Lucerne – Snapping The Globe

Nine Towers

What do you do when you are in Switzerland and have eaten too many Swiss chocolates?

Get some exercise.

You can climb a mountain; Mount Rigis and Mount Pilatus are nearby. If it’s winter, you can ski; downhill or cross country are popular. If you are not keen on going too far, however, you can take a walk uphill from the city center, to the imposing medieval ramparts, the Museggmauer.

The Museggmauer has guarded Lucerne since the 14th century, has withstood the elements and the test of time and now attracts thousands of visitors each year. Well preserved, the wall measures over 2,854 feet in length and almost five feet wide. The height varies depending on the terrain, but averages approximately 27 feet. The wall has nine gates that are still intact, with four open to the public and a large part of the wall is navigable.

I must confess, I had made a note, while doing research on Lucerne, that this was something important to see, however, I wasn’t quite sure what it is that we were going to see…besides a wall which has been described as the defining line between city and country. We headed uphill until we reached the Museggmauer, admiring its impressive length and stature.

Spying a stairway up into one of the towers, the Schirmerturm, we decided to make the climb to see what it contained. The first towers, Dachliturm, Allenwindenturm, Pulverturm, to the east of Schirmerturm, are still standing, although at the time, I had understood that no access to the wall or towers is allowed past Schirmerturm. There wasn’t much to see inside the tower, but we peered out from the windows and admired views of the city. Realizing that we could walk outside the tower, we discovered a walkway on top of the wall leading to the other towers to the west. What I later learned was that although we weren’t able to walk along the top of the tower wall to the eastern towers, the towers are accessible, each offering information on the Wey-Guild, the Vereinigung Luzerner Maskenfreunde (VLM), Club of Luzern Mask, the Tambouren Club and the Luzern Carpenters Union.

The Zytturm was next along the wall and contains the oldest clock in Lucerne. Constructed by Hans Luter in 1535, the clock chimes one minute before any other clock in the city. Despite the main clock’s maturity, the stone weights and pendulum still keep time precisely. We were able to move throughout the tower and see the inner workings of the timepiece as well as examine the exhibition of historic clocks dating from between the late Middle Ages and the 20th century.

The third tower open to the public is the Wachturm or the Watch Tower. The tower that stood here originally, the Heuturm, was destroyed in 1701 when lightening struck the tower, igniting the gunpowder stored within. The explosion damaged the adjacent wall, houses in town and five people were killed. The Watchtower was built immediately after the disaster, but only given its name in 1768, when the guard room was moved from the Luegislandegg to this one. Today, you can glean information from the ornithologic society about the live birds around the Museggmauer and the protection of bats in the district of Lucerne.

Passing the Lugislandturm, we continued on our way to the final tower open to the public, the Mannliturm. Of the four accessible towers, this was my favorite. Making our way up the 138 steps to the top, we discovered the statue of a little soldier (Mannli) which sits atop one of the two spires and is quite famous throughout Switzerland. It was here, from this ancient tower built in 1327, that we had the best views of the city, the surrounding mountains and the sparkling lake.

Exiting the Mannliturm, we were able to observe the last tower on the wall, the Nolliturm from the outside while on our way back into town.

The Museggmauer is truly one of the gems of Lucerne. With its free admission and rich history, it is something not to be missed, especially for its birds’ eye views of the beautiful Swiss city.

Make the climb.

Take the walk.

Enjoy the nine towers.

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Museggmauer

https://www.museggmauer.ch/
Address: Christine Zemp Gsponer, Schwanenplatz 4, 6004 Luzern
Hours: 0800-1900, April 2 until November 1
Admission: free

A Cross Across The River

Walking along the River Reuss, between the ancient bridges that traverse the waterway, I looked over…

and spied a cross across the river…topping a church.

The Jesuit church, with its recognizable onion domed bell-towers, governs the left bank of the river. The first Baroque church built in Switzerland, it is also considered to be one of the most beautiful. Designed by Italian and Austrian architects, under the guidance of Jesuit Father Christoph Vogler, construction began in 1666 and the church was consecrated a short eleven years later. Though the interior was still lacking, the shell and main facade were completed. Upon the time of consecration, several side altars were still missing as well as the high altar and the towers were finally completed in 1893.

A major tourist attraction, I anticipated seeing throngs of people entering and exiting the building, however, all was quiet in front of the church, leading me to expect to find the doors locked. Surprisingly, I found them open and made my way into the beautiful interior.

When in Lucerne, it is best to cross the river and view the church from the other side of the river to admire the simplistic nature of its facade. As you enter, however, make sure to reexamine the facade from a closer perspective. It is over the entrance door where you can find the beautifully carved statue of the Jesuit missionary Saint Francis Xavier, the patron saint of the church.

Inside the church it is light and airy with gray and rose colored relief decorations embellishing the white interior. The nave, leading to the altar, displays a decorated vaulted ceiling depicting the glory of Saint Francis Xavier. At the front of the church is a grand altar-piece made of pink marble…or so you think. Upon closer inspection, you realize that it is actually made of plaster and stucco, a process perfected in the southern Alps where marble is difficult to transport.

As I turned to gaze back at the way that I came, I was able to see the main Metzler organ, built from 1980-1982, with parts from an organ dating back to the 18th century. This organ is frequently used for recitals held in the church.

Enjoying the side chapels, the most interesting I discovered is dedicated to Brother Klaus, a famous Swiss patron, whose life-sized statue stands clothed in a brown monk’s habit.

