Things to do · Lucerne · Switzerland
18 best things to do in Lucerne
18 sights and experiences ranked for a first visit, with honest notes on time, cost and crowds.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Gürkan Sengün, Public domain
Quick answer
The essential sights in Lucerne are Kapellbrücke (Chapel Bridge), Lion Monument and Mount Pilatus Golden Round Trip. Of the 18 picks below, 8 are free, 7 work on a rainy day and 7 suit children. Allow about 3 days to see the highlights without rushing.
Key facts
- Top sight
- Kapellbrücke (Chapel Bridge)
- Free sights
- 8
- Good on a rainy day
- Swiss Museum of Transport
- Time to see the highlights
- 3 days
At a glance
| Sight | Area | Time needed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kapellbrücke (Chapel Bridge) | Old Town | 20–30 minutes | Free |
| Lion Monument | Wesemlin | 15–20 minutes | Free |
| Mount Pilatus Golden Round Trip | Pilatus | Full day | Expensive |
| Lake Lucerne boat trip | Lake Lucerne | 1–5 hours | Mid-priced |
| Swiss Museum of Transport | Lido | Half a day | Expensive |
| Weinmarkt, Kornmarkt and the old town | Old Town | 1–2 hours | Free |
| Musegg Wall and towers | Old Town | 1 hour | Free |
| Spreuer Bridge | Old Town | 15–20 minutes | Free |
| Jesuit Church | Old Town | 20 minutes | Free |
| Church of St. Leodegar (Hofkirche) | Hof | 30 minutes | Free |
| KKL Luzern and Kunstmuseum Luzern | Station | 1–2 hours | Mid-priced |
| Rosengart Collection | Neustadt | 1.5 hours | Mid-priced |
| Bourbaki Panorama | Löwenplatz | 1 hour | Mid-priced |
| Glacier Garden | Löwenplatz | 1–1.5 hours | Mid-priced |
| Richard Wagner Museum, Tribschen | Tribschen | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Gütsch viewpoint and funicular | Bruch | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Ufschötti and lake swimming | Tribschen | 2–3 hours | Free |
| Natur-Museum Luzern | Old Town | 1–1.5 hours | Low cost |
The 18 best things to do
Landmark · Old Town
1.Kapellbrücke (Chapel Bridge)
The covered wooden footbridge crossing the Reuss at an angle dates from the 14th century and is the city's emblem, with the octagonal stone Water Tower standing in the river beside it. Triangular 17th-century paintings of Lucerne's history hang under the roof; many were lost in a fire in 1993, and the bridge was rebuilt within a year.
Walk it early in the morning, then view it from the Rathausquai or the Seebrücke to get the bridge and the Water Tower in one frame.
- Time needed
- 20–30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- History
- Photo spot
- Couples
Landmark · Wesemlin
2.Lion Monument
A dying lion carved into a sandstone cliff above a small pond commemorates the Swiss Guards killed defending the Tuileries Palace in Paris in 1792. Designed by Bertel Thorvaldsen and completed in 1821, it is one of the most moving monuments in Switzerland and a ten-minute walk from the old town.
Combine it with the Glacier Garden and the Bourbaki Panorama, both within a few minutes' walk.
- Time needed
- 15–20 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Iconic
- Art
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Nature · Pilatus
3.Mount Pilatus Golden Round Trip
The classic loop takes a boat from Lucerne to Alpnachstad, the cogwheel railway (with gradients of up to 48%) up to Pilatus Kulm at about 2,100 metres, then aerial cableways and gondolas down to Kriens and a city bus back. The summit has short trails to viewpoints over Lake Lucerne and the Alps.
The cogwheel railway runs only in the warmer half of the year; in winter, go up and down by cableway from Kriens.
- Time needed
- Full day
- Cost
- Expensive
- Book ahead
- Reserve cogwheel seats in summer, when midday departures from Alpnachstad fill up.
- Iconic
- Views
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Nature
Experience · Lake Lucerne
4.Lake Lucerne boat trip
The Lake Lucerne Navigation Company sails from the piers in front of the station, including five historic paddle steamers. Short round trips cover the city bay, while longer routes reach Weggis, Vitznau, Brunnen and Flüelen on the Lake Uri arm, where the shoreline turns into steep fjord-like cliffs.
