Things to do in Lucerne

Lucerne's old town is compact enough to cover on foot in half a day, but a few sights are worth timing properly. The Kapellbrücke, rebuilt after a 1993 fire destroyed most of its roof panels, and the darker Spreuerbrücke with its Dance of Death paintings both cross the Reuss for free. The Musegg Wall's nine towers date largely from the 14th century; three towers (Männli, Zyt, Schirmer) are open May to October, also free.

The Lion Monument, carved into a sandstone cliff in 1821, gets crowded with tour groups by mid-morning but costs nothing to see. The Gletschergarten, by contrast, charges CHF 24 for adults and covers glacial potholes plus a mirror maze from the 1896 exhibition. The KKL's concert hall runs guided tours (CHF 15, roughly 45 minutes) when no rehearsal is scheduled.

Schwanenplatz gets busy with lake cruise passengers from mid-morning.