Lucerne: The Fairytale City
Lucerne is one of those places that seems too perfect to be real. From the moment we stepped out of the train station and into the bustling city center we knew we were in for an unbelievable two nights.
Because this city is so small, it takes no time to get anywhere, making it the ideal place to simply wander on foot any time of the year. We stayed at the century-old Renaissance Lucerne Hotel, which is a hidden gem right in the center of town that was just minutes from the train station and, more importantly, from the city’s most famous sites. This was one of our favorite hotels of the entire trip — and not just because of the bowl of Toblerone sitting on the front desk and the chocolates they left in our room each day. (Although, maybe it was…) But really, look at this room:
Anyway, after marveling at our room, we immediately hit the cold, rainy streets and headed for Chapel Bridge and Water Tower. Formally known as Kapellbrücke, this wooden bridge spans the River Reuss that separates the city in Old Town and New Town. The bridge itself dates back to 1332 and is the oldest covered wooden bridge in Europe. The Water Tower — which does not actually hold water but was so named because it sits on the water — was built 30 years before the bridge and was at one time used as a dungeon. Today, sadly, it’s not open to the public.
Within the rafters are remnants of 17-century paintings. Although most have deteriorated or completely disappeared, you can still see some of the historical scenes that once decorated the entire length of the bridge. The whole thing is remarkable.
When we finally made it to Old Town, we walked along the water for as long as possible, taking in the charm, the cozy atmosphere, and the general happiness we could feel all around us. I mean, it’s hard to not be happy when there are Christmas markets to explore and so much coffee to drink! (Bonus: because the rain wouldn’t let up, we had the markets pretty much to ourselves.)
Now that we felt acclimated to the city and were soaking wet, we decided a nap was needed before we could enjoy one of the Swiss traditions we were looking forward to most: FONDUE. Y’all. Picture this: a covered patio by the river with space heaters illuminating everything a red glow; long tables packed with people huddled under blankets with bags of hot beans on their laps (for warmth); pots of melted cheese, plates of bread and meat and veggies covering every table. It was everything we never knew we expected in a fondue night in Switzerland. The restaurant was called Rathaus Lucerne, but it’s now formally known to us as Heaven.
We ordered the classic fondue with chicken, which was served with a shot each of vodka. Apparently, you’re supposed to dip a bread chunk in the vodka before dipping it in the cheese. We’re not sure what the point is because, honestly, it was gross. So, we just ended up drinking the shot…you know, for some extra internal warmth. Then we ended up eating the entire pot of cheese/bread/meat/apples, plus an additional half a pot of chocolate fondue with fruit. We’ll chalk it up to burning so many extra calories in the bitter cold! 😉
Day two got off to a great start with a brisk walk back across the bridge, coffee, and visiting the famous Lion Monument. This monument is a memorial for the fallen Swiss Guards who were killed in Paris in 1792 by French revolutionaries. When visiting that day, I had Mark Twain’s reflections in my mind: “The Lion of Lucerne is the most mournful and moving piece of stone in the world.” No truer words were ever written.
We stood there for what felt like hours, marveling at the emotion the artist was able to convey in stone. Some part of us also felt wrong for simply moving on with our day after standing in the memory of such sorrow. Still, we knew we couldn’t stand there forever, so we each sent up a silent prayer and walked back to through town. We admired the hand-painted buildings for which the city is famous. The neighborhoods are a patchwork of different colors, textures, and designs, all unique yet complementary. It was incredible to see in person!
As we kept walking, we noticed a huge hotel sitting on the top of a hill and decided we wanted to see it up close. So, we hopped on the Gütschbahn funicular and had a private ride all the way up. (Soon after, we realized we had ridden it illegally because we didn’t buy a ticket.) As you can probably imagine, the view from the top was breathtaking!
Although we didn’t go into the hotel, we did walk around a forest that was nearly secluded, with the exception of a few lonely hikers. Then we made our way back down the hill — this time walking — and over to the Musegg Wall and towers, which is part of the historic fortifications. We didn’t take an official tour, deciding that some wandering up, down, and through the open parts of the fortification was enough. The views and the seclusion were totally worth it. Plus, we got to go the long way around the city back to our hotel, which allowed us to see the most incredible colors as the sun began to fade.
That afternoon, for lunch, we stumbled upon the most Swiss-looking restaurant we could imagine and ate our fill of schnitzel and raclette. We then had just enough time to browse the Christmas markets one last time, cross the bridge one last time, and head back to our hotel to prepare for an early travel day. Next stop will be the Swiss Alps but, for now, let’s take one more minute to admire this beautiful fairytale city:
Big hugs,
Jules