September 7, 2024
Today we are going to explore Lucerne!!
The day started with a walk along the river front where we came up on the local farmers market and picked up breakfast and enjoyed sitting on benches by the water.
Soon it was time to meet up with our tour guide Isabella to do a walking tour of the old town area.
Our tour began at the Railroad Station gate which is the last remaining part of the original station. It welcomes visitors from around the world to Lucerne.
We walked from the train station to Chapel Bridge which is the most iconic image of Lucerne.
Walking along the Chapel Bridge is a magical experience. As you stroll across the wooden planks, you are surrounded by breathtaking views of Lucerne’s picturesque waterfront, historic buildings, and the snow-capped Swiss Alps in the distance. The bridge offers an ideal vantage point to soak in the beauty of the city and its natural surroundings.
Along the bridge, is the Water Tower, a round stone structure that was originally used as a prison and later served as a treasury and an archive. Today, it stands as a prominent landmark and provides a glimpse into the bridge’s historical significance.
Next we visited the famous Lion statue. The Lion is carved in to the face of a granite mountain, in a rocky grotto within a beautiful park. The lion is looking over a serene pond, it was quite moving. The history of the monument is to commemorate the 1000 Swiss Guards who sacrificed their lives to protect King Louis XVI of France during the Storming of the Ten Tuileries in Paris back in the year 1792.
We climbed up a steep hill for the view of the city and to see the Musegg wall. The towers once a symbol of power, the Musegg Wall and its nine towers are part of Lucerne’s historic fortifications; forming a striking crown around the Old Town.
On the way down from the wall we saw highland cows that looked very much like the hairy coos in Scotland but they were black.
In the late afternoon we took a boat ride on the lake to get a different perspective of Lucerne!! I would love to own one of the beautiful homes that surround the lake, but then reminded myself that it snows here!!
After the boat ride we strolled along the lake shore and encountered a young man playing the harp, a perfect way to end a magical day exploring the Lucerne!!
