On day 15 of our trip, we had our longest journey to date to get from Santa Margherita to Lucerne in Switzerland. There is no direct route so we had to take the train to Milan and then another faster train to Lucerne. We left at 7.39am for a six and a half hour journey.
the most spectacular journey
The journey might have been long but it truly had the most spectacular scenery we had ever seen. This is one train trip that you don’t resent. The stunning mountains, rolling green grassy hills and quaint Swiss houses kept all of us busy with our cameras as we made our way into Lucerne.
Lucerne is just so, so pretty. Everything looks pristine and beautiful with the glorious lake, exquisite painted buildings and mountains rising on the horizon.
There is nothing not to like about Lucerne (other than potentially the prices!). We dropped our bags at our hotel , the Monopol, which is on the newer side of the lake but very convenient being right next to the train station with lots of shops and easy access back into the old town.
I had originally booked a hotel in the old town but was put off by bad reviews on service and the inevitability of poor soundproofing and ventilation due to the age of the building. The Monopol on the other hand was an excellent hotel. The reception service was very good, the rooms were large and comfortable and it was ideally positioned.
I had a little business to attend to in Lucerne and then we made our way across the lake into the old town. We were completely enamoured by the delightful cobbled streets with the most beautiful buildings, each 4 or 5 storeys high, terraced together but everyone with its own style and charm. Some were decoratively painted; others had colourful shutters and some were just complete works of art. We loved them all and spent quite some time just wandering around.
We stopped for a few drinks and desserts in a restaurant and brewery along the lakeside – Rathaus Brauerei. It was lovely and open with its sweeping arches and fresh air. We settled into some comfortable lounge chairs and, after one drink, didn’t feel like moving any further. The boys went off exploring the old town and Karl and I stayed for another drink while chatting to the lovely waiter who was very kind in helping me with my German. This was my first attempt at putting my German to the test and he was very encouraging.
chapel bridge
When the boys returned we headed off to the Chapel Bridge – or Kapellbrucke. This iconic wooden bridge dates back to the middle of the 14th century and is accompanied by the Water Tower that was once used as a dungeon. The bridge is covered and is lined with artwork as well as a multitude of delightful shops. We all bought woolly hats for our upcoming trip to Jungfraujoch as well as many other souvenirs. Unlike other places we visited, all the gifts and souvenirs seemed to be of a high quality, perhaps a mark of the Swiss culture where everything is expensive but beautifully made.
The old Chapel Bridge was almost destroyed in 1993 when two thirds were devastated by fire. Sadly 85 of the 110 paintings under the roof were destroyed although many have been replaced by other paintings that were stored at the time. The bridge has been successfully restored and has a unique charm that makes it one of Switzerland’s most popular tourist attractions today.
There was a lot we could have done in Lucerne but when Planning, I had decided that by this time in our holiday, we might want to have a break and I was right. We didn’t see the Museggmauer (city walls), the glacier garden (which looked very interesting) or the dying lion monument but given an extra day, we could have easily filled it with some gentle sightseeing.
We ate that night in an Italian restaurant on the new side of the town by the lake – Rossini Pizzeria. The food was fine but the waiter was quite annoyed with us for only wanting one course and pressured us into ordering some desserts too. The meal was exceptionally expensive – about $400 AUD if I remember just for pizzas and a few desserts for five of us. There is no question that Lucerne is expensive but we actually thought it was very poor at this restaurant for the quality we received, unlike our earlier experience at Rathaus Brauerei where we were happy to pay for the experience.
It was early to bed that night in anticipation of one of the best days of our holiday – our day trip to the top of Europe, Jungfraujoch!