Lucerne, Switzerland
Chapel Bridge & Old-Town
Lucerne is a lovely alpine city situated on the enormous emerald green Lake Lucerne with views of the Alps in the distance. We visited in the summer and even though we were told that was not peak-season (that seems to be the winter ski season), it was a nice time to visit (despite the presence of an unusual heat wave). The Old Town is quaint (if a bit touristy) and full of charming medieval architecture. You could easily spend a pleasant afternoon strolling through the cobblestoned streets. There’s also a picturesque promenade along the lakeside by The Grand Hotel National Luzern.
It is a very easy city to get around. All the city sights are within walking distance — plus it’s easy to rent a boat (without a boating license!) for a cruise around the vast alpine Lake Lucerne, and it’s also a cinch to get to some of the highest alpine peaks in the region (Mount Pilatus — see below)…all while surrounded by panoramic picture-perfect scenery.
That said, there is a surprising dearth of sophisticated and stylish lodgings in the heart of the city (Chateau Gutsch, which is high up on a hill above the city, is one, but its a bit of trek). The Mandarin Oriental recently opened here right on the lake and is of course lovely (we had a nice dinner there at Mozern, see below), but is only for the few who can afford it. Nonetheless, Lucerne is a beautiful town and you’ll want to spend most of your time outside of your hotel anyway! The sunny day we spent on a pontoon boat puttering around Lake Lucerne, then anchoring in the midst of the Alps for some sunbathing (my husband even took a 30 second dip in the lake), was one of the more memorable days of our travels.
*This was part of a 13-night trip to Zurich, Lucerne and Lake Como that included a ride on the 5-hour Bernina Express Alpine Train. To see our complete Switzerland/Italy trip itinerary click here.
The Gimlet Traveler Rundown:
All ratings are based on our experience and are on a 5-star rating system (see Site Info for more details). For mapped locations and links to the places listed here (and more) visit Google Map at bottom of page.
Gimlets: ****
For a city of this size (i.e. small), we were happily able to find a few good cocktails around town. Karol Korner is a cute neighborhood cocktail bar in central Lucerne; we enjoyed sitting at the bar for an early pre-dinner drink and chatting with the friendly bartender. We tried to visit the slightly larger cocktail bar & lounge Kaspar Luzern which was, in fact, around the corner from Karol Korner, but it was closed the evening we stopped by. However, the cocktail highlight was most definitely the American Bar at the Hotel Chateau Gutsch (perched high on a hill above Lucerne with gorgeous views of the town and the alps). We sat inside the stylish bar room, which is casually swanky with big windows to enjoy the view, but they also have outdoor terrace seating if you’d prefer. Excellent, artful cocktails – we even decided to eat dinner there (the bar menu is mostly upscale bar staples) and skip our other reservation back in town. We also had lovely cocktails at Mozern when we ate at the Mandarin (mentioned below).Restaurants: ****
Our first night in Lucerne, we drank and dined at Mozern, the more ‘casual’ of the restaurants at the (newish) Mandarin Oriental. It was super hot outside (especially for this area of the world), so we were grateful for the air conditioning throughout this hotel. We took a seat at the big circular bar in the middle of the high-ceilinged room, and enjoyed a few attractive and tasty martinis before sitting down for dinner. The food was excellent and flavorful, and a particular highlight was when they brought out the fresh-baked focaccia and delicately brushed it with olive oil using an actual branch of rosemary. We also enjoyed Jia-Lu Chinese which was at our hotel (The Grand Hotel National Luzern). I have to admit that we didn’t have have high expectations going in (the Grand Hotel turned out not to be as high-end as we had expected, and more importantly, the restaurants at our hotel had no a/c), but the food was delicious and our friendly waitress Josey made for a memorable and fun meal. We wanted to eat at the Old Swiss House, a traditional upscale Swiss restaurant with lavish decor in their various dining rooms, but they were on summer vacation while we were there.Sights: ****
