Old Town Lucerne

Lucerne lies in Central Switzerland at the outflow of the Reuss from Lake Lucerne, surrounded by Pilatus, Rigi, and Titlis. The well-preserved Old Town with Chapel Bridge and Water Tower, and its location between lake and mountains, make the city a fixed point of every Switzerland trip.The approximately 200-meter-long Chapel Bridge from the 14th century is considered Europe's oldest covered wooden bridge. In a fire in August 1993, large parts, along with many of its gable paintings, were destroyed; by April 1994, it had been rebuilt. Next to it stands the octagonal Water Tower, which is older than the bridge and cannot be visited. The Lion Monument from 1821 commemorates the Swiss Guards who fell in Paris during the French Revolution; right next to it is the Glacier Garden. Steamboats are available for trips across the lake.

Central Switzerland around Lake Lucerne is the historic heartland of the Swiss Confederation: Here, Uri, Schwyz, and Unterwalden united in 1291, and the Rütli Meadow lies above Lake Uri. The main town for travelers is Lucerne, with its Old Town on the Reuss River.Around the lake rise panoramic mountains like Pilatus, Rigi, and Titlis, which you reach by cogwheel and cable cars. Boats connect the towns along the shore.

The residential district on the right bank of Lake Zurich stretches from Bellevue to Zürichhorn. Along the lakeside promenade are parks, lidos, and sunbathing lawns, which are well-visited on summer evenings. From the city center, you can reach Seefeld on foot or by tram.

The Old Town lies on both sides of the Limmat, between Hauptbahnhof and Lake Zurich. Left of the river are Lindenhof, St. Peter and Fraumünster; on the right, Niederdorf with its narrow lanes, bars and guild houses around Grossmünster. The largest part is pedestrian zone and can be easily explored in one day.

Zürich, Switzerland's largest city, lies at the northern end of Lake Zurich, where the Limmat flows from the lake. Its medieval Old Town on both sides of the river, lakeside promenades, and a wide array of museums make it a great starting point for any Swiss journey.On the right bank, you'll find the Grossmünster and the Rathaus; on the left, the Fraumünster with Marc Chagall's stained-glass windows, and St. Peter's Church with Europe's largest clock face. Bahnhofstrasse leads from the Hauptbahnhof, the country's largest railway station, to the lake. For a panorama of the city, lake, and, on clear days, the Alps, take the train from Hauptbahnhof up the 870-meter-high Uetliberg.