13 tips and sights for your next trip to Lucerne

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Oh Lucerne – it’s no wonder that the so-called gateway to Central Switzerland is a fixed point for many foreign guests on their trip to Switzerland. The photogenic backdrop of the old town with its winding alleys that invite you to take a leisurely stroll, the impressive mountain panorama and the secluded bays and pubs on Lake Lucerne inspire me anew every time I visit. But Lucerne has much more to offer than the well-known sights. You already have the Chapel Bridge photo in the box? Perfect! In the following lines, you can expect a concentrated load of other Lucerne tips.

The Lucerne bucket list – the tips and sights at a glance

Around the Lucerne lake basin you can see and experience all kinds of things all year round. A good overview of the sights and a wide range of excursion options is provided by the Lucerne bucket list. The list of ideas compiled by Lucerne Tourism provides a concentrated load of inspiration for your stay in Lucerne in a compact form. This spring, we “worked our way through” the bucket list and, at the same time, received some additional insider tips from Lucerne residents. You can find the “essence” of it in this post.

1. Check-in in at a central location

In and around Lucerne there are some recommended accommodation options. In a particularly prominent – and above all central – location, you can spend the night at the Hotel Schweizerhof Lucerne. For over 170 years, this traditional 5-star hotel has been welcoming guests from all over the world within a 5-minute walk of the Lucerne train station and Culture and Congress Centre (KKL). Over all these years, not only have numerous illustrious personalities checked in here, but a lot of anecdotes have also accumulated. And this is exactly where the Schweizerhof comes in and continues to tell these stories in the 101 individually designed rooms.

Our room: number 49 – which is dedicated to the Swiss Tatort inspector “Flückiger” (or Stefan Gubser). The location and view – top notch!

2. Walk along the Musegg Wall

After a short astonished look through the room window at the Lucerne lake basin, we make our way towards the Museggmauer. Built in the Middle Ages as a city fortification, the Musegg Wall, with its 870 metres and nine preserved towers, is now the longest city wall in Switzerland that has been preserved in one piece. The great thing is that in the summer months (from the beginning of April to the end of October), a section of the Musegg Wall and four of the nine towers can be freely visited daily from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. The Wall Trail starts behind the Nölli Tower. There, a stairway leads in the direction of the Männliturm. The walkable passage of the city wall with a magnificent view over Lucerne’s old town towards the Central Swiss Alps is located between the watchtower and the Schimer tower.

While the Musegg Wall cannot be walked on with prams, there is a family-friendly excursion destination directly behind it (at the height of the watchtower). The Kulturhof “Hinter Musegg” scores with a friendly farm pub, farm shop, an educational trail and seasonal events.

3. Enjoy an ice cream at the Lion Monument

Our walk takes us from the Schirmer Tower over the mountain road and mountain stairs to the Lion Monument. However, the well-known sight is not the main reason for our detour here. When I inquired on Instagram which places belong on your personal Lucerne bucket list, the Gelateria dell’Alpi was mentioned several times. An indication that testing the ice creams is worthwhile. Indeed! The sesame and rhubarb combo tastes delicious!

4. For a sundowner in the seaside resort of Lucerne

Another place where Lucerne shows its relaxed side in summer is the seaside resort. Built in 1885 in the style of historicism, the box bath is located at Matthias-Luchsinger-Platz (between the casino and the future Mandarin Oriental) and offers a beautiful view of the city centre from the roof terrace. Admission is subject to a fee until 7:00 p.m. – after that, admission is free. The perfect spot to ring in a warm summer evening with a cool drink. On hot days, you can refresh yourself in the lake until 8:00 pm.

5. Toast with town hall beer

On the Rathausquai, one restaurant lines the other – the tables with a view of the Kappelbrücke are in demand and fill up quickly on nice days. This also applies to the outdoor area of the Rathaus Brewery. The tables, which are protected from the weather by the arcades, are in great demand. If you want to toast with the traditional beer brewed according to the Bavarian purity law, it’s best to reserve a seat in advance. In addition to home-brewed beer including seasonal special beers, the menu includes classic Swiss dishes. The original Isenegger Buurebratwurst with butter rösti and onion sauce is very fine.

6. Marvel at the Old Town scenery during the Blue Hour

The Rathaus Brewery is ideally located to take a photo walk after your meal. During the so-called “blue hour”, Lucerne shows its most beautiful side. The Rathaussteg is also one of the best photo spots in Lucerne’s city centre, right next to the restaurant.

Once the pictures of the Rathaussteg are in the can, I recommend you to walk along the opposite side of the Reuss along the Bahnhofstrasse to Europaplatz at the KKL. From there, there is a beautiful view of the Schweizerhofquai with its listed buildings – including the Hotel Schweizerhof, which stands out with its colourful window lighting.

7. Stroll through Lucerne’s old town in the early morning

Of course, when visiting Lucerne, you should also plan a time slot for a stroll through the old town. I prefer the quieter morning hours for this. On Tuesday and Saturday mornings, the weekly market with many regional small producers around the Rathausquai and Helvetiaplatz provides “life” early on. And maybe as a tip: don’t just explore the part of the old town that stretches north of the Reuss between Schwanenplatz and Mühlenplatz. The “Geviert” south of the Reuss around Rütligasse is also quite pretty.

