When we were planning our trip to Switzerland, I asked Cissy where she wanted to stay in Lucerne ….a small city of 82,000…. she picked Chateau Gütsch sitting high on a hill overlooking the River Reuss and Lake Lucerne. The River separates the city in half…old town vs modern city. Although there are several bridges crossing the Reuss, the Chapel Bridge is the most famous and considered Europe’s oldest covered wooden bridge…built on 1333. Hanging from the sides of the bridge are huge baskets of REAL colorful flowers. Most folks here speak German, but many can communicate in English.

Our hotel was built in 1879 and its private funicular railroad to connect it to the city was constructed a few years later. In 1888, the hotel burned to the ground, but it was rebuilt in the early 1900s as it appears today (looks like a castle). The problem with staying in these historical hotels is the air conditioning is not adequate…so Yelp… we were again HOT!🥵

We did lots of walking in 3 days but we managed to see some amazing sights. In addition to the Castle Bridge we visited….starting with my favorites…

The Bourbaki Panorama…. this circular painting by Edouard Castres is so life like!!! Seems like you’re actually witnessing the flight of the French army in 1871 when they fled to Switzerland from France during the Franco – Persian war (1870/71). This realistic painting covers the entire top floor of a circular building and depicts 87,487 French soldiers crossing the Swiss border and surrendering their 128,300 weapons. 188 communities took the soldiers into their homes nursed, fed and housed them. The weapons were returned 6 months later when all (but 1700 who died from their wounds) returned to France. The
Swiss government charged France $12 million for the internment of the soldiers. This act was the beginning of the humanitarian and neutral respect tradition of Switzerland and the Red Cross that still exists today.

Lion Monument- Carved into a sandstone cliff on the outskirts of the Old Town, the Lion Monument is the city’s most distinctive landmark. Mark Twain called it “the most mournful and moving piece of stone in the world”, The giant sculpture made in 1872 depicts a dying lion resting in a shaded nook above a shimmering pond and commemorates the Swiss guardsmen who died in 1792 during the French Revolution.

Jesuit Church…. First large sacred Baroque building in Switzerland built in 1666. You can easily recognize it by the two steeples appear to have “giant green onions” on top.

Saint Joseph’s Church built in the 17th century – the unusual sight here was a pride bench (rainbow) in the very back of the church signaling if you are gay, you are not allowed to sit in the regular benches with the Catholic congregation.

Sammlung Rosengart Museum ….full of Picasso’s work, along with a few Monet, Cezanne, Renoir, and a several other famous artists.

Museum of Transportation- loved the Lindt Chocolate ride.

FREITAG store… famous for handbags, backpacks, etc. made from old tires… manufactured in Zurich.

Ok, I think I’ve covered most of the important sights, time for a glass of wine. Onward to Bad Ragaz to get on the Glacier Express. Zermatt here we come.