# Lucerne

A central Swiss city on the shores of Lake Lucerne, with a covered wooden bridge from the 14th century and easy access to Mount Pilatus and Mount Rigi.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/switzerland/lucerne · Revisado: 2026-11-12

## Getting there from Spain

Fly to Zurich (ZRH), which has direct flights from several Spanish cities. The railway station is beneath the terminal and Lucerne is just over an hour away, on a direct train or changing at Zurich HB. Lucerne station faces the lake: as you step out, the boat landing is right in front of you and, to the right, the Chapel Bridge. You never need a car: the centre is covered on foot and the mountains are reached by boat and train. If you already have the Swiss Travel Pass, the train from the airport is included.

## What to see and do

The city itself takes half a day: the two wooden bridges over the Reuss, the old town and the Lion Monument. What makes it worth two nights is the lake and its mountains. The Pilatus Golden Round Trip is the classic outing, by boat, cogwheel train and gondola, from May to October. The Rigi from Vitznau is gentler and open all year, with children free. The steamer to Flüelen takes a whole day, and the Swiss Museum of Transport sorts out a rainy day.

Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrücke)

Pilatus Golden Round Trip

Mount Rigi from Vitznau

Steamers on the lake

Lion Monument

Swiss Museum of Transport

## Where to eat

Rathaus Brauerei, a brewery with its own brewhouse beneath the town hall, open every day

Wirtshaus Galliker, traditional Lucerne cooking, Tuesday to Saturday

Old Swiss House, the schnitzel prepared at your table next to the lion

## Where to stay

Hotel Schweizerhof Luzern, a five-star hotel from 1845 on the lakefront promenade

Hotel des Balances, a four-star hotel on the Reuss, five minutes from the station

Lucerne Youth Hostel, beside the Rotsee, breakfast included

## Pilatus or Rigi, and the pass

If you only have time for one mountain, Pilatus is higher, rockier and more spectacular, but the cogwheel train only runs from May to November and the Golden Round Trip costs CHF 119.80. Rigi is gentler, open all year and costs CHF 84 return from Vitznau, with children up to 15 free when accompanied by an adult. With the Swiss Travel Pass the sums change: Rigi and the boat are included and Pilatus is half price. Check the summit webcams before you buy; if there is cloud, change the day.

## Dónde está
- Zonas: Alps
- Cerca: Jungfrau Region (a 58.8 km), Aletsch Glacier (a 69.7 km)

## Qué hacer
- **Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrücke) and Water Tower** (20 min · All ages; wheelchair accessible · Free): What it is
Chapel Bridge, the Kapellbrücke, crosses the River Reuss diagonally right where it leaves the lake, in the heart of Lucerne. It is a wooden footbridge, covered with a gabled roof, and is about 650 years old. Halfway across it rests on the Water Tower, the Wasserturm, an octagonal stone tower 34.5 m high with a perimeter of 39 m, older than the bridge itself: it dates from around 1290–1300 and was part of the city's defences.
Crossing it is free and it is always open. It is the first sight you will see in Lucerne, because it is five minutes' walk from the railway station.
The roof paintings
Look up. Under the roof, in the triangles of the beams, hang painted panels with scenes from the city's history and its patron saints. The programme was completed in 1611 by Renward Cysat, the city clerk. There were originally 158; before the fire of 1993, 147 remained.
The fire of 1993
On the night of 18 August 1993 the bridge burned. Only the two ends of the bridge and the Water Tower were saved, and the fire reached 110 of the paintings. It was rebuilt quickly and reopened on 14 April 1994. That is why you will see stretches of pale timber next to dark ones, and gaps where panels are missing.
How to visit
Enter from the station side, near the Jesuit Church, cross to the Kapellplatz and come back by the other wooden bridge over the Reuss, the Spreuerbrücke, downstream, on a half-hour walk through the old town. First thing in the morning there are few people and the light slants across the paintings. At dusk, the bridge and the tower are lit up and reflected in the water.
The lake boats leave from the landing stage by the station; the bridge features in the departure photo of almost all of them.
- **Golden Round Trip to Pilatus by Boat, Cogwheel Railway and Gondola** (4 h 30 · All ages; reduced fare for ages 6 to 15 · CHF 119.80 in 2nd class; CHF 59.90 with a Half Fare Card and for children aged 6 to 15): What it is
The Golden Round Trip is Lucerne's classic excursion: a circular loop up Pilatus, the 2,132 m mountain that closes off the city's horizon, without repeating a single stretch. You set off by boat across the lake to Alpnachstad, go up on the steepest cogwheel railway in the world, according to the company, come down the other side by cable car and gondolas to Kriens and return to the centre by city bus. A single ticket covers everything.
The route, clockwise

