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

Where circus artists and people running stalls once entertained people, there is now what is without a doubt one of the most popular green spaces in the city of Lucerne: the Vögeligärtli. Its name – meaning the “bird garden” – comes from the aviary that was built in the park in 1901.

This picnic spot in the middle of the city was formerly also known as Sempacherplatz, Sempachergarten, Englischer Garten, Zentralplatz or Zentralmatte.  
  
When the “Gasfabrik” gasworks from what was then Sempacherplatz was moved to another location in 1899, this cleared the way for the area to be used for a new purpose. Relaxation and leisure came to the fore here.  
  
The Vögeligärtli was also the place where performers and people running stalls gathered and entertained people. The Pilatus Circus and Arena Bühlmann with its travelling artists visited this place. Little by little, however, individual areas of the large green space were built on. The Lukaskirche (Church of St. Luke) was built in 1935, and the Central Library around 1950.

Vögeligärtli - Lucerne