9/25/2019. Arrival in Lucerne, Switzerland

 9/25/2019 Lucerne Day 1, Total travel days 30

GCT and my notes are at the end of this post.

Phone says 17,668 steps, 6.7 miles and 5 floors climbed.

My train trip was uneventful, but very crowded.  I easily walked the three blocks to the hotel with my suitcase as it was level and smooth sidewalk along the way.

All is well in Lucerne, Switzerland.  I love this town, but it is every bit as expensive as Zurich.  Looking forward to the all inclusiveness of the river boat.  2 CHF to go to the bathroom = $2.  McDonald’s meals are $8.00 or more.   No, I did not eat there, but I was curious about the prices.  An average lunch is equal to $20 and dinner is $40.

I was able to leave my things in my room at 1:00 and go exploring.  I found a grocery store, the historic district and walked along the lake. I think I might go exploring tomorrow so I got some things I can take for lunch.   I enjoyed sitting on a bench by the lake taking in the view of the lake and the mountains.  It is lovely in Lucerne and it is not crowded here today.  The population is 50,000 compared to Zurich which has 40,000 students and the total population is over 415,000.

My guide, Johannes is a “hippie-type”.  I like him, he has been attentive and helpful.  He offered three neighborhood tours and I went at 5:00.  He walked us around the block to money machines, a pharmacy, groceries, and food options.  The nearby railroad station has a mall underneath and offers everything I could possibly need.

Lucerne is known for its medieval architecture and is located between the mountains and a lake.  It has a fairytale appearance.  Lucerne's Old Town has elaborately decorated buildings, especially notice the frescoes.  Look for Pfistern Guildhouse (Kornmarkt 4, Lucerne), the Hotel des Balances (Weinmarkt, Lucerne, the Restaurant Fritschi (Sternplatz 5, Lucerne) and check out St. Peter's Chapel on the Kapellplatz. There are many beautiful buildings.  

In Lucerne, along the Reuss River.

Medieval Half-Timbered House

St. Leodegar (1639), a monastery and a parish church since 1874.

Altar in St. Leogegar

Former City Hall/Rathaus is the building with the flags.

Wassertum Water Tower, has been a prison, used for torture, & served as the treasury.  It is along the Chapel Bridge, a covered wooden footbridge that diagonally crosses the Reuss River.  

Lake Lucerne and the Alps

Paintings in the peak depict stories of Lucerne's historical battles.  The bridge is the oldest surviving truss bridge, it linked the old town with the new town.  

Old Town

View from my bench, Lake Lucerne and the Alps in the distance.

Jesuit Church

Chateau Gutsch, remodeled to this look in 1901 & again 2014,  Guests over 130 years

 Hotel Schweizerhof, over 150 yrs old

      

Train Station in City Center.  Domestic and international traffic.  This is all that remains of the original facade.  

Many restaurants serve patrons on the waterfront of the River Reuss.  

Kornmarkt (Grain market), (1356)

Middle Ages Town Hall built 1602-06.  Couples are married here.  Town Hall is across the river now.  Designed so doves can roost in the attic now.

Grand Hotel National, (1870), Baroque and neo-Renassance architecture

Grand Casino Luzurn (1882) neo-Baroque, French Renaissance architecture

Art Deco (1909-1910), palatial style, Also Home of Swiss School of Hotel Management

Lucerne, Switzerland

4 NIGHTS PRE-TRIP

"Discover the beauty of Lucerne, Switzerland, set on the shores of Lake Lucerne with stunning views of the Alps. Enjoy four nights in this center of Swiss culture and wander the narrow cobblestone streets—admiring the spires, turrets, covered bridges, and fountains for which the city is famous."

INCLUDED IN YOUR PRICE

Accommodations for 4 nights

Daily breakfasts

Included tour with personal headsets: Lucerne

Pre-TRIP EXTENSION ITINERARY

Dedicated services of a local Program Director

Gratuities for local guides and motorcoach drivers

All transfers

9/25/2019  Wednesday  Day 2 Arrive Lucerne, Switzerland 33 miles from Zurich  Ave. 63 high 48 low 47% rain

• Accommodations: Ameron Hotel Flora, Siedenhofstrasse 5, 6002 Luzern Switzerland. Call 41 41 227 6666

We had a meeting to go over the agenda for the next four days.  I like the organization GCT offers.  

TOUR INFO "A Grand Circle representative will meet you at the airport and assist with the transfer to your hotel in Lucerne. (Depending on your arrival time and hotel check-in policy, you may not be able to check into your hotel room immediately upon arrival at your hotel. Your Program Director will advise you of our check-in status and activity schedule for the day when you arrive.)

You may want to stroll across Lucerne’s trademark Chapel Bridge (where the Reuss River leaves Lake Lucerne) and admire its paintings of old battles. Or wander through the adjacent quaint quarters with their maze of narrow, winding streets.

The balance of the day is at leisure to relax after your overseas flight. You can also do some exploring on your own, or join an orientation walk to get acquainted with the vicinity around your hotel.

This evening, join your fellow travelers for a Welcome Drink."

My INFO Lucerne is known for its medieval architecture and is located between the mountains and a lake.  It has a fairytale appearance.  Explore Lucerne's Old Town.  You will find elaborately decorated buildings, especially notice the frescoes.  Look for Pfistern Guildhouse (Kornmarkt 4, Lucerne), the Hotel des Balances (Weinmarkt, Lucerne, the Restaurant Fritschi (Sternplatz 5, Lucerne) and check out St. Peter's Chapel on the Kapellplatz.  There are trolleybuses and motor buses to get around the city.  

Lake Lucerne is Switzerland's fourth-largest lake.  

The Rathaus (town hall) in Lucerne was built 17th-Century.  It now has its very own brewery and pub.  You can have a beer, Weisswurst (spiced white sausage) or Luzerner Kasekuchen (a cheese tart).

Kapellbrucke/Chapel Bridge is an iconic site.  This (204m/669ft) old wooden footbridge is the oldest one of its kind in Europe with decorative paintings all along the inside walls.  It is especially beautiful at night.  

Spreuer Bridge/Spreuerbrucke is another covered wooden footbridge.  Inside, the footbridge is decorated with forty-five 17th-century paintings depicting a Danse Macabre-style (Dance of Death) about mortality and human existence.  You will see skeletons, priests, courtiers, and angels in scenes.  This bridge is between Kasernenplatz and the Muhlenplatz.  

Lion of Lucerne is a memorial to the hundreds of Swiss mercenaries that were killed in 1792 while fighting for King Louis XVI during the French Revolution.  The dying lion was carved into a rock at the park near Lowenplatz.

Glacier Garden has glacial potholes that have been traced back to the Ice Age.  Gletschergarten Luzern, Denkmalstrasse.

Chateau Gutsch is a turn-of-the-century hotel that can be reached by climbing a long staircase.  You will enjoy a great view of the city and Lake Lucerne. The bar alone is worth the climb.  

NO Nuclear Bunker tour that was built in the 60s and 70s.  It can be accessed from the Sonnenberg highway tunnel. The Sonnenberg Bunker could shelter 20,000 residents if there was a nuclear attack.  Tours are available on the last Sunday, but we are there on Saturday. 

The Museggmauer and its nine towers date back to the 14th-century.  They are remnants of the old wall that surrounded the city.  Four towers are open to the public.   

Mount Pilatus offers the best views of Lucerne and can be reached by gondola or cable car. You can count 72 other mountain peaks on a clear day.