunning views of the lake and surrounding mountains.

• Dinner Show at Stadtkeller – If you decide to spend the night in Lucerne before moving on to your next destination, head to the Old Town for dinner and show Switzerland style at Stadtkeller! The dinner show takes place seven nights a week from April thru October. At this must attend evening, you will enjoy a delicious meal which includes Swiss specialties like cheese fondue and rosti.

While the food is delicious, the entertainment is what I think makes this dinner show a can’t miss event while in Lucerne. The show takes you into the musical culture of Switzerland. You will experience yodeling and the music by an alphorn. There is a lot of audience participation that takes place during the show, so if you’ve ever wanted to practice your yodeling, here is your chance! Take a look at the video below for a sampling of entertainment.

Lucerne is worth the visit

Lucerne should be a part of every Switzerland vacation’s itinerary. While there is a lot to do and you could spend multiple days here exploring at a slower pace, the compactness of the city makes it easy to see quite a bit with just one day of exploring. I was able to see all of these sights and also have some free time as well in my full day in Lucerne.

While a day trip from Zurich is possible and works best for some depending on their full trip itinerary, I do recommend spending a night in Lucerne so that you enjoy a full day without having to rush back on the train. And the next morning you can be off to your next Swiss location.

If you are planning a trip to Switzerland, make sure to check out my other posts:

• Zurich
• Rhine Falls

For help with planning your Switzerland trip, contact Beyond The Miles Travel today.

This article is now featured on GPSmyCity. To download this article for offline reading or create a self-guided walking tour to visit the attractions highlighted in this article, go to Walking Tours and Articles in Lucerne.

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