Lucerne Switzerland, Beauty City Among the Rivers

Lucerne Switzerland, Exotic Tourist Places for You to Visit

      Switzerland has long been known for its beautiful landscapes. Both a city in a beautiful mountain region, or on the shores of a scenic lake. One city in Switzerland that you must visit is Lucerne. A piece of card that always shows off the charm of the city with an iconic wooden bridge called Kapellbrucke.

Lucerne or Lucerne has long been one of the most popular tourist destinations in the central region of Switzerland. Its position is not far from a series of famous mountains, such as Pilatus, Rigi and Titlis. The city of about 82 thousand inhabitants is an ideal base for tourists, skiers or hikers.

Lucerne is in the center of the country, in a German-speaking area, and is the capital of the canton of the same name. It is an important city in the region, a cultural, political and communication center. About 80 thousand people live in the city itself, but if you add the surroundings, along with other small towns, the number reaches 250 thousand people. It is on the shores of a beautiful lake. You can see Alps.

Although Lucerne does not have its own airport, like Basel, Zurich, or Geneva, it is easy to reach from many other cities. Zurich Airport is only about 67 km from Lucerne city center. Meanwhile, Bahnhof Luzern or Lucerne Train Station is connected to almost all major cities in Switzerland, which are managed by Swiss Federal Railways. For example: Zurich - Lucerne, served by about 40 trains daily.

Lucerne's history begins with the founding of a benedictine monastery of St. Leodegar in 750. The name Lucerne itself is first mentioned in historical records as "Lucaria" in 840. And since the opening of the Gottard Pass in the Alps in 1830, the position of the city of Lucerne has become increasingly important, as it is on the trade route between the Upper Rhine region - Swiss and Lombardy - Italy.

Lucerne's status as a leading tourist destination dates back to the mid-19th century. Interestingly, one of the travelers who has visited this city is Mark Twain, a well-known writer from the United States, as he wrote in one of his travel books, entitled "A Tramp Abroad".

At this time, Lucerne began to develop into a modern tourist destination marked by the establishment of several famous hotels at that time. These hotels include Schweizerhof Hotel (1845), Grand Hotel National (1870), and Chateau Gutsch (1879).

                                                         Image Source: Wikimedia.org

Grand Hotel National has such a unique history. At this hotel, Cesar Ritz, a well-known Swiss hotelier, worked as a manager between 1878-1888. Cesar Ritz later became known as the founder of luxury hotels, such as The Ritz Paris, The Ritz Hotel - London and The Carlton Hotel - London. The Ritz is also recognized as one of the pioneers of the hotel chain and is nicknamed "King of Hoteliers".

Lucerne has fantastic tourist attractions. The old city center is decorated with classic buildings with charming architecture that line the banks of the Reuss river. From the Rathaus (Town Hall) which has a Renaissance architectural style, to the Jesuit Church, which has a baroque architecture. There is also this city icon, The Chapel Bridge or Kapellbrucke, which is very famous.

The Rathaus or Lucerne Town Hall, built in 1606 by Anton Isenmann, stands on the bank of the beautiful flowing Reuss river in the center of Lucerne. On the same side lined with a variety of restaurants and hotels with charming facades.