Lucerne Exploration

 (A multi-part recap of my recent September trip to Switzerland.)

Lucerne day two!!

Kim and awoke ready for more exploration of this charming Swiss town.

Colorful flags

Over a tasty breakfast in our hotel's dining room, Kim and I discussed what attractions to see.  Our tour didn't begin until 5 pm, so we had nearly the entire day free.  During yesterday's walk about town we'd spotted tall brick towers lining a hill above the city, so we decided to first see what those were all about.

Interesting fountain

I learned these towers were part of a medieval wall, built as part of Lucerne's historic fortifications.  Construction began in the 13th century on an ascending sandstone ridge.  Named the Musegg Wall, it eventually had nine towers.  This 870-meter long barrier is considered one of the longest and best-preserved defensive walls in Switzerland.

West end of Spreuer Bridge (with Hotel Gütsch in the background)

Time to check out those towers!  Back through the cobblestone streets we walked, heading along the river towards the first one.  It being Sunday, the avenues were deserted.  We learned that most everything shuts down on Sunday in Switzerland.  However, Kim and I didn't mind the lack of crowds.

This bridge looks so old!

Since it was on the way, we paid another visit to the Spreuer Bridge.  The morning light was much better than the previous afternoon's visit, so I took the opportunity to capture some better images of this medieval pedestrian bridge.

Nölli tower with traffic tunnel

Not far from the Spreuer Bridge Kim and I came upon the first of the wall's nine towers.  The Nölliturm, or Nölli Tower, was the only round tower on the Musegg Wall.  Built in 1513, it's base was nearly at river level.  In 1901 a one-way vehicular tunnel was punched through the middle.  The tower itself wasn't open to the public, probably due to the tunnel.

Medieval wall and Männli tower

From the Nölli Tower, an asphalt walking path rose steeply from street level, taking visitors up the ridge to the next tower.  Kim and I huffed and puffed as we followed the path, which after a quick climb, began to parallel the ancient city wall.

Wonderful town view from one of the towers

The second tower was called Männliturm, or Männli (meaning "little man.")  Lucky for us, it was open to the public and visitors could follow a long, switchbacking staircase to the very top.  More huffing and puffing ensued as Kim and I climbed the never-ending stairs.  But after finally arriving at the highest point, we both agreed it was worth the effort.  At 33 meters in height, the birds-eye views of Lucerne were absolutely spectacular.

Top of one tower

True to its name, the top of the Männli featured an iron figure of a knight in armor, which locals called the "little man."

More amazing views

While on top of the "little man" tower, several visitors came and went.  We noticed one lady struggling with the last set of stairs.  Finally emerging on top, the woman asked us where the "clock" was.  This being our first tower visited, Kim and I told the lady we had no idea.  Garnering from her broken English that she'd traveled in the direction opposite of us, we could offer no help.

Looking ahead to the other towers

After spending some time soaking in the city panorama, and taking copious photos, Kim and I decided it was time to descend and check out another tower.

Spreuer Bridge ariel view

We exited the Männli tower into a large, grassy field.  Part of this parklike area was fenced off and behind it sat three shaggy Highland cows.  Another pen housed alpacas.  Placed in the middle of a dense urban area, it was quite an unusual sight!  I later discovered this pasture was an actual working farm, called the Hinter Musegg Farm.  The aim of this unique park was to give Lucerne citizens a chance to experience rural life in the heart of the city.

Kim is happy to be done climbing stairs

From the cow pasture, Kim and I headed over to tower number three, Luegislandturm (what a mouthful!) or Luegisland tower.  Built in 1290, it had the distinction of being the oldest and the highest (52.6 meters) of the Musegg fortification.  This tower was under renovation and we could only climb a short distance before being directed out onto the top of the wall.

Goin' down

Instead of walking at the base of the Musegg wall, Kim and I were now traveling along its very top, a fun and interesting experience!  Views from this vantage were quite wonderful, with more of the city and Lake Lucerne now visible.

