- Lucerne Old Town Hotels -

Destination Lucerne

Nestled between mountains and lake, Lucerne combines the charm of a historic old town with modern cosmopolitan city life. Traditions such as Fasnacht transform the streets into a colourful spectacle, while festivals ranging from classical music to blues fill the city with sound all year round. Boutiques, jewellery and watch shops invite you to stroll around, as do small shops selling regional specialities. Along the promenade, new views open up all the time, and at the famous photo points – from the Chapel Bridge to the Musegg Wall – Lucerne becomes a picture-postcard motif.

History

Lucerne was founded in the Middle Ages around the Benedictine monastery of St. Leodegar and quickly developed into an important trading centre on Lake Lucerne. With its accession to the Swiss Confederation in 1332, the city became part of a new political order and grew into a centre of Central Switzerland. Towers, walls and the famous Chapel Bridge still remind us of this era today. In the 19th century, the emergence of tourism brought international prestige to Lucerne – hotels, promenades and steamboats made the city a popular destination.

Tradition

In Lucerne, tradition is not a relic, but part of everyday life. This is most evident during carnival, when the city is immersed in masks, costumes and music, bringing medieval customs into the present day. Processions, shooting festivals and historical guilds also remind us how closely the city remains connected to its roots. To this day, the guilds own their own houses and play an important role in festivals and events. Customs such as the Alpabzug (cattle drive) and the Yodelling Festival, which connect the city and the countryside culturally, are also cherished.

Lifestyle

Lucerne is romantic, playful, cosmopolitan and yet compact. In the streets and on the lake shore, you can hear languages from all over the world – a reflection of the visitors that our beautiful city has attracted for centuries. International festivals bring music, film and art to the old town. Modern bars and traditional pubs are located close together. The promenades, cafés and lake reflect the city's lifestyle: cosmopolitan, relaxed and always in dialogue between culture and nature.

Tourismus

Located in the heart of Switzerland, Lucerne combines everything our visitors desire: lakes and mountains, history and modernity, culture and festivals, sport and nature. The city welcomes its guests with palpable hospitality – in hotels, at markets, in cafés and on the shores of Lake Lucerne. Lucerne is like a toy shop for tourists: picture-postcard views beckon everywhere, because no other Swiss city has so many iconic photo spots in such a small area as Lucerne. Anyone strolling through the old town or lingering along the promenades will find impressions that will remain in their memory for a long time to come.

Shopping

Shopping in Lucerne has two sides to it: the narrow streets of the old town are lined with small boutiques, confectioners and traditional shops that smell of chocolate, leather and handicrafts. A few steps further on, the shop windows of the large watch and jewellery stores shine, attracting visitors from all over the world. Swiss fashion, international labels and charming speciality shops create a mix that can only be found here – cosmopolitan, but always with the feeling of a compact city where everything is within walking distance.

Our travel tip:
Lucerne guest card

With the Lucerne guest card, as our overnight guest, you can enjoy free use of buses and trains in fare zone 10 in the city of Lucerne, as well as a wide range of discounts for mountain railways, museums and excursions in the Lucerne adventure region and Lake Lucerne. You also have the option of connecting to the Lucerne WiFi network free of charge at selected locations in the city.

Lucerne's most popular photo spots
are right on your hotel's doorstep.

Old Town Lucerne

The old town of Lucerne has retained its medieval character to this day. Narrow streets open up onto squares such as the Weinmarkt or the Kornmarkt, where trade and markets once dominated life. The Musegg Wall rises above the city with its nine towers, some of which are accessible. Numerous fountains, often decorated with painted figures, still provide fresh spring water. Many house facades feature colourful paintings depicting guilds, legends or historical events.

Chapel Bridge

The Chapel Bridge was built around 1365 and is one of the oldest covered wooden bridges in Europe. It crosses the Reuss River diagonally and once connected the town hall square with the new city fortifications on the right bank of the river. Under its roof hang around 100 17th-century panels depicting scenes from the history of the city and Switzerland – a unique testimony to civic memory culture. The octagonal water tower, older than the bridge itself, served over the centuries as a watchtower, prison tower and archive.

Lion Monument

The Lion Monument was created in 1821 in the sandstone rock above the old town. It commemorates the Swiss Guards who lost their lives during the storming of the Tuileries in Paris in 1792 during the French Revolution. The dying lion, designed by sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen and executed by Lukas Ahorn, is considered one of the most moving monuments in Europe. Mark Twain described it as ‘the saddest piece of stone in the world’. Today, the monument is one of Lucerne's most visited sites and is nestled in a small park with a pond.

Lucerne Promenade

The Lucerne waterfront promenade stretches from the railway station via Schweizerhofquai to the Seebad and the Swiss Museum of Transport. Lined with historic buildings, it offers views of Lake Lucerne and the Pilatus and Rigi mountains. Chestnut trees, flower beds and carefully designed grounds give the walk an almost Mediterranean feel. The boat landing stages, from which steamers and excursion boats depart, are popular, as are the benches by the water, which invite you to linger. The promenade combines city life with nature and is considered one of the most beautiful promenades in Switzerland.

Jesuit Church

The Jesuit Church on the left bank of the Reuss was built in 1666 and is considered the first large Baroque church in Switzerland. With its light-coloured façade, twin towers and magnificent interior, it shaped the cityscape and marked the beginning of a new era in sacred architecture. Built on the initiative of the Jesuits, who founded a college in Lucerne, it was a centre of the Counter-Reformation in Central Switzerland. To this day, the church is a venue for church services and concerts and is one of the city's most important buildings.

KKL Lucerne

The Culture and Congress Centre Lucerne, or KKL for short, was designed by French architect Jean Nouvel and opened in 1998. With its striking roof construction and location directly on the lake shore, it is one of Switzerland's most important modern buildings. At its heart is the concert hall with its exceptional acoustics, which sets standards worldwide. In addition to music and culture, the KKL hosts conferences, exhibitions and festivals, including the internationally renowned Lucerne Festival.

Old Town Hotels Lucerne

Old Town Hotel Krone
Weinmarkt 12, Lucerne
T +41 41 419 44 00
info@krone-luzern.ch

Old Town Hotel Magic
Brandgässli 1, Lucerne
T +41 41 417 12 20
mail@magic-hotel.ch

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