Switzerland Day 3: Lucerne Sightseeing Travel Guide

Switzerland Day 2: Lucerne Sightseeing

Location: Lucerne, Switzerland

Cost: Lucerne is a place you can walk around and do a free self-guided walking tour easily. There are some you can pay to book, and a castle tour if you can fit it in. We were pleased to do free walking tours and only plan food expenses for the day.

Time: Lucerne is a great stop for a day, or even a half day if you need to spend time traveling. We traveled in the morning by train, arrived late morning, and had a lovely day of Lucerne sightseeing ready for our next stop the following day.

Tip: Eat along the river, it’s a sight you won’t see anywhere else! You may need reservations, so find a place to eat in advance and make sure you reserve a table with a view.

I’m so glad we talked to a few of our jet-setting friends and didn’t just rely on travel books that said Lucerne was only so-so, our friends assured us it was one of the most picturesque, photogenic, beautiful cities in all of Europe. Oh, boy am I glad we listened! Lucerne sightseeing is something we’ll always treasure, and I think I went through an entire memory card this day. Don’t worry, I’ll spare you and I’ve limited the amount I’ve shared.

What makes Lucerne so pretty is the gorgeous river running through the center of town with a medieval bridge full of history. But the historical and colorful buildings certainly are easy on the eyes as well.

I mentioned this in the travel tips section, but make sure you stop for food by the river and can enjoy the views! If you can’t get a restaurant reservation or you’re there at a time that isn’t meal time, at least stop for gelato. Dolce Amore Gelateria is right along the river and has pretty great gelato and hot chocolate with amazing tables out by the river. Our toddler definitely approved, the gelato took us back to our Italian babymoon. I love that Switzerland has so many amazing places and foods to eat, particularly from neighboring countries.

Lucerne Sightseeing

This was one place we clung to the Rick Steve’s Switzerland book (affiliate link) and followed his walking tour exactly. It does an excellent job walking you through the city starting at the train station and circling through the major areas.

We loved the famous bridge. It has amazing murals, some destroyed by a fire, but many well-preserved with history, religion, and even a little mythology mixed in. We had a toddler happily asleep in the stroller even with the bumpy medieval ride. It afforded us a lot of time to look at each one, to read the history, and to even get a few amazing pictures of the city.

We crossed to the other side of the bridge to enjoy more of the city. And loved reading about famous families and touring their businesses. We learned how they’ve contributed to history, searched for famous murals, and found some safe areas to let the little man exit the stroller and run around.

I know he won’t remember this trip, but I hope we have enough pictures of him in these famous places to help him at least think he remembers it, and be grateful that we’ve tried so hard to expose him to culture and history so early.

I’d put this on the must-see list, even if you’re just passing through Switzerland, be sure that at least a few hours include some Lucerne sightseeing!

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