8. Immerse yourself in Lucerne’s museum world

From the Museum of Transport to the newly designed Glacier Garden and the Bourbaki Panorama, Lucerne has a museum up its sleeve for almost every taste. With the Lucerne Museum Pass, you can visit nine of Lucerne’s most famous museums on two consecutive days for a total of CHF 36. Especially for rainy weekend a great deal. After visiting the Rosengart Collection and the Art Museum on our last visit to Lucerne, we paid a visit to the Swiss Museum of Transport again this time. The aim was to visit the museum of the Lucerne artist Hans Erni, which is integrated into it. Unfortunately, on that day of all days, the exhibition rooms were exceptionally closed due to painting work. That’s not a bad thing: there’s always something new to discover at the Swiss Museum of Transport. My tip: the learning theme island “Experience logistics“!

9. Take a boat trip on Lake Lucerne

A weekend in Lucerne without a boat trip? You can do it – but you don’t have to. Or rather: In my opinion, a trip to Lake Lucerne is one of the “must do’s” and can be easily incorporated into the sightseeing program; for example, by coordinating the return journey from the Museum of Transport to the city centre with the boat timetable. The Swiss Museum of Transport Lido boat connection to Lucerne is offered hourly in the afternoon during the summer months. And as a rule, a steamship is in use on the 4:35 p.m. and 5:35 p.m. course.

Alternatively, you can set sail yourself with a pedalo at the SNG boat rental at Schwanenplatz.

10. Walk along the lake in the direction of Meggenhorn

Around the Schwanenplatz it can quickly get quite “bustling” on beautiful summer days. If it is too crowded here, I recommend following the Waldstätterweg in the direction of Meggenhorn starting from the Museum of Transport. The walk takes just under an hour (approx. 3.5 kilometres) and leads past the trendy Sunset Bar Lucerne. On weekends, the Sunset Bar is open from 12:00 noon, weather permitting. From Monday to Friday, the Sunset Bar opens its doors from 16:00.

11. Take part in a public guided tour of the KKL

In addition to the Chapel Bridge and the Lion Monument, the Culture and Congress Centre Lucerne (KKL), built by Jean Nouvel, is one of Lucerne’s most striking landmarks. Several times a week there is the opportunity to get a look behind the scenes during public tours (duration approx. 1 hour, cost 15 CHF for adults) and to learn many exciting facts about the KKL.

An entertaining tour that I can 100% recommend to all those who are interested in the fascinating building with its acoustically outstandingly designed halls. My highlights were the detour to the KKL roof terrace and the insight into the famous white hall. The latter made me so “happy” to experience the acoustics live that I was spontaneously tempted to buy a ticket for the afternoon performance of the 21st Century Orchestra.

However, the KKL is not only able to inspire people with an affinity for art and culture, but also convinces with culinary delights. The gastronomic concept was realigned last year and presents itself youthfully fresh. After the guided tour and before the concert, we had a refreshment at Le Piaf on the ground floor. The easy-going Déli Cafebar is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and is a guarantee for a simple, fine lunch.

What I haven’t been able to cross off my personal Lucerne bucket list yet, however, is a meal at Lucide – the KKL’s fine dining joker. Since spring 2019, Michèle Meier has been responsible for Lucide and with success! In 2021, she was named Chef of the Year by the GaultMillau restaurant guide, and with 16 points, Lucide is one of the best culinary addresses in the city of Lucerne.

12. Spend pleasant afternoon hours on the “Inseli”

Would you like to end a beautiful summer’s day comfortably? Then the “Inseli” is the place to be. The small park is located right next to the KKL behind the boat moorings on the lake. During the summer months, a summer bar/refreshment bar is open here from 12:00 noon in dry weather. Chairs, tables and – for the ultimate chill factor – a deck chair or two are available.

13. Get out of the city and up the mountain

In my opinion, one of the most powerful arguments for a trip to Lucerne is the fantastic location. Here, for once, comes “the fiver” with “the Weggli”. In other words, Lucerne offers art, culture, good food and wonderful moments of nature – all within one day. From Lucerne train station, it takes a good hour to reach the summit of Mount Pilatus! You can even make it to the Stanserhorn in 44 minutes. Isn’t that great? In this blog post, I’ll show you what other great excursion destinations there are around Lucerne besides the Stanserhorn and the Pilatus to discover.

Practical Lucerne tips for planning your trip

• If you book a hotel stay with Lucerne Tourism with a minimum value of CHF 100, you will receive a CityCard Lucerne worth CHF 50 per booking. The CityCard can be used for shopping, but also e.g. at the KKL for ticket purchases. Further information as well as a list of participating hotels can be found here: CityCard promotion
• Another attractive price deal is the 2 for 1 Tell-Pass promotion. If you book directly for two nights or more in one of the participating hotels, you will receive a second Tell-Pass free of charge when you buy a Tell-Pass, which gives you free travel on trains, buses, boats and numerous mountain railways in Central Switzerland (children travel for free).
• If you want to visit several Lucerne museums, it is worth buying the Museum Pass. This costs CHF 36 and entitles you to visit a total of nine Lucerne museums on two consecutive days.