Boat from Lucerne to Alpnachstad. It leaves from the quay by the station and crosses the lake to the south. First class is on the upper deck.
Cogwheel railway from Alpnachstad to Pilatus Kulm. It has run since 1889, with a gradient of up to 48%. It climbs in 27 minutes.
The summit. At Pilatus Kulm there are viewpoints, short paths among the rocks, hotels and restaurants.
Cable car and gondolas down to Kriens, on the north face, over forests and meadows.
City bus from Kriens to Lucerne.

It can also be done in reverse: bus, gondolas and cable car to go up, and cogwheel railway and boat to come down. If you go in the afternoon, the reverse direction leaves the boat for the return, with the low light over the lake.
Prices and season
According to Pilatus-Bahnen's 2026 prices, the Golden costs CHF 119.80 in second class and CHF 136.80 in first. With a Half Fare Card and for children aged 6 to 15, half: CHF 59.90. With the Swiss Travel Pass, the boat and the bus are included and the mountain section has a 50% discount. If you prefer the train to the boat as far as Alpnachstad, the Silver Round Trip costs CHF 94.20.
It is only sold from May to October, when the cogwheel railway runs. In winter you go up and down via Kriens, for CHF 60. Mind the autumn: from 19 October to 27 November 2026, the gondolas and cable car are closed for maintenance and you can only go up by cogwheel railway.
How much time you need
Count on a long half-day: the boat to Alpnachstad, half an hour on the cogwheel railway, as long as you like at the top and the descent via Kriens to the centre. The company does not publish a total duration; reckon four to five hours at an unhurried pace and check the day's boat timetable on the shipping company's website.
- **Mount Rigi by boat and rack railway from Vitznau** (5 h · Families; children up to 15 free with an adult · CHF 84 Vitznau – Rigi Kulm return; CHF 42 with a half-fare card; free with the Swiss Travel Pass): What it is
Rigi is Lucerne's other mountain, across the lake from Pilatus. It is lower and gentler: meadows instead of rock, easy paths and a summit, Rigi Kulm, from which you can see Lake Lucerne, Lake Zug and, on clear days, the chain of the Alps all at once. You climb by rack railway from Vitznau, a lakeside village you reach by boat from Lucerne. It is the mountain outing that works best with children, because under-16s travel free when accompanied by an adult.
How it works

Boat from Lucerne to Vitznau, from the landing stage opposite the station. It costs CHF 31 one way in second class.
Rack railway from Vitznau to Rigi Kulm. The train leaves next to the jetty and climbs through meadows and woods to the summit.
At the top, Rigi Kulm is the end of the line: from the station you walk up to the highest point.
The way down: back the same way or, with the day pass, by another route: by rack railway to Arth-Goldau, where you connect with the SBB train to Lucerne, or by cable car to Weggis to take the boat back from a different landing stage.