Swiss Travel Pass and Half Fare Card holders travel free or at a discount on scheduled boats; check before buying a separate cruise ticket.
- Time needed
- 1–5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Couples
- Kids
- Views
- Outdoors
Museum · Lido
5.Swiss Museum of Transport
The Verkehrshaus covers Swiss rail, road, air, water and space travel with real locomotives, planes, cable cars and simulators, plus a planetarium, a large-format cinema and the Swiss Chocolate Adventure ride. It sits on the lakeshore about 25 minutes' walk east of the centre, with its own boat pier and S-Bahn stop.
Arrive by lake steamer from the station piers to turn the journey into part of the outing.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Expensive
- Kids
- Rainy day
- History
Neighbourhood · Old Town
6.Weinmarkt, Kornmarkt and the old town
Lucerne's medieval centre is a compact loop of painted façades around Weinmarkt, Hirschenplatz and Kornmarkt, where the Renaissance town hall stands by the river. On Tuesday and Saturday mornings a produce market sets up along the Reuss quays under the arcades.
Look up: the most elaborate frescoes are on the upper floors around Weinmarkt and Hirschenplatz.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- History
- Shopping
- Photo spot
Historic site · Old Town
7.Musegg Wall and towers
About 870 metres of the medieval city wall still run along the hill above the old town, with nine towers. Several can be climbed for free in the warmer months, including the Zyt Tower, whose clock is the oldest in the city and traditionally strikes a minute before the others. The views reach over the rooftops to the lake and Pilatus.
Enter at the eastern end near the Wacht Tower and walk west, finishing near the Spreuer Bridge.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- History
- Active
- Kids
Landmark · Old Town
8.Spreuer Bridge
Lucerne's second covered wooden bridge crosses the Reuss downstream next to the needle dam that regulates the lake level. Under its roof hangs a 17th-century Dance of Death cycle by Kaspar Meglinger, a series of painted panels in which Death visits people of every rank.
It is far quieter than the Kapellbrücke, so take your time with the paintings.
- Time needed
- 15–20 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Art
- Off the beaten path
Religious site · Old Town
1.Jesuit Church
Built in the second half of the 17th century on the left bank of the Reuss, this was the first large Baroque church in Switzerland. The white-and-gold stucco interior with its pink marble-effect columns is a short detour from the Kapellbrücke, and the onion-domed towers frame classic river views.
Visit outside service times and step onto the riverside terrace outside for a view back across to the old town.
- Time needed
- 20 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- Rainy day
- History
Religious site · Hof
2.Church of St. Leodegar (Hofkirche)
Lucerne's main church, with twin pointed towers above the lakefront, was rebuilt in Renaissance style after a fire in 1633. Inside are carved altars and a large historic organ, and the arcaded cemetery around it holds old family tombs.
It is a five-minute walk from the Lion Monument, so link the two on the way back to the lake.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- History
- Rainy day
Architecture · Station
3.KKL Luzern and Kunstmuseum Luzern
Jean Nouvel's culture and congress centre beside the station has a vast cantilevered roof reaching out over the lake and a concert hall famed for its acoustics. It is the main venue of Lucerne Festival, and the Kunstmuseum Luzern on the top floor shows Swiss art and contemporary exhibitions.
Even without a ticket, walk under the roof at the water's edge for a view of the old town across the bay.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Architecture
- Art
- Rainy day
- After dark
Gallery · Neustadt
4.Rosengart Collection
In a former bank building on Pilatusstrasse, the Rosengart family's collection holds a large group of works by Picasso and Paul Klee, plus paintings by Cézanne, Monet, Matisse, Chagall and Miró. There is also a series of photographs of Picasso at work by David Douglas Duncan.
Start with the Klee rooms downstairs, which are often quieter than the Picasso galleries.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
Museum · Löwenplatz
5.Bourbaki Panorama
A 360-degree painting more than 100 metres long, by Edouard Castres, shows the French Army of the East under General Bourbaki crossing into Switzerland in winter 1871 to be interned. It is one of the few surviving panoramas of its kind and an early depiction of humanitarian aid by the Red Cross.
