There is no other place in the world that spells Paradise more than Switzerland. I did hear it from lots of people, but when I experienced it firsthand, I got to know how true it actually was.
Travelling to Switzerland is like living a fairytale. Gorgeous massive mountains crowned with snowy peaks and crystal blue lake at its feet. Lush green surroundings, cute little houses. Simply put, Switzerland is a beautifully painted scenery coming to reality.
Although it is a big country and there are lots and lots of places to see, we had just 3 nights in our itinerary, so we chose to travel to Lucerne. Why? Let me tell you!
Is Luzern(aka Lucerne) Worth Visiting?
Lucerne town might not be one of the most popular cities of Switzerland like Zurich or Geneva, however, it certainly is a place you must visit once in your lifetime. And, the reasons are plenty!
1. For Its Panoramic Vibe
Lucerne is embraced by the lofty snowy Swiss mountains and surrounded by the gorgeous Lucerne lake. Just a stroll around this beautiful city is magical. Every monument, building or hotel in Lucerne town is therapy for the eyes. You can visit this city just for its overall vibe. If you don’t even go out or do any typical Lucerne sightseeing, you can easily spend 3 nights here, enjoying every bit of it.
2. Its Proximity To The Most Beautiful Swiss Villages
The location of Lucerne town takes the cake if you want to visit a few of the most beautiful villages of Switzerland such as Interlaken or Lauterbrunnen. Most of them are just an hour train ride away from Lucerne; quite conveniently doable.
3. To Enjoy A Calm & Slow Holiday
Lucerne is a relatively small city. All the sightseeing spots are walkable and can be done conveniently in a day. So, here, you can enjoy a very relaxing vacation- taking walks around the lake, feeding the ducks, sitting for hours enjoying the scenic views of the city, spending time in one of the cafes near the Chapel bridge. No rush, simply taking in the fresh air and the lovely vibe of this city.
4. Lucerne Sightseeing
Despite being a small city, there are several things to do in Lucerne and even around it. Beautiful sights, fun activities, day trips and what not. I will tell you things that you must do in Lucerne, places to visit & more later in this blog.
But first, certain tips that you should keep in mind if you are travelling to Switzerland & planning Lucerne travel for the first time.
What is the best month to visit Lucerne, Switzerland?
Summer is undoubtedly the best season to visit Switzerland and Lucerne is no exception. The best time to travel to Lucerne is between the months of April to October. It is snowy as well as sunny, no rains and everything is all green and gorgeous.
We went in the middle of April, so it was slightly rainy that time and even quite chilly. I would suggest if you are planning to visit Lucerne, then maybe the beginning of May till October would be the best time for you.
How To Get To Lucerne?
Lucerne does not have its own airport. The best option is to take a flight to either Zurich or Geneva and then take a train to Lucerne from there.
From Zurich, the train ride is just an hour or so and from Geneva it would take you 3-4 hours to reach Lucerne town.
Buying The Swiss Pass
The first and foremost thing to do as soon as you reach Switzerland is buy a Swiss Pass. Although it is quite expensive, it is surely worth it as all the train rides across Switzerland are free, public transport is free, several boat cruises are included and so are many mountain excursions. You even get a discount on Mount Titlis tickets among others.
So, if you are planning to buy a Swiss pass, do it from the airport itself. This way, your train ride to Lucerne will get automatically included in the pass.
How many days are enough in Lucerne?
If you ask me, you can never get enough of this incredibly beautiful city, but if you want to enjoy the vibe of the city and even do the sightseeing, then you would need a minimum of 3 days.
Things To Do In Lucerne – A 3-Day Guide
Day 1- Lucerne Sightseeing
The places to see in and around Lucerne can be done quite easily in one day. Everything is pretty nearby and walkable too. Moreover, there are buses for every route in Lucerne, which are absolutely free (even if you do not have a pass, the hotel provides you with a pass to use the public buses).
- Sleeping Lion Monument
This was our first stop as it was super close to our hotel (hardly a 5-min walk). The Lion Monument is indeed a beautiful work of art. It’s a monument of a dying lion crafted in a sandstone cliff. It holds a deep emotional significance as this lion symbolises courage and sacrifice. The sculpture, its intricacies, the art and emotions it reflects can mesmerise anyone. Moreover, the surroundings are also so peaceful & serene – pond and greenery, you can sit here for hours & enjoy the serene atmosphere.