A few highland cows in the adjacent park

Strolling along the wall's apex Kim and I followed the walkway to our next tower, number four, called Heuturm/ Wachtturm, or Heu/Wacht for short.  This one had an interesting history.  Built initially for hay storage, over time gunpowder was also stockpiled inside.  A lightning strike in 1701 caused a huge explosion that blew apart the tower, sending stone blocks hurtling across town.  Several people were killed in the blast.  After its destruction, the tower was rebuilt to its current height of 44 meters.  To get on top, Kim and I climbed another narrow stairway with somewhat sketchy steps for more great city views.

Top of the wall

On to tower number five!  Due to the scaffolding covering its exterior we could tell that this one was also under renovation.  But the door was open, so Kim and I went inside.  And there before us was a huge clock face.  We'd found the clock tower!  It was so obvious, I couldn't help but wonder how the lady we'd met earlier had missed it.

Interesting clock in one tower

Called the Zytturm or Zyt, this tower featured a large clock on one of its outer walls.  Sadly, it all the scaffolding obscured this clock.  (I only read about it later when doing research for the blog post.)  The inside clock was most beautiful, and after admiring it and taking photos, we climbed up more stairs for a glimpse of the inner workings of the outside clock.  I read that this mechanism was built in 1535 and is still working to this day, striking the hour one minute before all the other clocks in Lucerne.

Another clock view

Although there were four more towers to visit, after touring the clock tower for some reason Kim and I decided to follow a path leading away from the wall and downhill back towards the river.  I don't think at the time either of us realized there were more towers.  Reading about the wall a month later, I now wish we would've visited them all.  Oh well, hindsight is 20/20.  (Lesson learned, before visiting a place, read up on its attractions.)

The medieval wall with towers

Another Lucerne landmark Kim and I noticed from the previous day's walkabout was a huge castle-like building perched atop a steep slope high above the city.  A sign on the side proclaimed it the "Hotel Gütsch."  Intrigued, both of us decided we needed to pay this place a visit.

City view from Hotel Château Gütsch

Our guidebook mentioned this place and noted pedestrian access was via an inclined funicular railway.  Using the hotel's prominent hilltop location as a landmark, Kim and I set out to try and find the tram entrance.

Photo op at the hotel

After a bit of wandering, Kim and I located the lower end of the funicular.  Now how to purchase tickets?  There was no vending machine here.  There didn't appear to be anyone checking for fares.  Should we just hop on?

Kim, being the honest one, decided we shouldn't risk it.  Using the transit app on her phone, we located a nearby bus stop that had a ticket machine.  After a bit of confusion (everything was in German), we figured out how to purchase tickets.  Ok, back to the little tram!

Looking out from the hotel across Lucerne

The funicular car was small, with only enough room for four people.  (Luckily we were the only passengers.)  After a short ride up an extremely steep track, Kim and I emerged at the Hotel Gütsch.  We gaped at the incredible views from its lofty perch.  They even had a fancy sign you could pose inside of.  Much photography followed.

The grand Hotel Château Gütsch

A four-star boutique hotel, the Hotel Château Gütsch was first built as an inn in 1859.  Later in 1879 new owners expanded the building into a proper hotel.  A large portion of the hotel was destroyed in an 1888 fire.  Over the next decade, it was rebuilt to model the famous Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria.  Over the years, more renovation has taken place, mostly to preserve the historic details.  I would have loved to spend the night in one of the hotel's rooms, but I'm sure it would've cost a pretty penny (or Franc!)

View from the inclined railway

The hotel was beautiful, but it appeared only guests could enter.  (At the time we didn't know that the restaurant and bar were open, but it was probably too expensive for our pocketbooks anyway.)  So Kim and I walked around the outside for a bit before deciding to ride the funicular back down.

The wall sloping downhill

Kim had booked a boat tour of Lake Lucerne for early afternoon, so after our Hotel Gütsch adventure, we decided it was time to head that way.  On the return trip, we had enough time to stop for a latte and sample a "bubble waffle."

More Chapel Bridge photos!

The coffee shop was on the waterfront right in front of the Chapel Bridge, so I couldn't resist taking a few more photos.  The bridge was so crowded with people, we didn't attempt to walk across this time.

Our tour boat

By early afternoon the skies were clearing, temperatures rising, and it was shaping up to be a nice day.  Good time for a boat ride!  Which is where Kim and I headed next - to the pier where we boarded our watercraft for an hour-long tour of Lake Lucerne.