Use the audio commentary; it explains scenes in the painting you would otherwise miss.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Art
- Rainy day
Museum · Löwenplatz
6.Glacier Garden
Next to the Lion Monument, the Gletschergarten preserves glacial potholes and fossils from the Ice Age and a time when the area had a subtropical coast. A small museum explains the geology, and the 19th-century mirror maze in Moorish style is a favourite with children.
Climb the garden's lookout tower for a view over the rooftops towards the lake.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Nature
- History
Museum · Tribschen
7.Richard Wagner Museum, Tribschen
Richard Wagner lived in this lakeside villa from 1866 to 1872 and wrote parts of his later operas here. Rooms display letters, scores and instruments, and the surrounding park slopes down to the water about 25 minutes' walk from the station along the shore.
Bring a picnic for the meadow in front of the villa, one of the calmest spots on the lakeshore.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Couples
- Off the beaten path
Viewpoint · Bruch
8.Gütsch viewpoint and funicular
A short funicular from Baselstrasse climbs to the turreted Château Gütsch hotel, where a terrace looks over the Musegg Wall, the old town and the lake towards Rigi. Woodland paths continue along the hillside for longer walks.
Ride up and walk back down the forest path at sunset.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Views
- Couples
- Photo spot
Waterfront · Tribschen
9.Ufschötti and lake swimming
The Ufschötti is a free lakeside lawn with a shallow gravel shore between the KKL and Tribschen, where locals swim and barbecue on summer evenings. For more facilities, the Lido Luzern near the Museum of Transport is a paid lakeside bathing area with lawns and a sandy beach.
Lake water is usually warm enough for swimming from about late June to early September.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Kids
- Active
Museum · Old Town
10.Natur-Museum Luzern
The city's natural history museum near Kasernenplatz covers local animals, minerals and Alpine habitats, with hands-on displays and some live animals aimed at children. It is small enough for a rainy morning and sits just across the Spreuer Bridge.
Pair it with the neighbouring Historical Museum if older children want more.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Nature
Pick by interest
| Interest | Best picks |
|---|---|
| Art and museums | Lion Monument, Swiss Museum of Transport, Spreuer Bridge and KKL Luzern and Kunstmuseum Luzern |
| History | Kapellbrücke (Chapel Bridge), Lion Monument, Swiss Museum of Transport and Weinmarkt, Kornmarkt and the old town |
| Views | Mount Pilatus Golden Round Trip, Lake Lucerne boat trip, Musegg Wall and towers and Gütsch viewpoint and funicular |
| Outdoors and nature | Mount Pilatus Golden Round Trip, Lake Lucerne boat trip, Glacier Garden and Ufschötti and lake swimming |
| After dark | KKL Luzern and Kunstmuseum Luzern |
| With children | Swiss Museum of Transport, Mount Pilatus Golden Round Trip, Lake Lucerne boat trip and Musegg Wall and towers |
| On a rainy day | Swiss Museum of Transport, Jesuit Church, Church of St. Leodegar (Hofkirche) and KKL Luzern and Kunstmuseum Luzern |
What to book ahead
- Mount Pilatus Golden Round Trip: Reserve cogwheel seats in summer, when midday departures from Alpnachstad fill up.
Plan the rest of your trip
Questions travellers ask
+What is the number one thing to do in Lucerne?
Kapellbrücke (Chapel Bridge). The covered wooden footbridge crossing the Reuss at an angle dates from the 14th century and is the city's emblem, with the octagonal stone Water Tower standing in the river beside it.
+What can you do for free in Lucerne?
Kapellbrücke (Chapel Bridge), Lion Monument, Weinmarkt, Kornmarkt and the old town, Musegg Wall and towers and Spreuer Bridge. More free things to do.
+What is there to do in Lucerne when it rains?
Head indoors to Swiss Museum of Transport, Jesuit Church, Church of St. Leodegar (Hofkirche) and KKL Luzern and Kunstmuseum Luzern.
+What is there to do in Lucerne at night?
KKL Luzern and Kunstmuseum Luzern are best after dark.