- Lucerne Lake
Next up in our things to do in Lucerne list was Lucerne Lake. Surrounded by snowy mountains on all sides, it is a sight to behold. Simply sitting there and enjoying the view is an experience of its kind. There are even some stairs around the lake, where you can feed the ducks. If you wish, you can even take a walk around the lake & revel in nature at its finest.
- Chapel Bridge
The iconic Kapellbrücke or Chapel Bridge is the highlight of Lucerne town. Once destroyed completely in fire in 1993, this wooden bridge was rebuilt and restored. It’s completely made of wood, it’s unique and houses paintings dating back to the 17th Century. Being one of the oldest bridges in Europe, visiting it is a must-do in Lucerne.
- Mount Rigi
Mountain railway trip to Mount Rigi is another thing that we did on our first day in Lucerne. As this trip is completely covered by Swiss Pass, we figured why not make the most of it and take a ride on the cog-wheels train to Rigi Kulm.
Mount Rigi is open all year round. So, when we went there was lots and lots of snow. We could not although enjoy the views as it was all snow clad, but the experience was certainly worth it.
To get to Mount Rigi, we took a boat cruise from Lucerne Lake to Vitznau and then from Vitznau we took a cog wheel train to Rigi Kulm. Vitznau to Rigi Kulm hardly takes 30 minutes.
The mountains offer a Panoramic view if you go in a perfect summer season and there you can enjoy mineral baths, spas, mountain excursions and more.
Day 2 – Exploring The Surrounding Villages
Our second day was all about exploring the small villages around Lucerne. Getting to these villages is super convenient as the connectivity of Swiss trains is amazing.
- Interlaken
A trip from Lucerne to Interlaken should be on your to-do list when you visit Lucerne as you get the chance to travel in the beautiful Golden Pass Train Line enjoying the beautiful Swiss landscapes.
However, we did not take the entire trip from Lucerne to Interlaken by train. We took the train from Lucerne to Brienz as it comes in the route of the Golden Pass line as well. Then we took the boat cruise from Lake Brienz to Interlaken; it was the best decision we ever made!
Lake Brienz is a lake formed from the glacier particles of the snowy Swiss mountains. It is crystal blue and it is downright gorgeous. Cruising through the lake was such a one of its kind experience.
After reaching Interlaken, we just walked its pristine clean streets, explored the markets and relaxed in its lush green gardens. Paragliding is one activity you should try here, if you are up for it!
- Grindelwald
From Interlaken a bus goes to Grindelwald every 30 minutes (which are again included in the Swiss Pass. You can hop onto any bus and reach there within half an hour.
The village of Grindelwald is a beauty of its kind. Such lofty mountains and just right there in front of you. It’s a small village with few shops and open cafes, where you can enjoy the most popular Swiss fondue, savouring the food as well as the view.
- Lauterbrunnen
Lauterbrunnen is another gorgeous village which is just a 30-minute bus ride away from Grindelwald. Although the villages of Switzerland are all scenic, every village is different in its own way.
The highlight of Lauterbrunnen is its waterfalls – you can find crystal clear streams of water all around the village. It is rightly called the valley of 72 waterfalls! Embraced by waterfalls, lush greenery and steep cliffs, visiting Lauterbrunnen should be a must-do in your list.
Day 3 – Mount Titlis
There are many places to see around Lucerne, but Mount Titlis was one of our must-do places in Lucerne. And it takes around half a day for this mountain tour. So, we kept the last day just for Mount Titlis. The Mount Titlis tour is not included in the Swiss Pass but we got a discount on the entry ticket.
So, our day started with us taking a train from Lucerne to Engelberg. From Engelberg, we got into a cable car which took us to Mount Titlis and it was an exhilarating experience. The view from the cable car was to die for, and we could not wait to get on top of the Titlis mountain.
After reaching we spent two hours doing various activities and visiting the glacier cave. If you are going to Switzerland, a trip to Mount Titlis is simply unmissable!
There are many other things to do in Lucerne if you have more time such as Mount Pilatus tour or visiting certain museums. But, I guess 3 days are enough to visit places in and around Lucerne along with enjoying a relaxing holiday. Do let me know your take!