It's one of many hidden squares that is worth seeking out when walking through the Old Town of…read moreLucerne. We just happened to spot it on our first day of exploration. It's also where you'll find the Stadtkeller and Restaurant Fritschi. Both restaurants are tucked away inside this historical square. It is thought that the name comes from the 5 streets that intersect it. Although, it's not necessarily star shaped, or is it? I did see the painted star in the square which makes the naming of it legit. I think it's more memorable for the colorful frescoes on the historic buildings. The carnival mural is unique. I think it's the most vibrant mural seen during our stay. There is another beautiful mural that's part of the Stadtkeller Restaurant. It's traditionally decorated with a painted portrait of a family on a balcony. It's a warm & welcoming theme to Star Square, and serves the restaurant well as a backdrop. Just let the streets of Old Town guide you to all of its hidden treasures. You'll find many discoveries along the way.

Yelp Review 2026 #88:…read more Located along Reuss River connecting old town and new town Luzern, Chapel Bridge or Kapellbrücke. It's iconic because when you look up "Lucerne" on Google, a picture of this bridge pops up. It was built in the 1300s and is the oldest covered wooden bridge in Europe. When you through the bridge, you'll see paintings of Swiss history. A fire in 1993 burnt the bridge but it was reconstructed and re-opened a year later. The Water Tower at the end of this bridge was once a prison. It serves other purposes since then. The water is so clean and clear so when you take pictures, you can capture reflections of the bridge and the buildings around it. There's a lot of places you can take pictures of this bridge from. It has no bad angles. Work it, girl! The best part? It's free to see and walk through. We got here before 7:15am and only 4 people were here. By 8am, annoying people with tripods and selfie sticks started showing up with their entitled you're-in-my-shot attitude. They're never cute!

It's the iconic wooden pedestrian bridge over the Reuss River in Lucerne. It connects Old Town to…read morethe transportation hub and the more modern parts of town. The hanging flowering plants that decorate the bridge make it the most photographed spot in Lucerne along with its 13th century water tower. The tower was once a prison in medieval times. The original bridge was built in the early 1300s. Unfortunately, most of the wooden structural parts of the bridge were destroyed in a fire in 1993 along with the triangular historical paintings. I believe some did survive and were restored. The other paintings are reproductions. It's still beautiful despite all of this. We found it to be very crowded but easy to find a space for pictures. The view of the painted buildings along the Rathausquai is priceless. It's a great place to be on a sunny day. It's also the perfect place to be on a rainy day to shield you from the elements. It's very close to the transportation hub (train, bus, and ferry). There are many awesome restaurants with great terrace views of the bridge. Depending on the season, there will be roasted chestnut kiosks along the river as well. It was probably the first place that we visited on the day we arrived. It just happened to be the perfect route to take on our way to visiting the historic Lion Monument. Make that crossing for the history and great views from the bridge. You won't be disappointed.

I was born in Luzern and I've seen this monument countless times. Mostly now I go visit with my…read morestudents whenever we have the French Revolution as a subject in school. This time again I came here with my students, just before visiting the Gletschergarten next to. The Lion Monument (Löwendenkmal) is a world-famous rock relief carved directly into a former sandstone quarry. Designed by Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen and hewn by Lukas Ahorn in 1821, it depicts a dying lion impaled by a spear, sheltering a shield with the French fleur-de-lis. The monument serves as a poignant memorial to the hundreds of Swiss Guards who were massacred in 1792 while defending the Tuileries Palace in Paris during the French Revolution. American author Mark Twain famously praised it as "the most mournful and moving piece of stone in the world." As a piece of art it's already an impressive sight and worth a visit. But knowing the backstory of it makes it even more interesting and impressive. Very sad that sometimes some vandalism is going on here. Once it was bombed with paint-filled water balloons. The rock here is very sensitive and cleaning it could have damaged the lion. Luckily the restoration went fine. The pond in front gets cleaned regularly and the coins (for luck) are being collected and used to restore and preserve this wonderful monument.

Yelp Review 2026 #86:…read more "HELVETIORUM FIDEI AC VIRTUTI" = "To the loyalty and bravery of the Swiss" If you're looking at pictures of this lion monument thinking "what a cute lion" or wondering if it's for a zoo nearby, think again. This monument carved out of a stone cliff (with a pond at the bottom) was to commemorate fallen Swiss soldiers during the French Revolution. Look closely at the expression on the lion's face - it shows anguish and dying. Its body stuck with a broken piece of a spear. It's laying on a shield with fleur de lis (symbol of France) and another shield with the Swiss coat of armor. At the bottom are the names of the Swiss soldiers that were massacred. It's free to visit despite its popularity. There are signage you can read about the history and story behind the monument. It's more than just a photo op spot. We came here at 7am when nobody was here yet. A few minutes later a few people showed up so we left. Around lunch time, we went to a restaurant nearby and there was a tour bus dropping off people here.

