The city of Lucerne (Luzern) in Central Switzerland was our next stop. A bustling city, it's still got a small-town feel, especially in the Aldstadt, which is famous for its frescoed buildings and windy old streets. With museums and nightlife proximity to the mountains, it's just about perfect. And the new geologist got a chance to spend hours in the glacier museum ("it's a rock, Mom!").
The 600-year-old Kapellbrücke is a wooden bridge across the River Reuss. Though badly burned in a fire in1993, it's been nicely restored and many of the painted triangle ceiling supports were saved. Just down the river is the Spreuerbrücke, where all the painted ceiling supports show a Dance of Death.
The city mascot is the dying Lion of Lucerne, a nine-meter memorial which is carved out of stone in a cliff. It honors the Swiss Guard who died defending Marie Antoinette in 1798. But it's typical of the city that it's also known for its mimes, festivals and humor.
On the hills above the river, much of the Museggmauer (old city walls) still survives, along with many of the towers from which the city's approaches were guarded. Several have stairs to the top, and the view of the city below is well worth the effort. In Lucerne as in many Swiss towns and cities, livestock is commonly seen in places where US zoning and planning boards would have fits just thinking about it.
One of the treats of a trip to Lucerne is the seven-hour round-trip cruise on a lake steamer on the Vierwaldstätter See (Lake Lucerne). We started our trip in a chilly mist and ended up getting sunburned as we watched the mountains emerge from behind the mists over the astonishingly green waters.
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Frescoed building
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Lucerne street scene
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Kapellbrücke
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Spreuerbrücke
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Kacy at Lion Monument
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Mime at riverfront
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Tower & old city walls
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JGR at old city walls
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Tower on old city walls
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Kacy atop old city wall
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View from old city wall
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Cows by city walls
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Mist on Lake Lucerne
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Hotel on lake
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Kacy on lake steamer
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Lake steamer
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