How to Spend 24 Hours in Lucerne, Switzerland

Length: 1 Day | Budget: $$$

Looking for guidance on how to spend 24 hours in Lucerne, Switzerland? Look no further because I have the perfect guide for you! We recently spent a day exploring the beautiful Swiss town of Lucerne, which is conveniently located a short train ride away from Zurich and nestled at the foot of the Alps. It’s the perfect gateway town if you’re planning a longer tour of Switzerland (especially if you’re on your way to quintessential tiny Swiss villages and giant snow peaks of the Junfrau region).

FUN FACT: Did you know that Lucerne has 4 official languages – German, French, Italian and Romansch? However, the majority of the local population are German-speaking.

Here’s how we spent 24 hours in Lucerne:

After checking into Hotel Ameron Flora Luzern (which comes highly recommended for its cleanliness and outstanding location!), we made our way to the Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrucke), the oldest covered bridge in Europe. This wooden bridge features a variety of paintings which depicts the town’s old history and famous legends.

We walked along the riverfront admiring the turquoise blue water of the Reuss River and Lake Lucerne. I couldn’t get over how crystal clear the water was! The riverfront is lined with cute restaurants with outdoor seating…the perfect place to enjoy a drink on a hot summer day.

We wandered towards the Spreuer Bridge, another wooden footbridge that was built in the 13th century. The bridge was unique in that it was originally built to connect a group of mill buildings and allow the workers to dump mill waste into the river more easily. It also features a set of dark paintings (known as the Dance of Death) which depict various characters being dragged into ‘death’, and were painted to remind everyone that death comes for everyone (a bit morbid I know).

We made our way to the old city fortifications of the Musegg Wall. This was my favorite site that we visited in Lucerne. Of the 9 towers of the Musegg Wall still standing, 4 of them are accessible to visitors. The Nollitnr Tower is the only one with an outside viewing platform, and offers the most beautiful panoramic views of Lucerne. The Zytturm Tower is also worth visiting as it houses the city’s oldest clock and has the privilege of striking on the hour a minute before all the other clocks in the city!

Afterwards, we visited Chateau Gütsch. This luxury 4-star hotel boasts one of the best views of Lucerne, and is a situated a 15-minute uphill climb away from the town. Although Chateau Gütsch is not an actual castle, the architecture was inspired by the iconic Neuschwanstein Castle located in Bavaria, Germany.

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The interior of the hotel is absolutely decadent. Staying in the hotel was a bit outside of our budget (rooms can be up to $500/night during peak season!) so we opted for cocktails and snacks. The sophisticated Gütsch Bar was the perfect spot for a pre-dinner tipple.

We then made our way through the Kornmarkt, the cute Old Town area of Lucerne filled with cobblestoned alleys and charming buildings. We meandered through the various shops, and made sure to stop at the famous Läderach shop for some delicious Swiss chocolate. We ended up buying several bars of chocolate as gifts (and some for ourselves)….it was some of the best chocolate I’ve ever had!

From there, we visited the tragic Dying Lion monument. The Dying Lion was built to commemorate the Swiss Guards who lost their lives during the French Revolution. It’s a beautiful rock carving with an inscription engraved above the memorial ‘HELVETIORUM FIDEI AC VIRTUTI‘, which translates to “To the loyalty and bravery of the Swiss.”

Pictures do not do the Dying Lion monument justice! We almost didn’t visit as we thought it might be too far of a walk, but were so glad that we did!

Dinner was at Grottino 1313, an off-the-beaten-path Italian restaurant located 15-minutes walking distance away from the main tourist zone. The concept at Grottino 1313 is simple – this candlelit and intimate restaurant offers no menu, and everything is served family-style. We had such a memorable dinner at Grottino 1313…just thinking about the beetroot pasta and roast Spring lamb they served makes me hungry! I can’t recommend this place enough. It was the perfect feast to end a perfect 24 hours in Lucerne.

TIP: If you’re interested in dining at Grottino 1313, make sure to reserve in advance! Almost every table we saw around us were already pre-reserved (and we were glad we called last minute for a booking).