Do you remember those fairy tale picture books with the most magical places? They exist and are in, Lucerne and Magical Lauterbrunnen! You will feel like you have stepped into a fairytale when visiting Switzerland, it is beautiful, surreal, and breath-taking.

Lucerne is the most naturally beautiful place with the most perfect combination of medieval buildings and modern-day architecture. This gorgeous little town was originally a fishing village; until the secret got out and it was revealed to the world as a prosperous commercial and tourist center. Being so beautiful you can’t blame tourists for wanting to visit but just be prepared it is quite touristy!

The stunning town of Lucerne is small and quaint, the best possible thing you can do here is walk…walk around the cobblestone streets, explore the bridges and towers, experience the charm of a real-life fairy tale village. There are a few must-sees in the city; check them out then sit by the river have a coffee and take it all in.

Chapel Bridge of Lucerne

This is an icon of Lucerne; it will most defiantly take your breath away. This is the longest bridge crossing over the River Reuss. The Chapel Bridge is the oldest fully covered bridge in Europe; it was constructed in 1333 and was meant to protect the city from attacks. On the inside triangle panels of the roof, there are paintings that depict the cities history. As you are walking along the beautiful bridge; about halfway along you will notice that it is really badly burnt. In 1933 a boat moored beside the bridge, and it caught fire which destroyed most of the paintings on the bridge. It was rebuilt however it is easy to tell the new from the old. You will notice on the bridge there is a tall water tower; it has served as a prison, torture chamber, watchtower and treasury. Together they are the most photographed monuments in the country and a symbol of Lucerne.

This is one of my favourite monuments in Europe and is quite possibly the saddest monument you will ever see. Tucked away in a small park just off the main square in Lucerne you will find the Lion Monument. This beautiful sculpture commemorates the Swiss guards that were massacred; in 1792 by the French Revolutionaries during the storming of the Tuileries Palace in Paris. The Swiss Guards were posted to the Tuileries Palace to protect the French Monarchy during the French Revolution. Loyal and strong they stood for as long as they could; however, they lost after running low on ammunition and became overwhelmed by the number of attacking forces. Of the 1000 or so Swiss Guards trying to protect the Tuileries; 600 were killed in battle or died trying to surrender. A further 200 died of their wounds in prison or in the September massacre. After the massacre it came to light; that the French Monarchies had already left the Palace; they quite simply left the Swiss Guard defenseless and to their death.

What does the monument mean?- The monument depicts a dying lion, impaled by a spear, covering a shield displaying a symbol of the French Monarchy. There is also a shield displaying the coat of arms of Switzerland; there is an inscription of the officers that died; the number of those who died and also the number of those who had survived. The moral of the story is that the Swiss Guards; were stabbed in the back trying to defend the French Monarch who had left them to die.

Take a closer look…….Bertel Thorvalsen was the man who was commissioned to create the monument; what an honor for him until right before he was due to finish it; he was told that not enough money had been raised to pay for his services, and he would not be fully paid for his work. He wanted to make a public statement about the situation; although out of respect for the fallen soldiers he chose not to damage the sculpture itself. What he did instead was changed the shape in which the lion lay inside. Look closely….. what do you see???……….. Its the shape of a Pig!

Lake Lucerne

Lake Lucerne is one of the most spectacular and beautiful lakes in Switzerland. Crystal clear water is framed by mountains and forests in the backdrop. It is postcard perfect; I really would recommend taking a sunset cruise on the lake it is a truly surreal special experience.

The Musegg wall was built in the 13^th century to protect Lucerne; there are 9 towers which you can climb to see a beautiful panoramic view of Lucerne

Harry’s is made up of about 4 different shops; they are located in a back street off the river in Lucerne. These shops are family-run businesses that sells; Swiss Watches, Swiss Army Knives, Swiss Chocolates, and a Variety of other amazing souvenirs and trinkets. The Watch center is fantastic and the staff; are the best they know everything there is to know about the Swiss watches. They are more than happy to share the information with you, the shop stocks many Swiss brands.

Swiss Souvenir’s

The souvenir shop across the road; sells everything you can think of to represent Switzerland. They have these really cool clip-on flag bracelets; you basically pick the flags of the countries you have travelled to and they clip onto a silver bracelet. I have 3 and they are a really great keepsake; the other shop in the same street is of course the chocolate shop! All of Harry’s shops are tax-free; make sure you take your passport so that you can complete the tax-free form and claim it back.

Lucerne is the type of place where you can’t rush around, you need to slow down; relax, and really just enjoy the atmosphere of this beautiful town in Switzerland, if your looking for something a little more energetic check out Mighty Mountains of Switzerland