Mount Pilatus – We had purchased tickets in advance for the cogwheel railway to go to the the top of Mount Pilatus, one of the tallest peaks in the area, only about 15-20 minutes outside the city center. Unfortunately, the day we planned to go was completely overcast. My husband has a “martini glass is half full” kind of disposition, so he went ahead and proceeded with the trip while I slept in. He says it was a high-point of the trip, which I chose not to take personally! The cogwheel train ride was picturesque and amazingly, the summit, when he arrived there, was clear enough to still see Lucerne down below. He also spontaneously took a gondola (um…not being a big fan of heights, that would be a “no” for me) to...a toboggan ride down the other side of the mountain. Both of which he highly recommends. Old Town – Lucerne’s old town is charming, but does feel a bit touristy and sleepy (versus Zurich’s old town). Still it’s worth exploring the old town’s cobblestoned streets. Lake Lucerne — The promenade in front of The Grand Hotel National Luzern and The Mandarin Oriental is a lovely stroll. But you should definitely get out on the lake. There are a variety of rentals available (boat, paddleboat, etc.), but we went with a pontoon – which we highly recommend. It was bigger than we needed (holds up to 8), but we loved having the extra space (especially when we dropped anchor amidst the alps, and spent an hour or two sunbathing!!). The Lion Monument is an impressive and heart-breaking memorial to the Swiss Guards who were massacred in 1792 during the French Revolution. Chapel Bridge is a restored medieval wooden bridge in the middle of old town and perched on the shore of the lake is the ultra-modern Lucerne Culture and Congress Center — a concert hall designed by Jean Nouvel, with a branch of Zurich’s Kunstmuseum located on the top floor of the building.GT Tip: You’ll need to plan a trip to Mount Pilatus in advance, but be warned: it’s notoriously cloudy up top. The day my husband went was overcast in town, but he says it wasn't an issue once up on the peak. The next day was a bright, sunny day in town and we spent it out sunbathing on our rented pontoon on Lake Lucerne — but we marveled that the top of Mount Pilatus was ringed by clouds all day. My husband still says ”go”, if not for the views, then for the bonus toboggan ride!
Shopping: **
Lucerne is not really a city for design shoppers. There are a couple of nice stores scattered about the center, but nothing we would recommend highly. That said, we did accidentally come upon a fantastic, if small Christmas ornament store, called A&M Willisegger/Christmas Past. It was sort of hidden away behind our hotel in a nondescript storefront. It’s managed by a little old lady and she only takes cash. Even still, my husband of course came away with a box of antique ornaments (after finding an ATM)!
Review of Grand Hotel National Luzern Rating: ****
This grande dame hotel has a perfect location right on Lake Lucerne, with gorgeous views, walkable to major sightseeing and super-easy if you want to take a boat out on the lake. Also close to the main train station. Our room, which was a very pricey junior suite, was high-ceilinged and felt lavish as expected, but some of the furniture and rugs could use an upgrade and refresh. Still, good a/c (note: in lakefront rooms ONLY), French doors leading out to a balcony, and lots of room, as well as lots of closet space and storage, made it a comfy stay. The bathtub/shower combo was a killer to step in and out of — very tall sides to step over — be careful! Water pressure in shower was good, though the bathrooms could also use an overhaul to bring them up to date, esp when paying these prices. It was a bit of a heat wave when we stayed, which made the lack of a/c in all of the public spaces and dining and bar areas a bit shocking, but they solved that by (primarily) only serving patrons on the lakeside promenade. Sometimes, though, you just want to have a chilled martini inside sitting at the bar (which looked lovely despite sitting empty), which was impossible during our stay. Breakfast is great with lots of options including eggs/omelettes/waffles etc; if you are willing to pay the 39CHF per person. The one on-site restaurant we ate dinner at, Jia Lu Chinese Restaurant, was unexpectedly great — food was delicious and Josey our server was super-fun. In any case, in spite of the need for a general refresh of the property, the pluses outweighed minuses, and it was a comfortable and convenient stay.
Date of stay: July 2023
Room tip: Make sure to book a lake-view room during the summer, even if more $$, as those are the only ones that have air conditioning. We had an Empire Lake View Junior Suite (pictured below).
GT Tip: While, yes we love warm weather, there was a heat wave during most of our trip and with the rise of global warming, this appears to be an unfortunate reoccurring trend. In the past air conditioning was not considered nessasary, as such, many establishments don’t have it. Most hotel rooms are air-conditioned, but not all (!!!) and many of the public spaces are not either. Except in the more upscale places, restaurants and cocktail bars are also touch and go. Check the a/c situation when booking your hotel or making dinner reservations.
Other Hotel Choices:
• Mandarin Oriental — Super expensive but brand new, posh, lakefront
• Hotel Chateau Gutsch — On a hill high above old town with a stylish bar and restaurant — and amazing views
Below is a map of hotels, restaurants, bars, shopping and sights found during our research. We didn’t have time to visit all of them during our trip, but all were of interest. Click on the icon at top left of the map to view the legend. Or you can click on the full-screen icon at top right to expand, which will also bring up the legend.