I was born and raised in Luzern. And this museum is a childhood favorite. And is until today. I was…read morehere countless times. Many times with my students as well. So was this time. The Gletschergarten is a unique natural monument and museum located directly next to the Lion Monument in Lucerne. Discovered by accident in 1872 during cellar excavations, it features spectacular pothole formations created during the last Ice Age around 20,000 years ago by glacial meltwater. Aside from the impressive geological rock formations, the site features a popular historic mirror maze called "Alhambra," which was built in 1896. A recent major expansion, the Felsenweg (Rock Path), takes visitors deep into the subterranean sandstone mountain through a dramatic, multimedia-lit cavern system. Over the past 40 years it changed a lot. Displays changed, more multi-media and also more of a sensory experience. It's great to see the museum keeping up with the times and to constantly update the exhibits. The new Felsenweg is an impressive experience. You will walk up to the very top (to the tower) through a cave system with many infos and displays. A very unique experience and a fantastic addition to the museum. The views from the top are fantastic. Make sure to get to the top of the viewing tower as well. Up here there's also space for a nice picnic. The Spiegelsaal is another highlight (the mirror maze). It used to be located in the house, but was relocated. It also used to be a lot bigger, but due to all other renovations and extensions it was made smaller - I enjoyed the older, bigger one though. And of course there are the geological rock formations. The biggest one roughly 9 meters deep. Very impressive and tells a great story of time through the different ages of the area. Together with the Verkehrshaus, this museum here is definitely a must-do. Staff was really fantastic and helpful as well. Surely we'll be back.

With free admission if you have the Swiss Travel pass and other passes, this museum was a neat…read moreadditional 1-2 hour activity for the day when visiting the nearby Lion monument and Mussegmauer towers. With an audio tour available in multiple languages, you can learn about geology, visit the museum for some history, watch a film at the Sandstone Pavilion, stumble through a disorienting/interesting mirror labyrinth, and walk through some neat (shaded) exhibits and an overlook of Mt Pilatus. Very informative!

This old wooden bridge crossing over the Reuss River may be smaller than the more popular Chapel…read moreBridge, but it definitely has more personality. It's the one with the triangular-shaped Kaspar Meglinger "Dance of Death" paintings. I'm guessing that they've been restored over the years. They actually looked well-preserved considering they've been exposed to the elements under the trusses of the bridge since the mid-17th century. The skeletal death guy in all the paintings is kind of creepy. Oh, and there is a Grim Reaper too. Can you imagine walking over this bridge at night while looking at all those spider-webbed paintings? We decided to take this route on the way to visiting the towers along the Musegg Wall that once fortified the city. It also happens to be the site of the hydroelectric plant and the beaver ramp. I'm not sure if beavers actually use it, but it's there in case they need to pass over the rough downstream water to get to Lake Lucerne. It's all explained with descriptive informational markers. That whole area is kind of cool. It was interesting to see even though half the bridge was under construction at the time we were there (Sept 2025). You can still see the paintings above the scaffolding. It's definitely worthy of a cross over at some point during your stay in Lucerne.

Spectacular old Swiss bridge crossing a river in Luzern. In its center there is a wood chapel…read more Review: 5

It's the needle dam along the Reuss River. You'll recognize and hear it right away when walking up…read morethe south side of the river on the pedestrian path known as the Reusssteg on your way to the Spreuer Bridge. It's not as impressive as the more modern day dams, but it's very unique. This one was built back in the 19th century to control the flow of water. It's uses thin slats of wood to regulate the water level and can be adjusted by adding more wood. It's just cool to see it in action and upclose as you walk by it. There are very few operational needle dams that exist today. You might as well see it while you're there.

July 2024 - A nice hidden little gem. Just walk down the street and you will see how powerful the…read morewater is. You can also walk on top parts of the water pumps to take a few great photographs of the area. Very near an older bridge to cross.

While visiting the Alsace region of France, we decided to take a day trip to Mount Pilatus and Lake…read moreLucerne in Switzerland. It turned out to be one of the highlights of our entire vacation. I booked the Golden Round Trip, which I consider the ultimate Mount Pilatus experience. The journey combines a scenic boat cruise across Lake Lucerne, the world-famous cogwheel railway to the summit, and a breathtaking descent by aerial cableway and gondola. The official route includes transportation by boat, cogwheel railway, aerial cableway, and gondolas, allowing visitors to experience the mountain from every angle. I started with the boat ride from Lucerne to Alpnachstad, followed by the cogwheel railway to Pilatus Kulm, and finished with the aerial cableway and gondola through Fräkmüntegg. Each leg of the journey offers a completely different perspective of Switzerland, making the trip feel like three excursions in one. The summit of Mount Pilatus is simply spectacular. From the top, you'll enjoy sweeping 360-degree panoramic views of the Swiss Alps, Lake Lucerne, and on a clear day even the Black Forest in Germany. At over 2,100 meters above sea level, the scenery is unforgettable and worth every minute of the journey. What makes Mount Pilatus especially unique is that it has three distinct stations, each offering different activities and experiences. At the Summit (Pilatus Kulm), there are numerous walking and hiking paths along with Dragon World, an impressive indoor multimedia exhibition featuring interactive displays, games, and digital effects that children will love. The Middle Station (Fräkmüntegg) is an adventure lover's paradise. It features Switzerland's longest summer toboggan run at 1,350 meters, the country's largest rope park, and the Dragon Glider, a thrilling 500-meter zip-line experience that lets you glide through the forest canopy. The Lower Station (Krienseregg) is perfect for families with younger children. Pilu Land offers a massive outdoor playground along with excellent picnic and barbecue areas where families can spend hours enjoying the mountain atmosphere. Unfortunately, my day trip only allowed enough time to experience a few of these attractions. If I ever return, I would dedicate an entire day just to exploring the different stations.

Amazing views, beautiful place. We took a boat to the mountaun and then a cog train up the…read moremountain. It's stunning. Highly recommend if you're in Switzerland

One could only imagine the majesty and awe a person must have experienced when this was one of the…read moremost traveled to venues of worship in an era when faith was held far more dear than now. Walking through the church I felt that magnificence and wondered how many thousands of others held that same immaculate feeling while staring at the impressive artwork and gorgeous architecture. This was a moment well spent and I encourage anyone visiting Lucerne to follow suit and spend a few of your precious minutes here at this historic church.