Luzern is the heart of central Switzerland. The mountains surrounding it may not be as high as those of the Bernese Oberland, and it may not cater to the jet set tourists as well as Gstaad and St. Moritz, but the town and the surrounding villages exude a picture book quality not found elsewhere. It was near here at the Rutli Meadow on the shores of Lake Luzern that Swiss democracy came into being in 1307. And it was on Lake Luzern that William Tell became a hero of Swiss freedom. One of the most impressive monuments to Swiss courage is Luzern's Lowendenkmal, the Lion Monument, a fallen lion carved out of the living sandstone cliff in the 19th century. The statue commemorates the Swiss soldiers who died defending King Louis XVI during the French revolution. Translated from the Latin, the inscription reads, "To the bravery and fidelity of the Swiss." The city of Luzern is located at the point where the River Reuss flows out of Lake Luzern. Because the water is so important to the city, it is not surprising that the city has preserved its bridges. The Spreuerbrucke, or Chaff Bridge, was constructed in 1408. On the interior are 17th-century Medieval-style paintings that tell the story of the 14-century plague. The Kapellbrucke (Chapel Bridge) is almost 100 years older than the Chaff Bridge. Unfortunately, more than three-quarters of the bridge was burned in the 1990s. What the visitor sees now is a reproduction of the bridge and its 17th-century paintings depicting Swiss history. The Swiss, of course, are famous for their clocks. Luzern's Zytturm (Time Tower) holds a working clock that was made in Basel in 1385. The Gletschergarten (Glacier garden) contains 32 glacial "potholes," some of which are 30 feet wide and nearly as deep. These are relics of the time when glaciers covered much of the Swiss countryside. A museum at the site holds a famous relief map of the Alps built during the 1700s. Dominating the scenery around Lake Luzern is the 7,000-foot Mt. Pilatus. Visitors today can take a cable car to the top and enjoy spectacular views. |