If you want to walk, go down part of the way on foot and pick the train up again at an intermediate station.
Prices
According to RIGI BAHNEN, from 1 June 2026 the return trip Vitznau – Rigi Kulm costs CHF 84, the same as the day pass for all its lines; with a half-fare card, CHF 42. Children up to 15 travel free with an adult. With the Swiss Travel Pass, Rigi is fully included, and with Eurail or Interrail you get 50% off.
When to go
The Rigi trains run all year, even in snow. In November the company carries out maintenance: in 2026 some small cable cars, hotels and restaurants on the mountain close from 2 November until early December. Check their website before you go.
- **Steamboat Cruise on Lake Lucerne to Flüelen** (6 h · All ages; children's pass for ages 6 to 15, CHF 12 · Day pass CHF 86 in 2nd class; CHF 43 at the reduced fare; winter pass CHF 53): What it is
Lake Lucerne is not a round lake: it is a series of arms that push in between mountains, and every turn of the boat changes the landscape. The shipping company SGV runs it with scheduled boats that call at the villages on the shore, and five of them are historic paddle steamers: the Uri, the Unterwalden, the Schiller, the Gallia and the Stadt Luzern. Boarding one, with the steam engine in view and the wheels beating the water, is one of the things people remember most about Lucerne.
The long route: to Flüelen
The full trip goes from Lucerne to Flüelen, at the southern end, passing Weggis, Vitznau, Beckenried and Brunnen. The last stretch, Lake Uri, is the most spectacular: narrow, with rock walls dropping into the water. You can come back by boat or, to save time, by train from Flüelen. The one-way ticket costs CHF 53 in second class.
The short route: to Vitznau or Weggis
If you have half a day, go as far as Vitznau (CHF 31 one way) and combine it with the Rigi cogwheel railway. That way the boat is not just a pleasure trip but the way to the mountain.
Tickets and prices

Day pass: CHF 86 in second class and CHF 134 in first. With a Half Fare Card, GA travelcard or Swiss Travel Pass, you pay the reduced fare: CHF 43 and CHF 67.
Winter pass, from 1 November to 31 March: CHF 53 in second class.
Children's pass for ages 6 to 15: CHF 12.

First class is on the upper deck, with fewer people. You can change class on board.
Steam or motor ship
Not all the boats are steamers. The SGV timetable says which boat runs each sailing and it changes a lot between summer and winter. If it matters to you, choose the boat by the timetable rather than the time.
- **Lion Monument (Löwendenkmal)** (20 min · All ages · Free): What it is
In a former quarry north of the old town, a dying lion is carved directly into the rock face, above a small pond surrounded by trees. It has a spear in its flank and rests its paw on a shield bearing the fleur-de-lis of the Bourbons. It measures ten metres by six. This is the Löwendenkmal, the Lion Monument, and you can see it for free, at any hour.
Why it is here
The lion commemorates the Swiss Guards who died on 10 August 1792 in the storming of the Tuileries Palace in Paris, as they protected King Louis XVI during the Revolution. For centuries the Swiss cantons hired out their soldiers to the courts of Europe, and Lucerne was one of the cities that supplied the most mercenaries. The design is by the Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen, and the monument was unveiled in 1821.
Mark Twain called it, in a much-quoted phrase, the saddest and most moving piece of stone in the world. When you see it you will understand why: the lion does not roar, it is dying.
How to visit
It is about ten minutes' walk from Chapel Bridge, going up the Löwenstrasse from the lake. Stand opposite the pond, at a distance: the lion reads better from afar than from the railing. Twenty minutes is enough, but it is a good place to sit for a while in the shade. It is a place of remembrance: keep your voice down.
What is nearby
Next door, on the Löwenplatz, is the Old Swiss House, the restaurant in the half-timbered house of 1858, famous for its breaded schnitzel prepared at the table. If you carry on towards the lake, you reach the Schweizerhofquai, the promenade of the grand hotels. It is easy to link the lion with Chapel Bridge and the old town in one morning on foot.
- **Swiss Museum of Transport (Verkehrshaus)** (3 h 30 · Families with children of any age; teenagers · Museum CHF 37; children under 16, CHF 16; under 6, free; day pass CHF 62): What it is
The Verkehrshaus der Schweiz, the Swiss Museum of Transport, occupies a large site on the lakeshore, east of central Lucerne. It brings together trains, boats, planes, cars and cable cars: the story of how a country made of mountains and lakes gets around. It solves Lucerne's rainy-day problem, and is also a plan for a whole day out with children. It opens 365 days a year.
What is inside
The museum is explored by hall, according to the means of transport. It also has a planetarium, a big-screen cinema, the Swiss Chocolate Adventure, a tour about Swiss chocolate, and the Hans Erni Museum, dedicated to the Lucerne painter. There is a restaurant, the Mercato, and a café-brasserie.
Prices
According to the museum's website:

