Lucerne, Switzerland - Day 15

Thursday, September 6, 2018

Lucerne is such a beautiful city that I decided to explore it on my own this morning.

Armed with Rick Steves' guide and map of the old town, I started at the Bahnhofplatz, between the train station and the lake, then headed left to the Chapel Bridge (behind me).

The bridge was built in the first half of the 14th century at an angle, to connect the town's medieval fortifications. The octagonal stone Water Tower (left of me) was built around 1300.

Next was the Jesuit Church, built in the mid 1600s.

The Reuss River Weir System - the river flows out of the Lake, which is fed by glaciers. This dam which was built in the mid 19th century, controls the water levels to prevent flooding and to accommodate boats on the lake.

I crossed the Mill Bridge - so called because there were once 3 mills at the end of the bridge. Today there is a modern hydroelectric plant underwater here.

Muhlenplatz - a square marking the entrance to old town, as one crosses the Mill Bridge.

Weinmarket - another square that served as a marketplace for wine. The big mural on the building is a depiction of the Wedding Feast at Cana, where Jesus turned water into wine.

Nearby is the Hotel des Balances, with an interesting facade.

Hirschenplatz - well-preserved square which once featured hotels, jewelers, and other shops.

Then I took a side street and climbed up to the Musegg Wall, the old town wall built in the 1300s. 

The views from here were not as good as one might expect but you can see the lake.

Sternenplatz - a tiny square dominated by the Restaurant Fritschi, with paintings featuring symbols from the city's annual Mardi Gras celebration called Fasnacht.

This walk made a circle back to the Chapel Bridge.

I picked up Ed and we went back to the river front where we were last night and had lunch at a lovely outdoor cafe called La Terazza. Then we repeated some of my steps around the old town and just enjoyed the ambiance

and another view of the old town.

But perhaps the highlight of the day came at the end. About a 10-minute walk from Chapel Bridge was a section of town known as Lowenplatz. Here we saw the famous Lion Monument, a huge sculpture, 33 feet long by 20 feet high, carved into a sandstone cliff face over a reflecting pool in a peaceful park. 

The lion rests his paws on a shield, with his head down and tears in his cheek. A broken spear shows he is slowly dying. Sculpted in 1820, the figure represents the Swiss Guard (mercenaries) who were killed defending the French king during the French Revolution.

We made it back to the hotel by 3 and caught a 3:35 train to Zurich. We checked into the Hotel Ambassador L'Opera, which was a block from the lake and overlooking the grand opera house. We had an incredible room with a balcony overlooking the street. Think there is something to be said about booking rooms yourself. I asked for a balcony and got one - no extra charge. 

After taking a breather, we walked around a little and ended up eating dinner at "Opera," the restaurant at the hotel. It was quiet and delightful and the whitefish and veal were delicious.