Travel Tips

Ask the Locals Travel Guide: Lucerne, Switzerland

Night in LucerneWhat’s the best way to get to know a new city? Ask a local.

For Peter’s radio broadcast from Lucerne, Switzerland, we checked in with a variety of Lucerne residents for their take on the best aspects of their city.

Heinz Horat, Director, Museum of History in Lucerne



Jesuit church (Jesuitenkirche)
This church, located next to the River Reuss is one of Horat’s favorite sites in the city. This 17th century Baroque church is not just a peaceful, contemplative spot, but is also the site of several concerts year-round. Horat recommends picking up a copy of the “Discover Lucerne” guide for English-speakers at your hotel, which lays out the concert schedule.

Public bath
Located on the Nationalquai (path) in front of the Hotel National, this public bath (pool) looks like an old wooden fort.



Pub Reussfähre
This traditional old pub is one of Horat’s favorites. It’s located inside Restaurant Reussfähre, which was built around 1900 in the working class part of Lucerne. 41-41-240-2798, www.reussfaehre.ch



Fog Over Lake LucerneRoger Maurer, Captain of all boats, Lake Lucerne Navigation

Mount Pilatus
“It’s my mountain for hiking and biking and to enjoy sunshine,” says Maurer. He especially recommends climbing the mountain in the winter to catch a view of fog lying on the lower land. Paths range from easy to strenuous, with highlights including an echo chamber and a “rock gallery” gallery featuring dragon paintings by local artist Hans Erni. www.pilatus.ch

The Swiss Transport Museum
Who knew that Lucerne would have the largest museum in Switzerland? The Swiss Transport Museum showcases all forms of transport from locomotives to aircraft. A planetarium and IMAX theater round out the educational components for adults and kids, and art lovers shouldn’t miss the Hans Erni House featuring a collection of the artist’s works. 41-41-370-44-44, www.verkehrshaus.ch


Old Town Lucerne
Though buzzing with tourists, Maurer points visitors to Old Town of Lucerne just to catch sight of the two wooden bridges over the River Reuss and the water tower of Lucerne. When he’s wandering through Old Town, he loves checking out the old inns and restaurants and the beautiful path along the river.

River ReussChristian Scheidegger, Manager, IMAX Theatre, Swiss Museum of Transport



River Reuss restaurants

A beautiful way to start an evening is to enjoy a drink at one of the many bars or restaurants along the River Reuss. Scheidegger suggests Opus (41-41-226-41-41, www.restaurant-opus.ch), which has a wide selection of wines or Rathaus Brauerei (41-41-410-52-57, www.rathausbrauerei.ch), which brews its own local beer on site.

Restaurant Piccard
Though not one to self-promote, Scheidegger has to recommend Restaurant Piccard, located inside the Swiss Museum of Transport. “It is a great place for lunch but also for a decent dinner, even when the museum is closed,” he says. “It has a nice view on a green park in front of Lake Lucerne. 41-41-370-44-44, www.verkehrshaus.ch

Restaurant Alexander
If you want to enjoy innovative cuisine, head to Restaurant Alexander at the Hotel Seeburg for a dinner on the shores of Lake Lucerne. The menu features quirky cuisine such as “modern art” carpaccio paired with a shot of thickened Remy Martin, and “fake beer” made of kefir consommé topped with horseradish mousse. Seeburgstrasse 61; 41-41-375-55-55, www.schloessli-utenberg.ch

Bars around town
Late in the evening, chill out at the Louis Bar at the Hotel Montana (41-41-419-0000, www.hotel-montana.ch), which features live piano music. Another great pick is the Seebar (41-41-226-70-70, www.kkl-luzern.ch) under the huge roof of the KKL (Culture and Convention Center), which houses concert halls of the world, built by the famous architect Jean Nouvel.

By Dara Bramson for PeterGreenberg.com.

Read more about the radio show guests in Lucerne.