Lucerne Switzerland

Aside from being the spot where William Tell allegedly demonstrated his archery skills by nearly decapitating his son (and, fortunately, hitting a carefully balanced apple instead), Lucerne has few claims to fame that stretch beyond picturesque, old-world beauty and a truly striking location. In travel, of course, location is everything, and most people who drop in on this town do so with the intention of strapping on their hiking boots or kitting up their mountain bike before heading for the hills. Lucerne has plenty of its own charms, though, most of them in the pure ‘Swiss village-ness’ of it all. The impressive Chapel Bridge has become a symbol of Lucerne, though the version you’ll find now is a replacement for the original, which burnt down in 1993. Inside the delicate wooden struts of the structure you’ll find images of 12th century life in Lucerne, a charming taste of local history.

Elsewhere you’ll find most eyes are on the mountains: Lucerne has its own glacier gardens, alpine flower garden and boat tours that head to the base of the nearby mountains and provide impressive, close up panoramas. Mount Pilatus is so close to the town that it seems to almost hover over the center, and can be ascended by breathtakingly steep cog railway for still more intense panoramas. If you do manage to avoid the draw of the mountains for a day or two, Lucerne’s compact old town is a maze of delicate passageways that seem to have changed little over the years, as well as being home to an artistic bent – many of the walls are coated in color, with local artists depicting anything from rural scenes to offbeat, colorful modern art.