Tours in Luzern

Lucerne's old town sits on both riverbanks. The Reuss leaves the lake right here, crossed by the Kapellbrücke, built in 1333. It's billed as the oldest wooden covered bridge left in Europe, though fire gutted most of it in 1993.

Old town

• Kapellbrücke and the Water Tower. The octagonal tower beside the bridge is older still, once a prison and a treasury.
• Musegg Wall. Nine towers survive from the medieval fortification; several are open to climb for free.
• Painted facades. Weinmarkt and Hirschenplatz keep frescoed house-fronts from the guild era.
• Lion Monument. Carved into a sandstone cliff in 1821 for the Swiss Guards killed defending Louis XVI in 1792.

What people book in town

The mountains fill most of the region's catalogue. In town, two things are sold well: an old-street walk, and a cruise on the lake beside it.

• City walk. Old town, the bridge and the lakefront, on foot in half a day.
• Lake cruise. Paddle steamers leave from the pier by the station, most heading toward Weggis or Vitznau.
• Swiss Museum of Transport. A short walk or bus ride east; trains, planes and a planetarium under one roof.

Practical

• Weather. Around 24C in July, 3C in January; fog can still sit on the lake through winter mornings when the mountains above are in sun.
• Getting around. The old town is entirely walkable; a car only helps for reaching the lakeside villages.
• Evenings. The Kapellbrücke and Water Tower are lit after dark, and the old town stays quiet rather than loud.
• Museums. Several close on Mondays; check before building a day around one.
• Language. German-speaking; English covers hotels, boats and the main sights.
• Tipping. Already in the bill; rounding up is the norm.