Lucerne is a city located in the German-speaking part of Switzerland along the shores of Lake Lucerne and the River Reuss. The town’s history started around the year 750 with the foundation of a Benedictine monastery dedicated to Saint Leodegar. A settlement grew up which was subordinate to Murbach Abbey in Alsace, and the town only gained its freedom from the abbey in 1178. Habsburg king Rudolf I gained authority over the area at the end of the 13th century, which however did not please the townspeople.

Lucerne formed the so-called Eidgenossenschaft together with the neighboring cantons of Uri, Schwyz and Unterwalden in 1332, and Bern, Zug and Zurich also joined the alliance, helping to remove Austrian power over the territories. The Swiss victory at the Battle of Sempach in 1386 helped to strengthen the Swiss confederation, and in 1415 Lucerne was granted imperial immediacy by the Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund. During that time, the infrastructure was developed in Lucerne and a self-government was developed.

From the 16th century, Lucerne developed again, but these were religiously turbulent times. When the confederation broke up during the Reformation, most nearby towns became Protestant, but Lucerne remained Catholic. The Catholics triumphed over the Protestants at the Battle of Kappel in 1531, and thereafter the Catholic towns dominated the confederation. In 1567, Jesuits came to Lucerne, who enjoyed the support of Cardinal Carlo Borromeo, who was Archbishop of Milan. However, Protestant cities such as Zurich, Bern and Basel defeated the Catholic forces in the War of Toggenburg in 1712, thereby losing Lucerne’s prominent position in the confederation.

Industrialization and modern development came to Lucerne in the latter part of the 19th century. From 1850 to 1913, the city’s population quadrupled, and it was also a period when Lucerne was connected to cities like Basel, Zug and Zurich by railways. Lucerne also became a well-visited city by artists and notables, and for example Richard Wagner lived and worked in the city for a time. Queen Victoria visited Lucerne in 1868 and saw several sights during her stay. Large and luxurious hotels were built, which are still located in the city and characterize its history.

Today you can enjoy some lovely walks in Lucerne, which is beautifully situated surrounded by breathtaking nature. You can start a stroll at Bahnhofplatz, where the city’s modern railway station is located. It was designed by Santiago Calatrava to replace the old railway station from 1896, which was lost in a fire. In front of the station, however, you can see a portal from the former building, and from here you can walk along both the Reuss and Lake Lucerne. Next to the station, you can also visit the Lucerne Art Museum, which is one of the best of its kind in Switzerland with extensive collections and exhibitions.

From Bahnhofplatz you can walk along the Reuss to the west, and soon after you can see probably the best-known sight in Lucerne. It is the Kapellbrücke, which is a good 200 meter long covered bridge over the river. The bridge was originally built around 1365 as part of Lucerne’s fortifications, as the bridge could protect against attacks from the lake with the Wasserturm as a feature in the middle of the bridge. A little further west you can see the also covered footbridge, Spreuerbrücke, which was built in the early 15th century. You can also go to the northern part of the center, where the Museggmauer stands as a magnificent part of the city’s defenses. Museggmauer is a wall 870 meters long and preserved with fortress towers along the way.

There are also a number of churches in Lucerne, where the Peter’s Chapel at Kapellbrücke gave its name to the well-known bridge. North of Reuss you can also see the Hofkirche St. Leodegar and Matthäuskirche, where Richard Wagner married Cosima von Bülow on 25 August 1870. South of the river are the Franziskanerkirche and the Jesuitenkirche, which with its sumptuous baroque interior is the city’s most beautiful church. In the center you can also see the Luzerner Theater and Rathaus Luzern, which was built as the city’s town hall 1602-1606.

It is also a good idea to go to the beautiful Löwendenkmal, a memorial located in a peaceful oasis in the north-eastern part of the center of Lucerne. The lion monument commemorates in the allegory of a dying lion the Swiss Guards who fell during the storm of the Tuileries in Paris on August 10, 1792. The design was created by Danish Bertel Thorvaldsen, while Lukas Ahorn from Konstanz executed the work from 1820 to 1821. In the same part of the city, you can take a nice walk along the city’s lakeshore and see several beautiful hotels, such as the castle-like Grand Hotel National, which opened in 1870.