Every year on the occasion of the well-known Lucerne Carnival, Lucerne (CH) is in a crazy mood. Arts can be admired in the Museum of Lucerne, among them a real rarity: the impressive Bourbaki panorama of 1881. Worldwide, there exist only few of these round panorama paintings, this one is 112 metres long!
Lucerne at the Reuss River is historic: Bridges lead over the river at several places enabling city dwellers to get from one riverbank to the other without getting wet. One of them is the roofedKapellbrücke of 1332, the oldest wooden bridge of this kind. As a decorating element, more than one hundred pictures in the gable of the bridge tell episodes of the Swiss history. Unfortunately, many of them have been disturbed by a fire. The even elder octagonal water tower in the middle of the Kapellbrücke has been belonging to the Lucerne cityscape from time immemorial. In ancient times, both together formed part of the city’s defensive fortifications.
Architecturally, some splendid hotels in Lucerne remind of those days when monarchs and noblemen resided in those prestigious walls. Nowadays, they are reigned by the guests, they are given a warmest welcome to Lucerne. Gastronomically, the restaurants in Lucerne are convincing because of their many-sided culinary offer. Discover the Swiss cuisine and other special treats at many corners of the City and choose your personal favourite.
On the trail of the glaciers in the city of Lucerne
A lion, carved out of rock in 1821, honours – like said by the Latin inscription above the monument – the bravery and fidelity of the Swiss guards during the battle at the Tuilleries in 1792. Right next to the Lucerne monument you can find the Glacier Garden (Gletschergarten). The area invites visitors to a travel into geology. The natural monument was discovered in 1873.The region once was covered by glaciers, when the ice smelt, the water drained off under an enormous pressure. Thereby, eddies in the rock developed due to washout, called “Gletschertöpfe“ (kettle basins). At some places, they are up to nine metres deep.
In the Glacier Garden of Lucerne (CH) you can imagine the power of ice and see the signs the glacier has left with your own eyes. At the same time, you can see proofs for the fact that there have been periods in geology with subtropical climate in the region of today’s Switzerland. You can round off your visit by exploring the historical labyrinth of mirrors of the Glacier Garden. Find your way across the mirrored landscape and be amused at your distorted mirror image!
