"Looking Lovely Lucerne" Top 5 Page for this destination Lucerne by Maryimelda

Lucerne Travel Guide: 946 reviews and 2,697 photos

Even the train station looks good.... - Lucerne

At First Glance...

I have written before about first impressions of places and how disappointing they can be. I have learnt however, that you sometimes have to go find the reasons that people go to see a place because there's a big chance that the best of the town/city will not be situated right outside the main train station. Not so in Lucerne. From the moment I stepped outside of the station I could see why people rave about its beauty. My first thought was that if this is what you get so close to the train station, what magnificence was there still to be found further afield. Obviously, I was eager to go and find out.

We're having a heat wave...

Atop of Pilatus there was no relief from the heat

I thought it was quite warm when I arrived in Lucerne but in my excitement I didn't think any more about it. My hotel room was not ready so I left my luggage and headed for the boat terminal to do the Golden trip to Mt Pilatus.
Eager for some good photos enroute, I decided to sit out on the deck only to find that after a few minutes, I was feeling terribly hot, so for comfort's sake, I moved inside under cover. My trip to Pilatus was great, but I was dressed in a long sleeved jumper and jeans and really felt the heat to the extent that I thought I was still in Australia not in Switzerland. Most of the people on top of Pilatus were in short sleeves, or no sleeves at all. I found out when I finally returned to Lucerne and checked in to my hotel that it had been 35 degress Celsius that day!!!! No wonder I felt hot and the worst of it was that the temperature remained in the 30's for 5 more days of my trip and as far north as Hannover. Seems that everyone else in the world had heard about the heat wave in Europe except me.

The purse takes a battering....

No bargain meals in Lucerne

I have always known that Switzerland is not one of the budget destinations in Europe, but it seems to me that my last visit in 2009 cost me quite a lot less than this one. Had I realised this before I planned my trip, I would not have done anything different. Switzerland is a magnificent country and worth every penny.

Pros and Cons

Pros:Sheer beauty at every turn.
Cons:Like everywhere else in Switzerland these days, it is almost prohibitively expensive in comparison to my last visit to this country.
In a nutshell:Don't stop at Kappelbruecke, there's much more to be found further on.

Last visit to Lucerne: Aug 2011
Intro Updated Oct 14, 2011
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Reviews (28)

Alpineum 3D Alpen Panorama Things to Do (23)

This is a musem opposite the Lion monument which features a huge mural painted well over a century ago by a father and... more travel advice

Souvenirs for everyone Shopping (1)

This is a large and airy shop which is chock full of souvenirs and gifts. It is easily identified by the wonderful... more travel advice

Be warned they can be difficult for some - Lucerne

The Pilatus gondolas Warnings and Dangers (1)

If you choose to do the golden tour to Pilatus please be warned about the gondolas. When coming down from the mountain... more travel advice

Stansstad Things to Do (23)

Stansstad is a picturesque town on Lake Lucerne which is home to approx. 5000 people. It has over 50 business in... more travel advice

Transportation (2)
See All The steepest in the world

Hotels (1)
Location, location, location....

Travelogues (2)

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Comments (10)

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Nemorino Apr 5, 2013 at 4:22 PM

Yes, I well remember that heat wave last August! We had a VT meeting in Antwerp, Belgium, on what turned out to be the hottest weekend of the year.
Your tips on Lucerne brought back memories of my visits there when I was a student in Bern – quite a while ago.
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scrooge1947 Jan 25, 2013 at 11:15 PM

Doesn't matter how much you walk and look you never see everything or you may be blind to what is looking at you, so great pic's, also stayed across from The Chapel Bridge, sitting on the balcony for breakfast, great memories.
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balhannah Jun 20, 2012 at 10:01 PM

Kate, Your page brings back many good memories of Lucerne. Golly, you saw lots! Would you believe, we didn't see the Lion Monument and I didn't realize that until sometime after we were home! I love those street flowers you saw in columns, such a clever idea of adding colour.
Excellent pages!
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bbunter Mar 10, 2012 at 4:34 PM

Great new tips. I think I'll have to go to Lucerne. There are some good pages on VT about the city.
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Trekki Feb 29, 2012 at 10:15 PM

I think I was in Lucerne eons ago (seminar somewhere at Vierwaldstätter See) but missed a lot! The bridges are so marvellous and I was not aware that there are (and were) these many paintings under the roofs. Wow, the views from Pilatus are exceptional! HAha, had to laugh about Brother Fritschi bridge, must tell this to a friend who... has a similar name :-) And your hotel.... what a view of the bridge and these flower pot galore :-)

Lovely updates! Even a castle for Queen Victoria. Remind me that we eat Queen Victoria cake next time you are here. Right at Neckar River, east of Heidelberg :-) And nice creative flower decoration at the streets :-) I think I vaguely also remember to have seen Stansstad, at least I remember the tower in the water.
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Mikebb Feb 25, 2012 at 12:59 PM

Nice page Kate, I like your hotel selection, what a breakfast view.We visited Lucerne in 1993, just after the fire. Must return to see the renovation.
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globetrott Feb 11, 2012 at 8:51 PM

You were really lucky to find this excellent hotel with one of the best views that you can get in Switzerland !
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thegreynomad Nov 14, 2011 at 11:53 PM

Your Hotel was a good Hotel for a meal!
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yumyum Oct 24, 2011 at 12:32 AM

Lovely page on Lucerne! Now, where is the one about Zurich ;-)))!!!
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HORSCHECK Oct 16, 2011 at 2:19 AM

Kate, great start about Lucerne here. The strong Swiss Franc has also its affects on tourism, which you obviously recognised. *winkygrin* I am looking forward to seeing more about your latest adventures in Europe.