Lucerne Activities

Although Lucerne is more about museums and art, there are a few notable attractions that children can enjoy. The city has several beautiful parks and gardens within the town and near the lakeshore, where picnicking is a pastime and children can frolic.

Alter Friedhof
The Alter Friedhof (Old Cemetery) is one of Lucerne's favourite parks, located as it is behind Hof Church, not far from the beautiful shores of Lake Lucerne. The park is littered with grand old trees and a selection of playground equipment for children, of which the dragon labyrinth is the most popular feature.

Vögeligärtli
Originally home to Lucerne's gasworks, which provided Lucerne with the gas needed to power the street lighting in the old days, the Vögeligärtli (little bird garden) is today a children's playground. After the gasworks were demolished, the area was converted into a deer park and later an aviary. The aviary has since been relocated to Inseli Park and kids can now enjoy the many attractions of Vögeligärtli including the garden chessboard.

Inseli Park
For those who have an affinity for birds, this is a great day out for the kids. Inseli Park is definitely worth a visit; located on Lake Lucerne, the park consists of eight aviaries of varying sizes and 25 different bird species. The star of the park is Beo, a talking bird.

Lucerne is particularly revered for its museums and churches, and you could spend days here scouting ancient relics and learning about the wonderful history of the city. The Swiss Transport Museum is especially well done and will also be of interest to children, as will the Animal World Panorama.

Historisches Museum Luzern
Used for storing weapons in the mid-1600s, the Museum of Swiss History is one of Lucerne's most visited attractions and today it exhibits medieval and Renaissance art. The arts and crafts on display here originate from between 1600 and 1900, and include many stone carvings such as a copy of the Gothic-style stone monument that once graced the town centre (Wienerplatz). A handy spiral staircase surrounds the monument, giving a birdseye view. There is also a range of ancient exhibits at the museum which retell the rise of Lucerne as well as some modern temporary displays.

Verkenrshaus der Schweiz
One of Switzerland's best museums and indeed one of the most varied of its kind in Europe, the Swiss Transport Museum features many interesting scientific displays and boasts over 3,000 items. The floor space at this museum is huge and houses popular attractions such as a planetarium for star gazers, the IMAX theatre and the Gotthard Tunnel, which provides visitors with a glimpse into the building of the tunnel. The newest attraction in the museum is the Swissarena, which features the largest orthophotograph of Switzerland, with an orthophotograph being a glorified aerial photograph with the ability to measure dimensions accurately.

Museum of History Lucerne
Covering the history of Lucerne in great detail, the Museum of History Lucerne employs a vast number of objects and artefacts from the ages as well as professional actors who help to dramatise specific themes at special exhibitions. These special exhibitions can be seen on the museum's new stockroom tours, which take place every hour. Opening hours for the Museum of History Lucerne are from 10:00 to 17:00, Tuesday to Sunday; the museum is closed on Mondays.

The Hans Erni Museum
The hexagonal Hans Erni Museum was designed by renowned architect Jean-Marie Ellenberger to display an amazing collection of Swiss art in its best light. The auditorium-type design makes this venue great for conferences, where Swiss greats such as Albert Einstein and Thales inhabit the walls. The museum also has a shop where originals and prints are available for sale as well as a range of quality souvenirs. The museum is open daily from 11:00 to 17:00.

Neus Kunstmuseum
The Modern Art Museum is located in the Culture and Convention Centre (KKL) and was the brainchild of the famous French architect, Jean Nouvel. Works range from the 15th to the 20th century, although the theme is mainly one of contemporary art, with the majority of exhibitions featuring mostly avant-garde works. Other features of the museum include the comprehensive art library, with its attractive terrace, and the fabulous views of Lucerne from the museum's many vantage points.

Picasso Museum
Situated in one of the most beautiful Renaissance buildings in the country, the Am-Rhyn House, the Picasso Museum features a collection of drawings, original graphics and ceramics from the latter stages of Picasso's life as well as numerous photographs taken of the contemporary genius by the hands of David Douglas Duncan. 

