How to Spend One Day in Lucerne
Basel
On our last full day in Switzerland we headed back to Basel, since we were flying back home from Basel. We got to Basel as soon as we could in the morning from Murren and dropped our luggage off at the hotel. We got there a little too early to check in so we had an outdoor picnic and a quick tour by foot through Basel’s Old Town. Basel is a very interesting city full of fun artsy locations and impressive historical landmarks. Basel is located next to the Rhine and we thought it was so cool to be able to catch a glimpse of it in person! We then headed back to the hotel, checked in, freshen up just a little then dashed off to the train station!
Lucerne
The one place I did not want to miss on this trip was Lucerne! I had heard so many great things about Lucerne and at this point in the day we would only have about a half a day to spend there. The train ride is only about an hour and a half long from Basel to Lucerne and by the time we got there I had all of the top sights I wanted to see mapped out in a “speedy” walking tour.
Chapel Bridge
The first unmissable sight when you get to Lucerne is the Chapel Bridge or “Kapellbrucke” This is truly a beautiful bridge with paintings lining the top of it. We loved this bridge so much we actually walked it a few times taking in all the sights of Lake Luzern.
Painted Squares
We then walked through a few different squares that have ornately painted buildings that are just gorgeous. I kept getting frustrated because I felt like my pictures weren’t quite capturing the beauty of these paintings. We walked through the Sternenplatz, Hirschenplatz, and Weinmarkt admiring all of the shops are architecture.
The Jesuit Church
After wandering around these squares we crossed the Rathaus Bridge towards the Jesuit Church. This church is gorgeous! The Jesuit Church was built as a counter to the Reformation movement happening in Switzerland in the 1670s. For some reason it was closed the day we were there, but the steps outside of the church made for a good spot to stop and rest our feet while admiring the outside architecture of the church.
The Lion Monument
Once we worked up the energy again, we decided to head for the Lion Monument. This was a little bit further out from the area we had just walked, but we still had time in Lucerne and we wanted to see it. So we crossed the Chapel Bridge again and headed along our walk to the Lion Monument. This walk was actually so much fun and a great way to see more of the city. The monument itself was gorgeous. Tucked away in a little garden, this large monument is surprisingly moving. The lion is supposed to represent the Swiss mercenaries who were killed defending the French King during the French Revolution. We sat in this park for quite a while soaking in this peaceful moment. Supposedly this is a bigger attraction in Lucerne but no one was there while we were visiting and it was very relaxing.
The Church of St. Leodegar
After our relaxing moment at the Lion Monument we headed back towards Lake Luzern and the Church of St. Leodegar. The Church of St. Leodegar was built in the 1630s and was one of the few churches of its kind built north of the Alps during the Thirty Wars War. We were able to tour this church and once again we were the only people here.
At this point in our day we were getting quite hungry and tired. So, we popped into an English style pup near Chapel Bridge. This pub was good, but nothing too special and like most restaurants in Switzerland it was very expensive. After our little dinner it was early evening and we were ready to start our journey back to Basel.
We really loved Lucerne. In fact if we ever go back to Switzerland this town is top on my list. I would love to stay there just a little bit long and do some more exploring. With only a half a day we saw as much as we could, but I know that there must be so much more to do in this beautiful town!