Things to Do in Central Switzerland

Set on the left bank of the River Reuss, the Lucerne Old Town is encircled by medieval walls and watchtowers and connected to the right bank by two covered wooden bridges: Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrücke) and Spreuer Bridge (Spreuerbrücke). The narrow streets of this UNESCO World Heritage Site are lined with half-timbered houses and 15th-century buildings.

An atmospheric backdrop for walking tours, pedestrianized Lucerne Old Town holds many of the city’s top sights, such as the Lion Monument and Chapel Bridge. The district is commonly visited as part of day tours from Zurich, which typically include visits to nearby natural attractions, including Alpine mountains and lakes. 

To get here from Zurich, ride the train from Zurich Main Station. Trains depart regularly and take  around 45–60 minutes. From the station, it is just a short walk to Lucerne Old Town. 

Visit in summer for warm weather, boat cruises in the sun, and green Alpine scenery. In winter, tourist numbers are lower, as are temperatures. Providing you don’t mind wrapping up warm, you can enjoy Christmas markets and views of the snow-covered Swiss Alps. One of the best times to visit is during the annual Fasnacht carnival celebrations, which take place in February or March and feature street parties and parades. 

If you have free time during your visit to Lucerne Old Town, consider checking out some of the other nearby attractions. You can take a boat tour on Lake Lucerne, or ascend Mount Pilatus, Stanserhorn, or Mount Rigi by cogwheel train or cable car for panoramic views of the Alps of Central Switzerland.

We all know what regular cable cars look like. The mountain Stanserhorn in the canton of Nidwalden though, has managed to provide a more revolutionary experience for its guests and at the same time, write cable car history. The world’s first convertible-style cable car, the Stanserhorn CabriO, is where the fun is at. You can have a panoramic and completely unobstructed view over a hundred kilometers of alpine peaks while you float under the open sky with pristine mountain air blowing through your fluttering hair. Among other highlights, you can see not only the city of Lucerne in the distance, but also Lucerne’s own Mount Pilatus rising 2,128 meters into the sky, the lower sprawl of the Bürgenstock and the characteristic double peak of the Mythen among a scenery of lakes and mountain meadows. The journey to the 1,900-meter high summit of the Stanserhorn also involves somewhat of a time-jump. Before visitors get to the top-modern cable car with a twist, they ride from Stans to the station in Kälti on a wooden vintage funicular from the 19th century.

Fortunately though, the open upper deck holding 30 people is completely optional and passengers can decide whether they want to ride with or without a roof. If the weather doesn’t comply with your plans or if you prefer to have four solid walls, a floor and a roof surrounding you, you can also ride in the lower, fully enclosed cabin.

Weggis is a municipality in central Switzerland, which is located right on the shores of Lake Lucerne and at the foot of the Queen of the Mountains, the Rigi. The inhabitants of Weggis often claim that their town is a little bit warmer than other places on the northern side of the Alps and they might just be right. Due to being protected from the harsh north wind, the climate is milder and there is hardly a garden in Weggis that doesn’t spread that little bit of vacation feeling with a palm tree or two. Even Mark Twain once described Weggis, where chestnut trees, grapes and figs flourish, as “the most charming place…” and compared it to the French Riviera.

The town is strongly based in tourism and has many great hospitality and gastronomy options, but is also the starting point for a number of beautiful hikes around the Rigi. Many visitors choose to arrive aboard one of the old paddlewheel steamers and follow the trail of history through Weggis and beyond. One of them is the Mark Twain Trail, which commemorates the famous author and leads to Rigi Kulm. Another historic walk follows the side of the mountain to Küssnacht , leading through the Hohle Gasse, a historic alley that played an important part in Swiss mythology. According to the legend, it was in that spot, where Switzerland’s national hero William Tell shot Gessler, the evil Habsburg bailiff, with his crossbow. 

Nicknamed the “Queen of the Mountains,” Mount Rigi (Rigi Kulm) has long captured the hearts of writers like Mark Twain and painters like JMW Turner. Encircled by a trio of lakes—Lake Lucerne, Lake Zug, and Lake Lauerz—and adjacent to the neighboring peaks of Mount Pilatus and Brunnistock, Mount Rigi is the enduring postcard star of Central Switzerland.