Mountain views from Lake Lucerne

Thinking it would be cold and windy on board, Kim and I bundled up in knit hats and heavy jackets.  But once the boat was underway, we found conditions were much warmer.  The sun came out and all that solar energy heated things up immensely.

Lakeshore views

And the views!  All the peaks surrounding Lake Lucerne were visible and gorgeous.  Tall, craggy, and snow-capped, they appeared to be rising up from the lake itself.  

More majestic mountains

Since it was a weekend, the lake was busy with all types of personal watercraft.  I saw dozens of sailboats, and quite a few small fishing vessels.

Kim is having fun

As the boat swung to the opposite shoreline, one of the landmark peaks I recognized was massive Mt. Pilatus.  A popular tourist destination, this mountain offered stunning views and hiking trails on its summit.  Kim and I had initially thought about visiting this mountain, but the desk clerk at our hotel had informed us that recent snowfall had shut down the cogwheel train ascending one side.  The only other summit option was to ride a large tram uphill, and with the cogwheel down, she warned the tram would be extremely busy.  So we booked the boat ride instead.

Mt. Pilatus

The lakeshore area was lush and green.  Several large homes graced the bank, many with fancy boat landings.  As the boat made its return to town, I noticed a large fleet of sailboats in the water near a local park.  Sailing lessons maybe?

Lots of sailboats!

The boat tour was wonderful, and with a rainy forecast for the following day, I was glad we'd decided to see the lake and its surrounding mountains in sunny, clear weather.

Swimming area on the lake

Now time for a beer!  After disembarking, Kim and I walked along the bustling waterfront in search of refreshment.  Being a sunny Sunday, the riverfront path was packed with people of all ages.  We finally came upon a place with a concession stand.  After getting some local brews, Kim and I sat on a floating dock with nice views of the lake and surrounding scenery.  We discovered the place was a swimming area, with a dock built encircling a small portion of the lake where people could swim.  It wasn't very big, and I don't know why someone couldn't just jump in the lake wherever they wished.  The entire time we were there I never did see anyone in the "pool."  But it was a pleasant place to sit and enjoy the day.

Beer with a view

After killing most of the afternoon walking around the lakeshore, it was finally time to begin our Rick Steves tour.  Entering a meeting room in our hotel, Kim and I were introduced to our guide Tony and  his assistant Lisa.  Our group was comprised of 28 people from all over the US.  As with last year's Ireland tour, the first item of business was to pick buddies.  Instead of Tony counting heads every time, each person chose a buddy and was responsible for making sure that person was present.  Since Kim and I happened to be sitting across from a Japanese couple we asked them to be our buddies.  Tad and Sayumi were Japanese but had lived in California for many years.  

Lion Monument

After tour member introductions, it was time to take a walk and visit one of Lucene's top attractions, the Lion Monument.  As our group wound through the busy city streets, Tony gave us a brief history of the story behind this well-known rock carving.

 

Commemorating Swiss mercenaries

The Swiss, known for their fighting skills, often became mercenary soldiers in other countries.  The Lion Monument commemorated the Swiss Guards who were killed in 1792 during the French Revolution, when revolutionaries stormed the Tuileries Palace in Paris.  

A peaceful park

The Lion Monument was located in a peaceful wooded park, the sculpture itself carved into a large cliff face.  Struck by a spear, the lion lay dying, his face contorted in pain.  It was a moving piece of art, surrounded by a beautiful setting.

Colorful building facade

After spending some time at the Lion Monument, our group returned to the hotel for dinner.  We ate together as a group, and got to meet more of our tour-mates.  Kim and I sat with two ladies who were friends traveling together (like us), Cindy and Karen.  These gals were an absolute blast and we had a lively conversation.  

Nice light on the bridge

But the hour grew late, and after such a full day Kim and I were pooped.  The following day we'd officially begin our tour and we both wanted to be well rested.  So I snapped a final photo of the Chapel Bridge in lovely evening light with Mt. Pilatus in the background, before retiring to our room.

Stay tuned, day one of our tour will be recapped in the next post!

And in case you missed my prior Switzerland trip posts here they are:

Twenty-four Hours in Zurich

Lovely Lucerne