Walking Tour of Lucerne Old Town Switzerland

Lucerne’s Old Town, also known as Altstadt, is a charming and picturesque part of the city located on the banks of Lake Lucerne (Vierwaldstättersee, its original name) meets the River Reuss in Switzerland. Catch hold of the Lucerne walking tour map and get going, we did that and we are back with wonderful memories of highlights of Lucerne Lakefront Walking tour.

Like typical tourists we did a walking tour of Lucerne, the old town of Lucerne. Thankfully the city The city is small, compact and lively. So this self guided walking tour was doable for us, as a family with kids. Not a guided tour but a self planned one, armed with maps and (camera)lens we walked around taking in the atmosphere and sights. Though there are free walking tours of Lucerne we focused on walking around the city center and the lake area.

On the map, we could trace out all the important points. It formed a pleasant walk and we could discover the main tourist attractions of Lucerne. It was so dreamy and colorful. I liked the squares and pedestrian friendly narrow alleys. Most of all I liked the artwork on facades of Lucerne Old Town.

One Day Itinerary of Lucerne

If you spend more than one day in Lucerne, you can cover a lot more. But I was content with my one day itinerary of Lucerne which included the

• day trip to Mount Tiltls in the morning
• visit to a cheese factory and
• this walking tour of Lucerne

I have highlighted the tourist attractions of Lucerne Switzerland walking tour below:

The Old Town of Luzerne (Luzern is the German spelling and Lucerne is the French spelling.) is known for its well-preserved medieval architecture, narrow cobblestone streets, and beautiful squares. Exploring the Old Town felt like stepping back in time, with its historic buildings, colorful facades, and a rich cultural heritage.

The old restaurants and hotels had beautiful painted facades. Neat buildings, each one of them painted with a different fresco. Switzerland has always maintained a neutral stand in world politics, not taking sides during any of the world wars and that is the reason why most of its old buildings still stand tall. There is no damage done to those medieval architecture.

Lucerne Train Station – We had to collect the Lucerne walking tour map from the Lucerne Tourist Information Centre. This is located in Lucerne Train Station. We started the walk from Lucerne Train Station.

History: Lucerne Train Station was destroyed by fire in 1971 and rebuilt, with the new station opening in 1991. The historic entrance portal, featuring the sculpture “Zeitgeist” by renowned Swiss sculptor Richard Kissling, serves as a tribute to the old station.

Lake Lucerne Vierwaldstättersee – Right next to the train station is the shore of Lake Lucerne. We could have spent the entire evening here; such is the beauty of this place! It is a large lake with beautiful villages dotting the periphery of the lake. Tourists take boat cruises to get to hiking points of mountains around. Lake Lucerne is the fourth largest lake in Switzerland. The whole shoreline length is 144 km and the deepest part is 104 m.

The beautiful water body, Lake Lucerne holds pride of place in the middle of the town. Even if you don’t intend to cross it you will end up standing and visually gulping its beauty.

Lake Lucerne

Musegg wall and its nine towers – Lucerne Wall Walk – The Musegge city wall is the most preserved Switzerland, one of the longest defensive walls, was built in 1386. Though not very high, but it is built on a raised ground. The walls run a length of 900m, following the Battle of Sempach, is considered one of the longest, best-preserved defensive walls in Switzerland.

It had nine different style watchtowers.  You get to see now only four of them – Schirmerturm, Zeitturm, Wachtturm and Mannliturm. From the top of the wall can overlook the magnificent old city scenery, Lake Lucerne and the majestic snow-capped mountains. The city wall is within walking distance and not far from Lucerne Station.

Dying Lion Monument – The Lion Monument is a sculpture designed by Bertel Thorvaldsen and hewn in 1820–21 by Lukas Ahorn. It is etched into the side of a former sandstone quarry. Regarded as the most sentimental of Swiss Monuments, it commemorates the Swiss mercenaries who, while serving the French King Louis XVI, lost their lives during the French Revolution at the Tuileries Palace in Paris.

Kapellbrücke Chapel Bridge – You can start the walking tour of old town of Lucerne from Chapel Bridge. The water tower and Jesuit Church is just beside it. Walk on to Schwanenplatz, Swan’s Square, situated on the right shore River Reuss. You can read more here: Chapel Bridge.

Spreuer Bridge – This is one of two extant covered wooden footbridges in the city of Lucerne. More info and pictures on the covered bridge here: Spreuer Bridge

Hirschenplatz – Located adjacent to the Kapellbrücke, Hirschenplatz is a charming square with a fountain at its center. The square is surrounded by well-preserved historic houses, some of which date back to the 16th century.

Needle Dam – a technical-historical structure – These needles of River Reuss Needle Dam help maintain both water level of Lake Lucerne and the flow of the Reuss River. Read more: Reuss-Nadelwehr.

Rathaus (Town Hall) – The Rathaus is a magnificent Renaissance-style building situated on the banks of the Reuss River. Its facade is adorned with beautiful murals depicting Lucerne’s history. The Rathaus Square, in front of the Town Hall, is a vibrant gathering place.

St. Leodegar Church – Also known as the Hofkirche, St. Leodegar Church is an iconic twin-spired church that dominates Lucerne’s skyline. It is a mix of Romanesque and Gothic architectural styles and is dedicated to St. Leodegar, the patron saint of Lucerne.

Weinmarkt – Weinmarkt is a vibrant square in the heart of the Old Town. It is lined with colorful medieval buildings, cafes, and restaurants. The square is a popular gathering spot and hosts various events and markets throughout the year.

Jesuit Church Lucerne – This is is the first large baroque church built in Switzerland north of the alps. A major tourist attraction, it serves more as a concert hall than as a religious institution.

This one reminded of the story of Heidi

Dying Lion of Lucerne – Last, but not the least, don’t miss the iconic Dying Lion of Lucerne, known as Löwendenkmal. It is a famous monument in Switzerland that commemorates the fallen Swiss guardsmen who served the French King Louis XVI during the French Revolution in 1792. Inaugurated in 1821, the stone monument, designed by sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen and carved by stonemason Lucas Ahorn, has become one of Lucerne’s top tourist attractions. The Latin inscription on the monument reads “HELVETIORUM FIDEI AC VIRTUTI,” meaning “To the loyalty and bravery of the Swiss.” The Lion of Lucerne is widely recognized and admired as one of the world’s most impressive stone sculptures.

Why did people paint facades of Lucerne?

I have focused more on the colorful facades of Lucerne in this post. The facades facing the squares of Lucerne have beautiful paintings. It is a means by which the then residents of Lucerne thanked their protectors. Many paintings depicted saintly figures. They also indicate the famous personalities who stayed there.

Haus zur Sonne with painted facade “Marriage at Canaan” by Eduard Renggli, 1928. To your left is Weinmarkt fountain.

One facade has the battle scenes from Battle of Dornach in 1499. Incidentally that was the last battle between Germany and Switzerland. Often the artwork on facade indicates the business of the building in the past. A garland motif on one of the facades there symbolizes the building housed jewelry business. Then, of course there is the famous Heidi in one of the walls there.

The Old Town is also home to numerous shops, boutiques, and eateries, where you can indulge in Swiss delicacies and find unique souvenirs. We went slow, munching on snacks, kids content with gelato, sat down by the river and soaked it all slowly.

Possible Day Trips from Lucerne

• Zurich 52 km – Things to Do in Zurich
• Explore Engelberg – Titlis Tourism
• Mount Pilatus, 6010 Alpnach, Switzerland

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