9/28/2019. Lucerne, Switzerland

9/28/19, Saturday, Day 4 Lucerne, Switzerland. Total days 33  Ave. temp 63 high 48 low.  Daily mean 50 47% rain

• Accommodations: Ameron Hotel Flora or similar Included Meals: Breakfast

PHONE SAYS 6.9 MILES, 16,698 STEPS 28 FLOORS!!!  

The first place I visited on Saturday morning was a market with bread, cheese, flowers, fruits and vegetables, etc for sale.  Everything looked appealing.    

Spreuer Bridge/Spreuerbrucke is another covered wooden footbridge crossing the Reuss River in Lucerne.  Inside each section, the peak of the footbridge is decorated with forty-five 17th-century paintings depicting a Danse Macabre-style (Dance of Death) about mortality and human existence.  Skeletons, priests, courtiers, and angels are in scenes.  This bridge is between Kasernenplatz and the Muhlenplatz. 

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

I started out by the river at that round building with the red pointed roof to the left of the picture.  I walked up a lot of steps to get to the base of the first tower which is near the center of the picture.   

I climbed up five stories in the first tower and then I had to go back down the way I came up because I couldn’t get out on the wall to go to the next tower as I thought I would be able to. . .   Yes I was winded after the climb up from the river to the tower base and then five stories in the tower.  Originally, these towers would have been considered castles.  They had one room on each level and defense was quite easy.  

The clock on the Zyt Tower dates from 1535 and is the town’s oldest clock.  On the hour, it chimes one minute before all the other clocks in town. Inside the tower the clock works are visible.  

These are the workings of the clock tower which you will see below.

Lake Lucerne is Switzerland's fourth-largest lake.  

The Rathaus (original town hall) in Lucerne was built 17th-Century.  It now has a brewery and pub.  You can have a beer, Weisswurst (spiced white sausage) or Luzerner Kasekuchen (a cheese tart).  I went there today for a beer, but they were at capacity.  The current Town Hall is across the river.  

Saturday Market

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

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.  I missed this too.

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

I started out by the river at that round building with the red pointed roof to the left of the above picture.  I walked up a lot of steps to get to the base of the first tower which is near the center of the picture. Steps pictured below.  

The steps I climbed to get to the base of the first tower.  

I climbed up five stories in the first tower and then I had to go back down the way I came up because I couldn’t get out on the wall to go to the next tower as I thought I would be able to. . .   Yes I was winded after the climb up from the river to the tower base and then five stories in the tower.  Originally, this would have been considered a castle.  They had one room on each level and defense was quite easy.  

View from a tower including the Spreuer Bridge/Spreuerbrucke.  

Another view from the tower.  

Cows along the wall in town of Lucerne

At the second tower, I met some nice Canadians and we pondered climbing the second tower.  There  was no way of knowing if we could get out on the wall so we didn’t climb it.  That was lucky because we skipped two more before we found one that got us on the wall.    

Walkway between towers.  

Three of the towers on the wall.

Clock Tower The clock on the Zyt  Tower dates from 1535 and is the town’s oldest clock.  On the hour, it chimes one minute before all the other clocks in town.

The clock tower has clock works inside which are pictured at the top of this post.  .

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.  We drove by Mount Pilatus.  

NO Take a 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.