The Lakeland of Lucerne

Lucerne is known by many names. Some say Luzerne and others call it Lucerna. It was pretty little confusion to get it cleared before boarding the train. And the railway official beautifully described how people from different ethnicity call it with different names. Whatever be the name the place has its own charm in its own particular way. Be with me for the rest of my trip to explore the city.

Welcome to Lucerne

The needle tower of Church of St. Leodegar

Situated by the banks of Lake Lucerne this cityscape stands tall with the close view of the mountains on the other side. This large lake of strange shape takes sharp bends to drain into the Reuss river. And the iconic landmark of this city is the ancient wooden chapel bridge over this water body.

Lake Lucerne with a Greater Black-backed Gull

The bridge is considered to be the oldest covered bridge in Europe. Approximately half way across the bridge stands the octagonal water tower. Although much of the bridge got burnt in an incident of fire in the year of 1993, some parts are still preserved. While other wooden parts are replaced to match the rest. Some old paintings portraying various incidents from the history of Lucerne decorates the inner part of the bridge.

The wooden chapel bridge over the water body

The lake and the connected river is the haven for many aquatic bird species. The first thing to grab our attention on entering the city. Many people gathered to get the perfect shot of these birds by the lake. Some even arrived with bird feed to capture the best photo. This park with the long walkway is the favourite joint for the locals as well as the tourist. As every morning and evening people flock to have their regular exercise by the lake, the visitors gather to capture the moment in this location.

The walkway by the lake

Great crested grebes

By now my readers have already known how impressed I am by the friendly nature of the locals in this country. They smile at the passerby, they stop their vehicles to allow the pedestrian cross the how. What else can be asked for? With such beautiful roads and such amicable people around, we took the best mode to explore the city.

The beautiful roads

We walked and walked a very long distance in quest of exploring the city. The old city with tall building and road in between depicts the perfect picture of a European city. The typical cart on the top of many building is the reminiscence of the ancient era. The series of bridges on the Reuss river enhances the beauty of the city.

The metallic cart on the top of the building tower

Jesuit Church

Besides the new, there is another bridge – the old Spreuer Bridge running across the river. We crossed the river to reach the other bank of it. There was a bicycle which was covered with the moss and muscles. It was quite obvious that the bicycle was brought out of the water which was its home for a good amount of time. The roadside lamps by the lake were again of the old age pattern.

The bicycle covered with moss and muscles

We had a plan to visit Mt. Titlis the next day. Mt. Titlis is another snow capped mountain and the highest peak of the range between Bernese Oberland and Central Switzerland. Many exciting adventures were awaiting us on our trip to Titlis. The Titlis cliff walk, the rotating cable car, the high elevation suspension bridge and much more. And it also has a poster of the famous Bollywood movie DDLJ (Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge).

Poster of Bollywood movie DDLJ (PC: N. Mehta)

On my way to Lucerne, I came across many stunning landscapes and many lakes. There were lake after lake with jade blue waters and sometimes green backdrop and sometimes white. The journey from Interlaken to Lucerne made me wish a wish I had been wishing for a long. So what is that wish?

On my way to Lucerne from Interlaken

The route to Lucerne was full of lakes, it was like a Lake land. And the small localities in between these natural wonders were a stunning place to be in. “Sochon ki Jheelon ka sahar ho, lehron pe aapna ek ghar ho” (Think of a place full of lakes and a house within the waves). Who does not wants a beautiful small house by these serene Lakeland?

The beautiful lakes everywhere

Coming back to my wish that I had been wishing for a long long time. I always wanted to plan a visit to some place and in due course of travel, go somewhere else. Some place which beckons me more at that moment than the place I had planned for. I wish to get off the train or bus or any vehicle I am travelling in, at any place that appeals to me. I like to forget my destination and get lost in the beauty of the moment.

The beautiful countryside

To my wonder, all my wishes came true here. I was supposed to visit Titlis and had all my passes and bookings done. But before leaving the hotel I changed my mind and thought of taking a train back to Interlaken and get down at any station which I feel like. We had the rail pass valid for the number of days of our stay in the country, so no worries. Then again a slight change in the momentary plan.

Mallard duck males and female

It being a Saturday there were not as many trains plying in between the cities as on regular days, so again a change of plan and we went for our favourite pass time – some wildlife watching at Arth Goldau. I would share my experience of my acquaintance to many new species in a separate post. So after a long and tiring walk around the park, we took a quick bite at a nearby restaurant. Here a lovely lady even with her language barrier communicated well about the food items available and served us with a welcome smile.

Adult male tufted duck

After refuelling our bodies I was in the mood for more adventure. As though we got down at some unknown rail station. Although we took some time to take the decision. So we reached little closer to our destination. But still, my wish fulfilled. There was a large lake and to our surprise, this was the station that housed the famous transport museum. We could not get in as we were late and it was the closing time.

In front of the transport museum

Regret but no regret. As our next experience overjoyed us again. There was the huge lake that enticed us to deboard the train. The snowy mountains were very close as the backdrop and the moody clouds dancing in the winds. On looking around we did spot the twin needle towers of Church of St. Leodegar. And we realised this was the Lake Lucerne.

The enticing lake

The playful moody clouds

What next? We were already close to our home (I mean our hotel). So the best way was to walk by the shores of the huge lake keeping the needle tower as our destination. An exciting walk watching people and the lakes and the birds in it kept us so much engaged that we did not realise we reached our destination. And a few kilometre of the walk did not feel tiring.

The long stretch of walkway around the lake Lucerne

Church of St. Leodegar

With a lot of fun and all of my wishes fulfilled in a surprising way, we ended our trip to Lucerne. And now it was time to bid farewell to Switzerland. With a wish to be here again sometime soon.

Lucerne at a glance, with travel information.

The pretty blossoms all around

The beautiful hotel on the top of the hill

Eurasian Coot

The city of Lucerne

The Lake and the cruise boat

Lucerne at a glance, with travel information.