Museum: CHF 37 adults, CHF 16 under-16s; free under 6.
Day pass, with the museum, the Swiss Chocolate Adventure, the cinema and the daytime planetarium: CHF 62 adults, CHF 29 under-16s and CHF 12 under-6s.
Planetarium or cinema separately: CHF 18 adults, CHF 10 children.
Two-day ticket to the museum, on consecutive days: CHF 50 adults, CHF 22 children.

With the Swiss Travel Pass there is a discount on the museum and the day pass, applied at the ticket desk.
Opening hours

29 March to 24 October 2026: museum 10:00 to 18:00.
25 October 2026 to 27 March 2027: 10:00 to 17:00.
The Swiss Chocolate Adventure opens at 11:00. The cinema and planetarium follow their own programme.

Getting there

Train: S3 or Voralpen-Express to the Luzern Verkehrshaus stop, about 8 minutes from the station.
Bus: lines 6, 8 or 24 to the Verkehrshaus stop, about 10 minutes.
Boat: to the Verkehrshaus-Lido landing stage.
On foot: half an hour along the lakeside promenade.

If you drive, there are spaces on the Lidostrasse and opposite the Lido beach.

## Dónde comer
- **Wirtshaus Galliker** (Restaurant, Lucerne, €€). Qué pedir: the Lozärner Chügelipastetli, the Lucerne vol-au-vent, and the rösti with pork sausage and onion sauce; the pot-au-feu, if it is a Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday.
- **Rathaus Brauerei** (Restaurant, Lucerne, €€). Qué pedir: a house beer with the Rathaus Bier Würstli, CHF 24, or the Lucerne cheese tart, CHF 15, or the Graubünden barley soup.
- **Old Swiss House** (Restaurant, Lucerne, €€€€). Qué pedir: the house Wiener Schnitzel, prepared in front of you on the trolley, CHF 66; it is served with ribbon noodles, crisp crumbs and cranberry compote.

