Lucerne

Central Switzerland · Small town

Wooden bridges below the Alps

Lakes

Scenic

Mountains

Medieval

Ski

About Lucerne

Lucerne sits where the river Reuss leaves Lake Lucerne, a small medieval town of painted squares and covered wooden bridges with the Alps rising straight from the far shore.

The Chapel Bridge and its stone water tower are the town's emblem, the Musegg wall still guards it with nine towers, and Jean Nouvel's concert hall overhangs the lake. Paddle steamers leave from the station for the mountains around the water.

It's tidy, expensive and busy with tour groups in summer; Fasnacht turns it into a week-long carnival in February.

Eat Luzerner Chügelipastete, the town's vol-au-vent of veal in cream, and Älplermagronen, alpine macaroni with potatoes and apple sauce.

Get to Lucerne

Round trip from Prague, any dates in November 2026.

Lucerne has no airport. Flights land in Zurich (then 1 h 05 by train ≈ €30) or Basel (then 1 h 40 by train ≈ €45).

Buses from Lucerne

Day trips from Lucerne

Half day
Titlis
~45 min , then the cable cars
Above Engelberg, the nearest glacier: a cable car with a rotating cabin to snow all year at 3,000 m, an ice grotto and a suspension bridge over the drop.
Day trip
Pilatus
~1 h , ~1 h 30 min
The town's own mountain, 2,128 m: up by the world's steepest cogwheel railway from Alpnachstad and back down by cable car, with a boat across the lake to start the round trip.
Day trip
Rigi
~1 h , then the cogwheel
The 'Queen of the Mountains' between two lakes, reached by Europe's first mountain railway: a car-free summit with views over a dozen lakes, easy ridge walks and Mario Botta's mineral baths at Kaltbad.