Day trip to Lucerne

Before heading to Switzerland, I pictured the country as that magic green dot in the map. Always thought of it that way because of the perfect photos we see posted everywhere. The truth is, I went in winter, with no plans, and a lot of white to enjoy from my train window!

Nothing looked like I imagined. And part of that “no-plan” mentality led me to choose Lucerne as an option to spend one day of my weekend there – and I’m so glad that I did.

Itinerary

We left Zurich at 8:00 AM on a Sunday morning. Had a quick breakfast in the train – which we bought from one of the station’s kiosks – it was alright, apart from the fact that it was -5 °C outside.

Train from Zurich to Lucerne

The train trip from Zurich to Lucerne took around 1 hour, because we had one connection in Thalwil:

Winter is serious in Switzerland!

It really is! As soon as we made it to Lucerne, we searched for tours available in the mountain areas, but, to our luck, the weather was terrible that weekend, and visibility was close to 0%. So, we decided to stay in town, and walk around.

These are some of the places we visited:

We went to Kapellbrücke (or Chapel Bridge), a must when you go to Lucerne – not like you will miss it anyways, but just in case! The bridge was packed with birds flying around, asking for food. It was the highlight of the day. The views from the bridge were very nice:

Winter look of Kapellbrucke — ***Kapellbrücke in winter***

Note: Kapellbrücke is a wooden bridge that crosses the Reuss river. Inside, you will see interior paintings that will take you back to the 17th century! It is also the oldest wooden covered bridge in Europe, so as you can imagine, this is truly a city symbol and one of the main tourist attractions in the country.

After we crossed the bridge – and enjoyed the birds asking for food – we walked around old town. There are many hotels, little stores, and restaurants. For those architecture lovers, I think you won’t be disappointed! One building that caught my attention was this restaurant:

A little break for lunch

Walking for around 2 hours made us hungry, we did not eat at Fritschi’s though! At that point we had already walked back to the other side of the city – this time we crossed the river through the Seebrücke bridge – next to the Chapel bridge. Then, we found a perfect cafe with delicious coffee and macaroons – La Vie en Rose – totally recommended!
If you need help deciding where to eat in Lucerne, check this site.

Tours available

After lunch, our hopes were still high for a paid tour, at least a boat tour across the Lucerne Lake. But again – to our luck – the ferry we had to catch to make it back on time for our train to Zurich had just departed. So, we had no choice, but to stick around the area. These are the boat tours we checked, in case you’re interested:

Note: If you have the time I highly recommend that you invest in a boat tour across the Lucerne Lake. Go to the pier to see your options, and make sure you take lots of pictures!

The day went by very quickly, and it was about time to head back to Zurich. The next part of the adventure does not make it less interesting. It turns out I had bought one way tickets ONLY in the train app. I swear I did not notice – sorry!

In the middle of our trip back, we were approached by the train personnel, they asked for our tickets, and when they saw them, the questions started. At the end, the person was very nice, and ended up showing us a bit of Zurich. With that experience I also learned to use the train app for the future! 🙂

My recommendation

Switzerland is a magical place – no matter the season! I am grateful I got to enjoy it fully in white, and look forward to visit in the summer months someday.

As for Lucerne in particular, I do believe it deserves at least two days of your itinerary. There is no regret on my side for the no-plan decision – HOWEVER – don’t be like me, and please plan your trip in advance! I am sure I missed a ton of quality places, and you want to make sure you enjoy as much as you can!

PS: Need help planning your trip to Lucerne? Head to the official city’s website to find helpful tips & guides!

The best lesson I take with me after this trip is to learn to enjoy what you’re doing. No matter what! In my case, I could have perfectly stayed at my hotel room in Zurich given the bad weather. But instead, I went ahead, and made beautiful winter memories. Always take the positive side out of every situation!