The 5,899-foot (1,798-meter) summit of Mount Rigi affords spectacular views, but the journey to the top is just as impressive as the destination. Opt for a self-guided, group, or private tour and ride the aerial cable car or cogwheel railway up to the snow-covered peak. Once you’re at the top, activities such as horse-drawn carriage rides, tobogganing, and snowshoeing excursions are available. To personalize your experience, combine a trip to Mount Rigi with a scenic cruise across Lake Lucerne, a Lucerne city tour, or a hike in the alps. 

Mount Rigi is located in the Schwyzer Alps in Central Switzerland, overlooking the city of Lucerne and Lake Lucerne. There are three main ways to access the summit—by cogwheel railway from Vitznau (a 30-minute trip) or Arth-Goldau (a 45-minute trip), or by cable car from Weggis (a 10-minute trip). Both Weggis and Vitznau can be reached by steamboat from Lucerne, while regular trains run to Arth-Goldau from both Lucerne and Zurich. 

It’s possible to visit Mount Rigi year-round, although the aerial cable car is occasionally closed for maintenance during low season. Summer—particularly July and August—is the busiest season, when mild weather allows visitors to explore over 75 miles (120 kilometers) of hiking trails. The winter months of December and January are also a popular time to visit, when skiing, snowboarding, and tobogganing opportunities abound. 

The main attraction of Mount Rigi is the panoramic view from the summit of Rigi Kulm, the highest peak of the mountain. Thanks to its central location, Rigi Kulm is one of the best viewpoints in Central Switzerland. Gaze out over the Swiss Alps, the Swiss Plateau, the Bernese Alps, and 13 different lakes; enjoy an aerial view of Lucerne city; and spot the distant peaks of the Glarus Alps, the Vosges Mountains over the French border, and Germany’s Black Forest.

At 10,000 feet above sea level, the Titlis cliff walk is the highest elevation suspension bridge in Europe, and even "the world's scariest bridge" according to many guidebooks; on clear days, visitors can admire the sweeping view all the way to Italy, including the Uri Alps and some of the distant glaciers and deep crevasses nearby. It hugs the permanently snow capped cliff of Mount Titlis -Central Switzerland's highest mountain- spanning a total of 320 feet, and was built to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the noteworthy Engelberg-Gerschialp cable railway opening in 1913. Interestingly enough, the bridge was built sporadically over the space of five months as the dramatic weather wouldn't always allow for construction; most of the materials were transported on the historic Engelberg-Gerschialp cable car. The exhilarating experience cost about two million dollars to build and has welcomed thousands of adrenaline-seeking visitors with nerves as strong as steel cables since its opening.

The Culture and Congress Center, often simply referred to as KKL by the locals, is the work of the French architect Jean Nouvel. It has an extraordinary presence among the more traditional buildings of Lucerne, especially due to the modern square shape and the enormous flat roof overhanging Europe Square. This floating roof, sometimes called the magic roof, soon became a symbol of the city and is definitely the building’s most prominent feature. Also remarkable is the successful fusion of nature and construction. The Culture and Congress Center almost merges with the adjoining water of Lake Lucerne and not only do the aluminum plates covering the surface reflect the light and ripples in the waves but the water also flows into the building itself and separates the KKL into its three parts. One part of the structure houses smaller halls and meeting rooms, offices as well as a bistro and an art museum, while the versatile middle part called the Lucerne Hall is the venue for bigger events, shows and conventions.

The Culture and Congress Center’s main feature and the third part of the building is the huge concert hall. It has a lining made of maple wood, reminiscent of a violin case, but is popularly referred to as “Salle Blanche” due to the isolating side walls made out of gleaming white plaster reliefs. The blue ceiling is reminiscent of the starry night sky and the five floors beneath it, capable of holding 1,840 spectators, are furnished with plenty of pine, cherry and maple wood. The concert hall was mainly built for classical concerts and thus, meets the highest acoustic demands, allowing for absolute silence in which sounds from the quietest pianissimo to the loudest fortissimo can develop. But among all the culture and music, don't forget to climb to the roof-top terrace for an incredible view over the city and Lake Lucerne.

The oldest covered bridge in Europe, Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrucke) has spanned the river Reuss in Lucerne since the Middle Ages. Decorated with paintings along the interior, it is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Switzerland.

 

Measuring 670 feet (204 meters), Chapel Bridge was first constructed around 1367 as part of Lucerne’s fortified city walls. At one end sits an octagonal stone tower used at times as a dungeon and a treasury vault, and at the other, St. Peter’s Chapel, for which the bridge is named. As one of the city’s most famous landmarks, it’s a stopping point on many guided tours of Lucerne.

