Lucerne Travelers Recommend

The lakeside medieval town of Lucerne is a cozy base for trips to Switzerland’s snow-capped Alps and mountain landscapes of the Bernese Oberland. The picture-perfect, orderly town takes to the streets for the March Fasnacht carnival, with lantern parades, costumed revelers, strolling musicians, and fireworks. Lucerne is one of Switzerland’s prettiest destinations, well deserving a day’s exploration of its historic sites. Then head to the hills of the Bernese Oberland and soaring Swiss Alps. Lucerne’s proud symbol is the 14th-century Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrücke) spanning the lake. Seventeenth-century paintings line the interior, and the bridge leads to an eight-sided water tower. The half-timbered medieval buildings of Lucerne’s Old Town are surrounded by rampart walls and watchtowers. The town’s poignant sculpture of a dying lion is unforgettable, and its Picasso Museum is another must-see.