Animal World Panorama
The Animal World Panorama features three storeys of stuffed animals, along with a collection of drawings, books and calendars. The museum was the brainchild of taxidermist Walter Linsenmaier and displays animals of Switzerland and from around the world.

Hof Church
Dating as far back as the eighth century, Hof Church dominates the Lucerne skyline with its two, 200-metre towers. Sitting atop each tower are gold balls that contain the building plans of the church and other parish documents. Visitors can only climb as high as 60 metres via spiral staircases and ladders. The church's most famous feature is the huge pipe organ, which has been restored to its former glory and consists of more than 6,000 pipes, the largest of which measures at 10 metres high and over half a metre in diameter; it is one of the largest and heaviest pipes in Europe.

Jesuit Church
A dwarf in comparison to its towers, the Jesuit Church is the most highly decorated of Lucerne's churches and features green onion-dome spires atop its towers. Visitors can climb to the top of the towers to a height of almost 50 metres, giving spectacular views over the city. The Jesuit Church also has two large bells, the largest of which is nearly one-metre in diameter, while the intricate pipe organ boasts a five-metre pipe as its lowest bass note. 

Franciscan Church
The Franciscan Church is also worth a visit if you have an interest in ancient architecture; it dates from the mid-13th century and has two large bells. The church is known for its many painted flags along the high points of the nave; a quirk from the days when Lucerne's rulers hung flags from areas that were conquered in war.

Lucerne relies heavily on the tourist trade and does not disappoint in the dining and shopping department. There are several excellent department stores and shopping centres in town, while dozens of cafés and restaurants congregate in the Old Town and south of the river.

It's not hard to find a traditional Swiss dish in the many eateries of Lucerne, with local specialities from Lucerne and Central Switzerland on most menus in the city. In addition, there is a huge variety of international restaurants in the city as well as the ubiquitous American fast-food burger joints.

If you are interested in sampling the traditional culture and atmosphere of the Lucerne of yesteryear, along with plenty of folklore, traditional Swiss costumes and yodelling, the Stadtkeller is a must-see. 

Lucerne has a great shopping presence and there are two major shopping districts; one in the charming Old Town and the other newer shopping area situated along the Pilatusstrasse, near Lucerne's Central Station. For market lovers, Tuesday and Saturday mornings are the best days to be here, when both banks of the river come alive.

Folk handicrafts and wristwatches are the big seller in Lucerne and there are some very high quality jewellers in town including Bucherer on Schwanenplatz 5 and Gübelin on Schweizenhofquai.

You will also find numerous handicraft and souvenir shops on virtually every street corner in the Old Town including a great many embroidery outlets. The best place to pick up your souvenirs for the best price in Lucerne is at the large department stores including Nordmann & Co. on Weggisgasse 5 and EPA on Rössligasse 20.

Lucerne boasts endless opportunities for partaking in a huge range of sports owing to the juxtaposition of the nearby mountains and Lake Lucerne. The lake offers plenty of opportunity to enjoy water sports year-round, but particularly in the summer, while the mountains have miles of great ski runs, hiking and biking trails and options for canoeing.

Hiking
After you have strolled all the possible nooks and crannies of the Old Town, Lucerne offers over 150 miles of hiking paths around the town, Lake Lucerne and up in the mountains. The paths are well marked and the various tourist information offices in town dish out free brochures and maps of popular walks and hikes.

Biking
As with the hiking prowess of Lucerne and other Swiss towns, the options for biking are second-to-none. Lucerne and the greater area of Lucerne provide bikers with easy access to the outdoors and you can rent an up-to-date mountain bike or a simple road bike from several outlets in the city or at the train station.

Swimming
Lake Lucerne is fed by the River Reuss and a myriad of mountain springs and it offers great bathing in the summer months. Lido (lake beach) is the summer bathing favourite. There are many public swimming areas near the town and although Lucerne can be bitterly cold in the winter time, there are also many indoor heated pools.

Other Summer Sports
There is a huge range of other outdoor activities that can be enjoyed in Lucerne, including: boating, sailing, kayaking, windsurfing, diving, climbing, mountaineering and horseback riding among others. There are also several top quality golf courses nearby. If you are here in the summer and are into sailing, there are several international rowing regattas.