## Car-free: Lucerne by train and boat, without a car
Lucerne is one of the Swiss cities where you need a car least. The station is by the lake, the old town can be walked in an hour and the two great mountains, Pilatus and Rigi, are climbed by boat and rack railway from the landing stage opposite. The budget is set by the hotel and the ascents: choose one or two and combine with the boat.
Presupuesto orientativo: 150–320 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir without a car
- **Hotel Schweizerhof Luzern** (Hotel): A grand hotel on the lakeside promenade
The Schweizerhof is one of the grand hotels of the Schweizerhofquai, the promenade that skirts the lake north of the Reuss, between the old town and the KKL congress centre. It has welcomed guests since 1845 and has been in the hands of the Hauser family for 180 years. It is a five-star hotel, and Richard Wagner, Winston Churchill, Leo Tolstoy and Neil Armstrong have all passed through. From the front rooms you look onto the lake and, behind it, the mountains.
Rooms with a story
It has 101 rooms and suites, and each is dedicated to a guest or an episode in the hotel's history: objects, quotations and design details tell you its story. The doubles range from 25 to 65 m². The website publishes starting prices: the 20 m² single from CHF 245; the 25 m² double from CHF 335, and the suites from CHF 660. These are indicative prices that change with the dates.
Eating and relaxing
The hotel has the Brasserie VICO, the Schweizerhof Bar and VILLA Schweizerhof, as well as breakfast. For relaxing it has a gym and sauna and a massage service. In season, the hotel organises concerts and menus linked to the Lucerne music festival and the carnival.
Getting there
From the railway station it is a few minutes' walk over the lake bridge: the hotel says it is ten minutes on foot from the bridge. If you arrive by car, guests park in the hotel garage for CHF 30 a night. For everything else you do not need a car: the boat to Rigi and Pilatus leaves from the landing stage at the station, and the Lion Monument is five minutes to the north.
- **Hotel des Balances** (Hotel): The house on the Weinmarkt
Hotel des Balances is in the heart of the old town, between the Weinmarkt square, the old wine market, and the bank of the Reuss. There was an inn next to the meat and fish market as early as the 12th century; the building was a town hall, a guild house and, from 1807, the inn "zur Waage", the scales that give the hotel its name. It opened as a hotel in 1836. Its painted facade is one of the most photographed images of Lucerne, and seen from the river the house looks like a Venetian palace.
Today it is a four-star hotel with contemporary design inside a historic building.
The rooms
It has 56 rooms and suites. Those on the Old Town side overlook the old town; the Reuss and Superior Reuss rooms face the river. There is a Queenroom for one person, designed for business trips; a Junior Suite with views over the Reuss towards the Alps; a Suite with a living room, separate bedroom, whirlpool bath and balcony, and a Romantic Suite with a freestanding bath. Ask for a river-facing room: it is what sets this hotel apart. The website does not publish starting prices; you see them in its booking engine.
Eating in
The hotel has a restaurant, a bar and a terrace over the water. Breakfast is served in the hotel.
Getting there
The station and the KKL congress centre are five minutes on foot, across the Reuss. With a suitcase it is a short, flat walk. If you arrive by car, the old town is not easy to drive in: the hotel has a valet service, which takes the car to one of its garages for CHF 35 a night or CHF 25 a day. From here, Chapel Bridge is two minutes away, the Rathaus Brauerei is on the other side of the river and the boat landing stage is five minutes away.
- **Lucerne Youth Hostel (Jugendherberge Luzern)** (Hostel): The hostel
Lucerne Youth Hostel belongs to the Swiss Youth Hostels network and is run directly by its association. It is in the north of the city, on the Sedelstrasse, next to the Rotsee nature reserve. It is not in the old town: it is the place to spend little and sleep peacefully, with green space all around. Instead of stars it carries the "Hostel" label from HotellerieSuisse, which requires 54 criteria of safety, condition and maintenance. It is open all year.
Rooms
There are double or twin rooms, rooms of 4 to 6 beds and multi-bed dormitories. Bed linen is included. Four rooms are barrier-free accessible: three doubles with washbasin and one six-bed room, although not every bed in each room is. It is a good option for families who want a room of their own without paying for a city-centre hotel, and for groups of friends.
Eating and relaxing
The buffet breakfast, from 7:00 to 9:30, is included in the price. The hostel has a restaurant, a lounge, a kiosk and a small area with a microwave and kettle. Outside there is a terrace with benches and equipment for table tennis, football or badminton, which teenagers appreciate after a day of museums. As a guest you receive Lucerne's Visitor Card, with benefits for people staying in the city.
Getting there
Take bus 19 to the Luzern Urnerhof stop. From the Spitalstrasse continue along the Friedentalstrasse and, at the junction, turn right along the Sedelstrasse to the hostel. You return to the centre and the station on the same bus.
What it does not publish
The listing gives no check-in and check-out times and no prices for Lucerne: you see them when you book. The network's winter offers, such as a night with breakfast at CHF 45 in some cities, change every season.
### Servicios
- **Lucerne Station (Luzern Bahnhof)**: SBB main station facing the lake · trains to Zurich airport in a little over an hour · boat landing stage and tourist office next door
- **Lucerne Tourist Office**: At the station, platform 3 · counter open Monday to Friday 8:30 to 17:00, Saturday 9:00 to 16:00 and Sunday 9:00 to 13:00

