3 AWESOME THINGS TO DO IN LUCERNE – A ONE DAY GUIDE

Lucerne is one of my favourite cities in Switzerland! I spent one day exploring this preserved medieval-style city and have put together this guide of 3 Awesome Things To Do in Lucerne to help you plan your trip!

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Have you got travel insurance for Switzerland? I know that nobody likes to talk about this stuff but accidents happen all the time and having travel insurance can save you thousands of dollars if something goes wrong. You can read more about why you need travel insurance.

I have been using World Nomads Travel Insurance on every trip and in my opinion, they are without a doubt the best travel insurance provider on the market. I always choose the World Nomads Explorer Plan as it covers just about everything.

 

WHERE IS LUCERNE & HOW TO GET THERE

Lucerne is located 53km south of Zurich. The best way to get to Lucerne from Zurich is by train, which is only a short one hour journey.

If you are planning a trip around Switzerland, I highly recommend purchasing the all-in-one Swiss Travel Pass which includes trains, buses and boats throughout the whole of Switzerland.

Click Here to find out everything you need to know about the Swiss Travel Pass.

MAP OF LUCERNE

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Lake Lucerne – What to do in Lucerne

3 AWESOME THINGS TO DO IN LUCERNE

#1 CHAPEL BRIDGE

Chapel Bridge is the most iconic attraction in Lucerne and the oldest wooden bridge in Switzerland, dating back to the 14th century. The Chapel Bridge Lucerne stretches 200 meters across the Reuss River and attached to the bridge is an old water tower that served as a dungeon, an archive and a treasury vault in medieval times. 

It’s free to walk over Chapel Bridge and remember to look up to discover the colourful old paintings on the underside of the roof. Definitely add Chapel Bridge to your itinerary as it is one of the best places to visit in Lucerne.

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Chapel Bridge – Lucerne things to do

Chapel Bridge Lucerne – Things to do in Luzern

#2 BOAT TRIP ON LAKE LUCERNE

A boat trip on Lake Lucerne is one of the most unforgettable things to do in Lucerne Switzerland. With the Swiss Travel Pass, you can take a round-trip boat ride on Lake Lucerne which is the best way to see the region at a slow pace! There are daily departures on Lake Lucerne, usually every hour during the day. Just head down to the ferry terminal and jump on board when a boat arrives and you’ll be asked to show your Swiss Travel Pass.

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Lake Lucerne boat trip – Things to do in Lucerne

Lake Lucerne sunset from the boat – Lucerne day trips

Boat trip on Lake Lucerne – What to do in Lucerne

#3 MOUNT RIGI

Mt Rigi, also known as the queen of the mountains, is a large mountain range in the Lucerne region. The best way to get to Mt Rigi, using the Swiss Travel Pass, is to take the one-hour boat ride from Lucerne Ferry Terminal and get off at Vitznau.

From here there is a special cog-wheel train that will take you up to the summit of Mount Rigi. This was my favourite part of the adventure as I was able to hang outside the windows of the train to take photos!

Panoramic views await at the summit of Mt Rigi, overlooking three lakes and phenomenal alpine peaks in the distance.

If you want to grab lunch or a beer you can simply pop into a hotel restaurant and most have outdoor terraces with stunning views. Be sure to add Mt. Rigi to your list of things to do in Luzern.

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Insane views at the summit of Mt. Rigi, Lucerne

The cogwheel train at Mount Rigi – Things to do in Lucerne

Watching the sunset from Mount Rigi – What to do in Lucerne

BEST PLACES TO STAY IN LUCERNE

Lucerne has hundreds of accommodation options to choose from, so I have narrowed it down to a few of my personal favourite places to stay in Lucerne to fit the needs of budget backpackers and luxury travellers. See the list of accommodations below that I personally recommend:

Luxury: Lucerne Lake View Apartments

• Offering stunning lake views, free wifi and just walking distance to the centre of the city, this 5-star accommodation is hard to beat! Each apartment is fitted with a balcony, fully-equipped kitchen, dishwasher, sofa, tv, dining room, washing machine, private bathroom with a bath, fridge and freezer, microwave and coffee machine. Convinced yet?

Click Here to check availability and rates.

Mid Range: Hotel De la Paix

• This 3-star hotel is located right in the heart of town, just 200m walk to the old quarter in Lucerne. Various restaurants, cafes, bars and shops are all located in the vicinity of Hotel De la Paix. There are single, double and triple rooms available and breakfast is included.

Click Here to check availability and rates.

Budget: Barabas Hostel

• I personally stayed at the Barabas Hostel in Lucerne City, located just ten minutes walk from the Lucerne Train Station. The Barabas Hostel is one of the coolest and most unique hostels I have stayed in, the reason being that it was once an old prison. The dorms and private rooms are the same rooms where prison inmates used to sleep back in the day (much cleaner and refurbished of course) and it gives you a real sense of what it would be like to be a prisoner. A buffet breakfast is also included with the room and the staff are overly helpful with their knowledge of the best things to do in Luzern. 

Click Here to check rates and availability.

For all other accommodations in Lucerne, Click Here to search on booking.com.

 

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BEST TIME TO VISIT SWITZERLAND

The best time to visit Switzerland depends on what you plan to do. I personally prefer the spring and summer months in Switzerland (April – September) when temperatures are warm and the landscapes are vividly green.

However, visiting Switzerland in winter (December – March) is absolutely magical because the landscapes are completely covered in glistening white snow. Visiting Switzerland in winter also means you have to opportunity to go skiing in the Swiss Alps.

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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

The currency in Switzerland is Swiss Francs (CHF) and the exchange rate is approximately $1 USD = $1 CHF.

Purchasing a sim card in Switzerland is very simple. You can do this at the airport on arrival or find a phone store close to your accommodation. For approximately $40 USD, you can get a local sim card that comes with 10GB of data.

 

I hope you enjoyed reading this article and if you have any questions about Things To Do In Lucerne, drop me a comment below and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.

Happy Adventuring 😃

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