The cultural wealth of Lucerne is astounding, especially for a city of less than 60,000 people. For an introduction to the city, we recommend a short walk from the train station, with its entrance hall by Santiago Calatrava, along the River Reuss and then to the Medieval-era Old Town. Old Town plays host to several festivals throughout the year, including the end-of-winter Carnival. Our favorite, is the Lucerne Festival. This has been the city’s flagship festival since its beginning over 65 years ago.
The world acclaimed festival started when Arturo Toscanini conducted a memorable Concert de Gala in front of Richard Wagner’s residence on Lake Lucerne in 1938. Other events that give Lucerne its nickname, the Festival City, include the Piano, Blues, Mozart and Blue Balls festivals. All of them call the wonderful and acoustically astonishing new festival hall their home.
The Lucerne Theater, one of the most acclaimed theatre companies in Europe, is Lucerne’s performing arts nexus, with its own opera, dance, and acting companies. And the sheer number of museums is mind-boggling, from the Swiss Transport Museum with its IMAX Theatre (the kids’ favorite), to several historical museums (one of which includes a Labyrinth of Mirrors) and many art museums—including my favorite, the Picasso-Museum—as well as the nearly 23,000 square foot Museum of Art Lucerne.
Lucerne’s cultural splendor is complemented perfectly by its natural beauty. A cable car trip to nearby Mt. Pilatus provides amazing Alpine views and over 100 km of trails highlight scenery as far afield as Germany and France.