## By plane: Fly to Zurich and take the train to Lucerne
Lucerne has no airport, but Zurich's is a little over an hour away by train and has direct flights from several Spanish cities. The station is beneath the terminal: you get off the plane, buy your ticket or activate the Swiss Travel Pass and board the train, direct or with a change at Zurich HB. In Lucerne you do not need a car: the centre can be walked and the excursions leave by boat and train from the same station.
### Dónde dormir if you're flying
- **Hotel Schweizerhof Luzern** (Hotel): A grand hotel on the lakeside promenade
The Schweizerhof is one of the grand hotels of the Schweizerhofquai, the promenade that skirts the lake north of the Reuss, between the old town and the KKL congress centre. It has welcomed guests since 1845 and has been in the hands of the Hauser family for 180 years. It is a five-star hotel, and Richard Wagner, Winston Churchill, Leo Tolstoy and Neil Armstrong have all passed through. From the front rooms you look onto the lake and, behind it, the mountains.
Rooms with a story
It has 101 rooms and suites, and each is dedicated to a guest or an episode in the hotel's history: objects, quotations and design details tell you its story. The doubles range from 25 to 65 m². The website publishes starting prices: the 20 m² single from CHF 245; the 25 m² double from CHF 335, and the suites from CHF 660. These are indicative prices that change with the dates.
Eating and relaxing
The hotel has the Brasserie VICO, the Schweizerhof Bar and VILLA Schweizerhof, as well as breakfast. For relaxing it has a gym and sauna and a massage service. In season, the hotel organises concerts and menus linked to the Lucerne music festival and the carnival.
Getting there
From the railway station it is a few minutes' walk over the lake bridge: the hotel says it is ten minutes on foot from the bridge. If you arrive by car, guests park in the hotel garage for CHF 30 a night. For everything else you do not need a car: the boat to Rigi and Pilatus leaves from the landing stage at the station, and the Lion Monument is five minutes to the north.
- **Hotel des Balances** (Hotel): The house on the Weinmarkt
Hotel des Balances is in the heart of the old town, between the Weinmarkt square, the old wine market, and the bank of the Reuss. There was an inn next to the meat and fish market as early as the 12th century; the building was a town hall, a guild house and, from 1807, the inn "zur Waage", the scales that give the hotel its name. It opened as a hotel in 1836. Its painted facade is one of the most photographed images of Lucerne, and seen from the river the house looks like a Venetian palace.
Today it is a four-star hotel with contemporary design inside a historic building.
The rooms
It has 56 rooms and suites. Those on the Old Town side overlook the old town; the Reuss and Superior Reuss rooms face the river. There is a Queenroom for one person, designed for business trips; a Junior Suite with views over the Reuss towards the Alps; a Suite with a living room, separate bedroom, whirlpool bath and balcony, and a Romantic Suite with a freestanding bath. Ask for a river-facing room: it is what sets this hotel apart. The website does not publish starting prices; you see them in its booking engine.
Eating in
The hotel has a restaurant, a bar and a terrace over the water. Breakfast is served in the hotel.
Getting there
The station and the KKL congress centre are five minutes on foot, across the Reuss. With a suitcase it is a short, flat walk. If you arrive by car, the old town is not easy to drive in: the hotel has a valet service, which takes the car to one of its garages for CHF 35 a night or CHF 25 a day. From here, Chapel Bridge is two minutes away, the Rathaus Brauerei is on the other side of the river and the boat landing stage is five minutes away.
- **Lucerne Youth Hostel (Jugendherberge Luzern)** (Hostel): The hostel
Lucerne Youth Hostel belongs to the Swiss Youth Hostels network and is run directly by its association. It is in the north of the city, on the Sedelstrasse, next to the Rotsee nature reserve. It is not in the old town: it is the place to spend little and sleep peacefully, with green space all around. Instead of stars it carries the "Hostel" label from HotellerieSuisse, which requires 54 criteria of safety, condition and maintenance. It is open all year.
Rooms
There are double or twin rooms, rooms of 4 to 6 beds and multi-bed dormitories. Bed linen is included. Four rooms are barrier-free accessible: three doubles with washbasin and one six-bed room, although not every bed in each room is. It is a good option for families who want a room of their own without paying for a city-centre hotel, and for groups of friends.
Eating and relaxing
The buffet breakfast, from 7:00 to 9:30, is included in the price. The hostel has a restaurant, a lounge, a kiosk and a small area with a microwave and kettle. Outside there is a terrace with benches and equipment for table tennis, football or badminton, which teenagers appreciate after a day of museums. As a guest you receive Lucerne's Visitor Card, with benefits for people staying in the city.
Getting there
Take bus 19 to the Luzern Urnerhof stop. From the Spitalstrasse continue along the Friedentalstrasse and, at the junction, turn right along the Sedelstrasse to the hostel. You return to the centre and the station on the same bus.
What it does not publish
The listing gives no check-in and check-out times and no prices for Lucerne: you see them when you book. The network's winter offers, such as a night with breakfast at CHF 45 in some cities, change every season.
### Servicios
- **Lucerne Station (Luzern Bahnhof)**: SBB main station facing the lake · trains to Zurich airport in a little over an hour · boat landing stage and tourist office next door
- **Lucerne Tourist Office**: At the station, platform 3 · counter open Monday to Friday 8:30 to 17:00, Saturday 9:00 to 16:00 and Sunday 9:00 to 13:00

