Lucerne

Tuesday, May 15, 2018

It rained long and hard last night, and the forecast for today (and the next couple of days) in every place on our “to-do” list was dismal, so we were surprised to see some bright sun when we awoke this morning.  The near view of the homes, barns, chalets and fields was clear, and we could see down to the lake to the surrounding mountains, too.  The scene kept changing and we could probably have entertained ourselves just sitting and watching the day away, but…

 

Despite predictions of heavy rain, we decided to head to Lucerne this morning; we were armed with umbrellas, rain jackets and a fair number of fingers crossed.  Though it was cloudy as we drove and upon our arrival, the rain held of long enough for us to cover most of the time we spent walking through the old town. 

 

After leaving our car in a garage in the train station and visiting the local TI there, we were greeted on the station square by representatives of (what was evidently) an area cheese producer.  They were preparing open-face sandwiches of herbed melted cheese on a type of griddle that ringed a wood-burning fire pit; we enjoyed our free sample and tossed the wooden plank it was served on into the fire.  Their cheese soup was also welcome on this chilly day!

 

Fortified (and warmed) by the local victuals, we loosely followed the TI’s self-guided walking tour through the old town center.  The train station is located at the spot where the Reuss River joins Lake Lucerne, and tour boats were waiting at a pier for visitors desiring a cruise.  We were hoofing it, as usual, starting at the Chapel Bridge, one of two covered wooden pedestrian bridges over the Reuss.  Built in the early 14^th century as part of the city’s fortifications, its gables are decorated with 17^th –century painted panels portraying scenes from local and national history.  The octagonal Water Tower, also once part of Lucerne’s defenses, rises out of the river, adjacent to the bridge.

 

Once in the old town, we wandered along the riverfront, checking out the market stalls along the river and under the arcades of the Town Hall.   We walked through the compact old center, wandering from one cobblestoned square to another, most bordered by frescoed buildings and featuring stone fountains.  We walked along the ramparts, which are marked by several towers, including the Zytturm, which we partially climbed.  It houses the city’s oldest clock and is accorded the honor of striking the hour one minute early! The ramparts afford great views over the city and lake.

 

Back down at river level, we had our picnic in a small park alongside the Spreuer Bridge, the oldest wooden bridge in Switzerland, dating from 1408.  Like the nearby Chapel Bridge, it was once part of the city’s fortifications.  It was also the site of the local mills and is adjacent to the Needle Dam, which dates from 1859 and still regulates the flow of water into Lake Lucerne by the manual manipulation of its wooden “needles.”

 

By the time we crossed the bridge, we were starting to see a bit of rain.  On the new town side of the river, we visited the Franciscan Church, erected in the late 13^th century, not long after the death of St. Francis of Assisi; the influence of the Franciscans in Lucerne’s history was strong and is likely responsible for the large Catholic majority in the city.  Nearby, along the river, is the 17th-century Jesuit Church, the first large baroque church in Switzerland.  Reminiscent of many such Counter-Reformation churches we’ve visited, it was chock full of marble (or, more likely, marbleized stucco), gold trim, and frescoed ceilings.

 

By the time we finished our church visits, the rain was picking up and we were about done with our walking tour, so with plans to explore some of the other lakes and Alpine scenery in the area, we headed to the car.  Within a pretty short time, we realized that we were that the fog was going to shroud any views we’d hoped to see, so we punched “Beatenburg” into the GPS and headed home.

 

Much to our delight, the rain let up and the sun came out shortly after we arrived and we were again treated to some gorgeous views from our balcony, windows, and the narrow lanes outside our digs. 

 

With any luck, tomorrow’s dismal forecasts will prove to be as overblown as today’s was.