While the church no longer provides an important religious life, with the adjacent monastery college being abandoned, it does provide tourists with a destination within the Alstadt and both locals and visitors with a magnificent concert venue which comes alive with the sensational acoustics.

If you are in the mood to pray, reflect or admire…check out the Jesuit Church in Lucerne, one of its architectural gems.

Jesuitenkirche St. Franz-Xavier

http://www.jesuitenkirche-luzern.ch/
Address: Bahnhofstrasse 11a, 6003 Luzern
Hours: 0630-1830, daily
Admission: free
Getting There: Bus stop, Franziskanerplatz

Cross That Bridge When You Come To It!

Train travel in Switzerland is easy.

Efficient and far-reaching, it’s easy to go out and explore all that the country has to offer.

Having recently gotten a taste of venturing out to another city in Switzerland, I was ready for more! So…it was off to the train station to see what else I could discover.

The winner on this particular day?

Lucerne. Located only an hour from Zurich, it is an easy trip, albeit expensive, for the short time I had to spend there. The small city is known for its preserved medieval architecture, imposing mountains and beautiful Lake Lucerne.

History, architecture and nature! I couldn’t wait!

As we arrived at the modern train station, we anxiously peeked out in hopes that the blues skies that had been promised in the forecast were visible above.

No such luck.

A cool afternoon, it was quite overcast, the dim gray skies exaggerated by the dwindling light of the approaching winter season, yet, we anxiously ventured out, eager to see what the city would present.

When I had researched the Swiss city, the picture that I came across most often was of the beautiful bridges that span the River Reuss in the colorful Alstadt (Old Town).

This is what I most wanted to see and as luck would have it, they were extremely close to the station.

A quick two minute walk, past the archway (welcoming us to Lucerne) and a festive carousel brought us to the river. Just like in the pictures, here it was…the Kapellbrücke (Chapel Bridge)! I was aware that the bridge was beautiful from its exterior, yet when we set foot inside, I found out that so much more was to be discovered.

The 17th century, covered, diagonal footbridge links the Aldstadt to the Reuss River’s right bank. Destroyed by fire in 1993, it has been restored to it original beauty and is the oldest wooden, covered, truss bridge in Europe.

Named after St. Peter’s Chapel, located nearby, the bridge gives off the feeling of an ancient church, with its dark wood structure and ancient wood paneled paintings. These paintings, dating back to the 17th century, were created by local Catholic painter, Hans Heinrich Wägmann, during the Counter-Reformation. Though most of the originals, depicting events from Lucerne’s history, were destroyed in the devastating fire, about 30 were fully restored and command your full attention, sometimes requiring you to step to the side to allow those traversing the walkway to pass, while you spend a few moments studying each panel. These panels display the life and death of Lucerne’s patron saints, St. Leger and St. Maurice.

Also part of the bridge complex is the Wasserturm, or water tower, which stands proudly in the waters of the Reuss. Built about 30 years before the bridge’s construction, the tower has served as a prison, torture chamber and a municipal archive. Today, the tower houses a local artillery association and a tourist gift shop, however, it does not host visitors, except those seeking Swiss mementos.

Truly the symbol of Lucerne, I was awe-struck by the Kapellbrücke’s grand beauty, enhanced by the bright pink flowers that line its periphery. Once we crossed the bridge, assisted some beautiful young Japanese travelers with memorable photos and grabbed a quick beer in the nearby pub, it was time to head up the river to the other venerable structure which crossses Lake Lucerne’s tributary.

Linking the left and right banks of the River Reuss is the Spreuerbrücke. The Spreuerbrücke, or Spreuer Bridge, earning its name from the chaffs of wheat which were thrown in the river here, dates back to 1408 and was part of the city’s fortification. The bridge was constructed to connect the Mühlenplatz (Mill Place) on the right bank with the mills in the middle of the river.

From 1626 and for the next nine years, Kaspar Meglinger decorated the triangular panels in the bridge with 67 paintings that represent the Danse Macabre, leading everyone to understand that death is everywhere. Forty-five of the originals are still in existence today and contain the coat of arms of the donor in the lower left corner and coat of arms of the donor’s wife in the right. These paintings also contain portraits of the donors and explanations and the names of the donors.

Not the original bridge, the Spreüerbrucke was destroyed in 1566 by floodwaters but rebuilt with an added grain storehouse as the bridge head called the Herrenkeller. A small chapel can also be found in the middle of the bridge, a spot also marked with a crucifix mounted on the outside of the structure.

After crossing the Spreüerbrucke, though we wandered alongside the river, the third bridge was not to be found…the Hofbrücke, which once existed, was demolished in the 19th century.

Life in Lucerne revolves around its proximity to water as is evident by the Old Town’s location on the river’s banks. It’s easy to spend time perusing the historic homes, embellished with frescoes, that line the waterfront, browsing the watch and souvenir shops or dining at one of the many restaurants while watching joggers run by and swans glide gracefully in the clear, glacial water.

Though there was much more to explore in lovely Lucerne, I was glad that we had started with the bridges, the symbols of the city. Yet, our day wasn’t over. We had so much more to discover!

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Kapellbrücke

Address: Kapellbrücke, 6002 Luzern, Switzerland
Hours: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Admission: free

Spreuer Bridge

Address: 6004 Lucerne, Switzerland
Hours: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Admission: free