 

A fire in 1993 severely damaged the bridge, and many of the more than 100 17th-century painted panels were destroyed—25 were saved. Since then, the bridge has been fully restored and paintings that were in storage were brought out to replace those damaged. Some burned panels remain as a reminder of the fire.

 

 

Chapel Bridge is located in the center of Lucerne on the Reuss river. The city’s main railway station is a short walk away, and the bridge is accessible on foot and as part of a walking tour of the city.

 

A public thoroughfare, the bridge is open 24 hours a day year-round. The bridge is popular with tourists and can get very busy in the summer months.

 

Carved into a rock face above a small pond in Lucerne city center, the Lion Monument is a memorial and must-visit for many tourists coming to Lucerne. Created in the 1820s, the statue of a dying lion is dedicated to members of the Swiss Guard at the French royal court who were murdered during the French Revolution.

Located at the heart of Bernese Oberland and surrounded by the famous peaks of Mount Rigi and Mount Pilatus, Lake Lucerne (Lac Luzern) is one of Central Switzerland’s most photographed natural wonders and the country’s fourth largest lake. Whether you’re soaring overhead in a cable car, cruising the lake itself, or visiting waterfront villages such as Weggis and Gersau, Lake Lucerne is mesmerizing from all angles.

Lucerne city tours will take you to the lake’s most memorable viewpoint: looking out over the Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrucke) from the shore of Old Town. Alternatively, enjoy a hike around the lakeside villas; take the Golden round trip and travel by boat, cogwheel railway, and aerial cableway to the most spectacular viewpoints on Mount Pilatus; or gaze down over Lucerne from the summit of Mount Rigi.

Lake Lucerne is located in Central Switzerland, 30 miles (50 kilometers) south of Zurich, or roughly 45 minutes by train. Trains run regularly from Zurich to the city of Lucerne, located on the lake’s northwest shore. Daily ferries run between Lucerne city and Fluelen at the southeast tip of the lake, taking about three hours one way and stopping at lakeside towns such as Vitznau, Beckenried, and Brunnen. You can also travel to different lakeside attractions on a sightseeing boat tour. 

Lake Lucerne is one of Switzerland’s top vacation destinations. Summer (July through August) and Christmas are the most popular times to visit. While summer visitors come to hike in the Alps and enjoy boat cruises on the lake, winter travelers can hit the nearby ski slopes or visit the Lucerne Christmas Market.

Once you’ve scaled the summit of Mount Rigi and ridden the world’s steepest cog railway to the top of Mount Pilatus, brave a ride to the “Top of Europe” at Jungfraujoch or hike the notorious Eiger Trail around the North Face of Eiger Mountain. You could also visit the alpine village of Engelberg and take in the views from Mount Titlis, ride the open-air cable car to the top of Mount Stanserhorn, or take a ride on the Golden Pass Scenic Train.

The Swiss Museum of Transport, called Verkehrshaus der Schweiz in German, is Switzerland’s most popular museum and shows the past, present and future of transport and mobility on land, at sea, in the air and even outer space. More than 3,000 displays on approximately 20,000 square meters of exhibition space bear witness to a moving history in the truest sense of the word and show the inventions and deeds of explorers and inventors. But isn’t only the old planes and trains that draw visitors from young to old here, the Swiss Museum of Transport also tells of future challenges in the field of transport and communications and has a focus that goes beyond Switzerland and Earth. Apart from the many halls dedicated to road, rail and air travel, the museum also hosts the largest screen in Switzerland in the adjoining IMAX theatre as well as a planetarium. No matter what the weather in often rainy Switzerland might be like outside, inside you can enjoy incredible nature documentaries from around the planet or go on an unforgettable space walk among the stars.

The newest exhibition in the Museum of Transport is the Swiss Chocolate Adventure. The display that has been developed together with Lindt is covering 700 square meters and is a multimedia journey that informs about the discovery, origin and production of chocolate. The famous Swiss chocolate is a globally exported product and therefore, there is still a strong transportation theme that ties into this cross section of chocolate history. Visitors sit in automatically controlled cars and head out on a 25-minute journey that takes them from the cultivation of cocoa beans in Ghana, all the way to lush alpine meadows with Matterhorn Mountain in the background, and ends in an oversized box of chocolate.