## As a family: Boats, rack railways and a train museum

Lucerne works very well with children because almost everything is transport: the boat, the rack railway, the cable car and an entire museum of trains, planes and boats. Distances are short, the centre is flat and many of the ascents are free or half price for children. Alternate a mountain day with a city and museum day.

### What works best
Mount Rigi from Vitznau: children up to 15 free with an adult, and the boat on the way out

Swiss Museum of Transport, open 365 days, with a planetarium; free up to age 6

Golden Round Trip to Pilatus, May to October, with a reduced fare for ages 6 to 15

Chapel Bridge and the Lion Monument, free and on foot

### Where to stay
Lucerne Youth Hostel, with rooms of 4 to 6 beds, breakfast included and games outside

Hotel des Balances, in the centre, if you want everything on foot

### Where to eat
Rathaus Brauerei, open every day, with sausages, chicken and cheese tart

Wirtshaus Galliker, to try the rösti and the Chügelipastetli; book

### Bear in mind
The children's boat pass, for ages 6 to 15, costs CHF 12 a day

The Pilatus rack railway only runs from May to November

Up at Pilatus and Rigi it is cold even when it is warm below: bring a coat

### Qué hacer as a family
- Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrücke) and Water Tower
- Golden Round Trip to Pilatus by Boat, Cogwheel Railway and Gondola
- Mount Rigi by boat and rack railway from Vitznau
- Steamboat Cruise on Lake Lucerne to Flüelen
- Lion Monument (Löwendenkmal)
- Swiss Museum of Transport (Verkehrshaus)

## Consejos

### Buy excursions on the day
Boats and cogwheel trains are paid for at the ticket office or online: decide in the morning, depending on the weather.

### Go up early
In the afternoon the summits are more often covered in cloud.

### Sleep near the station
Everything departs from there: the airport train, the boats and the buses.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### How do you get to Lucerne from Spain?
Fly to Zurich and take the train from the airport station, just over an hour.

### How many days do you need?
Two nights: one day for the city and the boat, another for Pilatus or Rigi.

### Do you need a car?
No. Everything is done on foot, by boat and by train from the station.

### When is the best time to go?
May to September for the mountains; in November there is cable car maintenance.

### Which mountain is better with children?
Rigi: gentler, open all year and free for under-16s with an adult.