Lucerne, the gateway to central Switzerland, sited on Lake Lucerne, is embedded within an impressive mountainous panorama. Thanks to its attractions, its attractive shopping offer, the beautiful lakeside setting and the nearby excursion mountains of the Rigi, Pilatus and Stanserhorn, the town is a destination for many travel groups and individuals on their journey through central Switzerland.

Complete with gable paintings, the covered, medieval Chapel Bridge forms the centrepiece of Lucerne’s townscape and is considered to be one of the oldest, covered wooden bridges in Europe. A further landmark of the town is the Museggmauer, a wall which, with the exception only of one of its towers, has been preserved in its original, well-fortified state.  
  
Historic houses decorated with frescoes line the picturesque town squares as they do the ‘Weinmarkt’ square in the car-free old town. Lucerne is a city of town squares and churches. The Jesuit church dating from the 17th century is regarded as Switzerland’s first sacral Baroque building and the twin towers of the Hofkirche form an integral part of the townscape. The figure of a dying lion which was hewn from the face of rock in remembrance of the heroic death of Swiss guards killed during an attack on the Tuileries in 1792 is one of the best-known monuments in Switzerland. And with its 112-metre-long Bourbaki panorama, Lucerne possesses one of the world’s few maintained, mammoth circular paintings.  
  
Tradition and modernity stand side-by-side with ease in Lucerne, as the town has also earned a reputation for itself with innovative design. The futuristic Culture and Convention Centre (KKL), designed by leading French architect Jean Nouvel, is one the architectural highlights of the town. The KKL is also a landmark of «Lucerne: Festival City» and venue for a wide variety of cultural events throughout the year.  
  
Lucerne is the ideal starting point for many excursions to the highlights of central Switzerland. A trip up one of Lucerne’s regional mountains, the Pilatus or the Rigi – the queen of mountains – is a must. But excursions up onto the Stanserhorn, the Bürgenstock or a steamship cruise on Lake Lucerne with its many bends and arms are certainly no less worthy. The Gotthard Panorama Express originates in Lucerne and ferries its passengers to the foot of the Gotthard pass via Lake Lucerne and then continues by rail into Ticino, south of the Alpine ridge. The «cherry road» leads from Lucerne through the landscape of cheery trees and kirsch.

myswitzerland.com

Lucerne

In the City of Lucerne, three different sights worth seeing are next-door neighbors: the world-famous Lion's Monument, the Glacier Garden, which has a large mountain relief dating to the 18th century, and the mirror labyrinth "Alhambra" with its 90 mirrors.

The Dying Lion of Lucerne was hewn out of stone on site and commemorates the fallen Swiss guardsmen who died in 1792 during the French Revolution. The Glacier Garden exhibits glacier potholes from the last Ice Age, which occured 20,000 years ago, as well as fossils of mussels and palm leaves of the subtropical sea region which existed 20 million years ago. The exhibits are complemented by interactive stations and multimedia presentations. The landscape is literally at your feet when you view the world's oldest mountain chain relief of Central Switzerland.  
  
A so-called Stone of Time path takes you through the past to the observation tower, passing the “artificial glacier mill” and the Gorner Glacier diorama by Xavier Imfeld. Once on top, there are spectacular views of Mount Pilatus and the city of Lucerne. The mirror labyrinth "Alhambra", which has 90 mirrors and was originally built in 1896 for the Swiss National Exhibition in Geneva, is also located in the Glacier Garden.

Glacier Garden and Lion's Monument - Lucerne