Lucerne Walk, Switzerland

After Brussels, I flew to Switzerland and traveled to Lucerne, where I began the Swiss portion of my trip.

I stayed in Lucerne’s Old Town, but unlike many old towns I had visited elsewhere in Europe, Lucerne felt more modern, with well-maintained historic buildings mixed naturally with newer shops, restaurants, and everyday city life.

I soon came to Lucerne’s famous Chapel Bridge, a historic covered wooden bridge crossing the Reuss River, with its distinctive medieval Water Tower beside it.

Across the Reuss River, I could see the beautiful Jesuit Church, with its distinctive twin towers rising above Lucerne’s waterfront.

I am on the Rathaussteg.  It is a pedestrian bridge crossing the Reuss River in the heart of Lucerne, near the historic Town Hall. It provides beautiful views of the river, Old Town, and surrounding waterfront.

A view behind me

The Jesuit Church of Lucerne, completed in the 17th century, was the first large Baroque church built in Switzerland. Standing directly beside the Reuss River, it is known for its distinctive twin onion-domed towers and richly decorated interior.

A peek into one of the charming side streets of Lucerne’s Old Town.

The Reussbrücke is a bridge crossing the Reuss River in central Lucerne, connecting parts of the Old Town and offering attractive views along the historic riverfront.

A view toward the Chapel Bridge

From the bridge, I walked back along the river toward the Jesuit Church of Lucerne.

Inside the Jesuit Church of Lucerne

Unlike many other European churches I visited, the interior of the Jesuit Church of Lucerne felt especially bright and airy, with delicate, flower-like Baroque decorations throughout.

The Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrücke) is Lucerne’s most famous landmark and one of Europe’s oldest surviving covered wooden bridges. Originally built in the 14th century, it crosses the Reuss River diagonally and once formed part of Lucerne’s medieval defenses.

Beside the bridge stands the distinctive octagonal Water Tower (Wasserturm), which is actually older than the bridge and has served as a watchtower, treasury, archive, and prison. Much of the Chapel Bridge was destroyed by a fire in 1993, but it was quickly reconstructed. Today, the bridge and Water Tower together are the best-known symbols of Lucerne.

Halfway across the Chapel Bridge, I turned around and walked back.

I continued walking through Lucerne’s Old Town and eventually reached the Rosengart Collection (Sammlung Rosengart).

The Rosengart Collection (Sammlung Rosengart) is an art museum in central Lucerne featuring an important collection of 20th-century modern art. It is especially known for its extensive works by Pablo Picasso and Paul Klee.  The collection was assembled by art dealer Siegfried Rosengart and his daughter Angela.

I will have a separate blog about the Rosengart Collection, so here I will show only sample paintings from the museum.

Just next to Lucerne’s Old Town is the more modern part of the city, where Lucerne’s main train station is located.

The Seebrücke is a major bridge at the point where Lake Lucerne flows into the Reuss River. From the bridge, there are beautiful views of the lake, Old Town, Chapel Bridge, and surrounding mountains.

Now I was on the other side of the Chapel Bridge, looking back toward Lucerne’s Old Town across the Reuss River.

I continued walking into the narrow streets of Lucerne’s Old Town.

These photos were taken with my phone camera on different days during my stay in Lucerne.