Sights and Heights around Luzern

The following is from a daily journal during a June 2015 trip to Switzerland with my wife, Cindy:

Our official Swiss trip tour has begun.

 

Our only full day in Luzern began with a overview walk by our tour guide, Goobi.  It covered much of what Cindy & I had already seen on the previous day, but of course with a Swiss flair in story telling.  

 

The walk climaxed at the Dying Lion monument with Goobi telling of how the loss of so many Swiss soldiers impacted the families in this area.  It was much more peaceful this morning, as the garden was intended to be, than when Cindy & I visited yesterday.

After lunch, we walked to the Lake Luzern waterfront to catch the ferry on the Steamship Weggis across the lake to village of Stansstad. It rained a bit as soon as we set sail, but we had wonderful views of the homes along the water, the hills and mountains, and the other boats plying the waters.

 

 

 

From Stansstad, we went to nearby Stans and boarded the funicular to reach the cable car to the Mount Stanserhorn station. The cable car is a new design, the CabriO, with a second, open air deck above the main enclosed cabin. This was by far the most popular deck on the cable car.  Feeling the wind, smelling the fresh air (and sometimes cows), and hearing the bells of the cattle was quite an experience.

 

 

 

We reached the station, 6000 feet above sea level, but the admiration of the great views had to wait as a thunderstorm moved in just after we did. We ate lunch there, waiting for the weather to clear, and it did pretty quickly.  Later, several of us climbed the path of the last 227 feet to the summit.  The views were awe-inspiring, and ample evidence of the Creator who gave us this beauty.

 

 

We took a longer but less steep path back to the cable car station for more great scenery and lots of wildflowers.  

 

 

 

Two signs along the route quoted two Psalms.  Psalm 66:5 & Psalm 111:2.  Very appropriate.

 

 

This evening, Cindy and I dined at a riverside cafe for a good meal of chicken and fish, then topped off with Toblerone mousse.

 

We were tired, but before bedtime, were entertained by s French horn street performer in the courtyard outside our room.  At 9 pm.  

Tomorrow, heading into central Switzerland.

Zurich to Luzern

The following is from a daily journal during a June 2015 trip to Switzerland with my wife, Cindy:

This morning we boarded the train from Zurich to Luzern, just a quick 45 mins.  Beautiful scenery as we passed by lakes and pastureland.  

 

Our hotel is a short walk from the tran station, or should have been but for all the activities setting up for a festival this evening.  Supposed to be fireworks, too, over the lake this weekend.   With sunset not until after 9:30, that may be late.

We had lunch near the hotel and had a traditional Swiss dish, Rösti: Thick cut hash browns covered with slices of bacon, tomato, cheese, and a fried egg.  Quite good & filing.

We walked quite a bit afterwards, exploring the city's famous bridges, painted buildings, the old city wall & towers, and the must-see Luzern Lion statue.

Of the two famous wooden bridges - the Mill bridge and the Chapel bridge - I'd say the Mill Bridge was my favorite.  The original bridge was built in the 1400s and rebuilt after a flood in the 1500s.  The rebuilt bridge included a chapel for divine protection against future floods.  Seems to have worked, as this 450 year old reconstruction is still in original condition.  It is thought provoking to see and feel the original timbers and wonder how much has changed since these trees were first cut down and the wood shaped in the beams for the bridge.

 

The more famous Chapel bridge was almost totally destroyed by fire in 1993, but painstakingly restored to its older appearance.  A few charred beams and paintings on the bridge have been left to memorialize the fire.

 

We walked through the old city, and after Cindy did some shopping (and buying), we climbed up to the old city walls.  Several of the towers still are accessible, and climbed up those, as well (actually, I did two, Cindy one). The views from the walls of the city rooftops and mountains was great.

 

The tall clock tower still has a working pendulum clock keeping the time and ringing out the hour for the city.  

 

Our last visit was to the famous Lion statue, carved into the side of a cliff in a small park just north of the old city.  The lion is 33 feet long and 20 feet tall, and commemorates the sacrifice of over 600 Swiss Guards who died during the French Revolution protecting the royal family one August day in 1792.  It is a sad but moving statue of a dying lion, fallen on his shield.  Far from home, these men gave their lives fighting to protect the lives of others.