Chapel Bridge

On the night of 18 August 1993, a fire destroyed much of the Chapel Bridge in Lucerne. The likely cause was a discarded cigarette. Within eight months, the bridge had been reconstructed to its original design. Of the 158 painted panels that had hung in its rafters since the 17th century, about 30 originals survived or were restored; the rest were lost. You are looking at a faithful reconstruction of a 14th-century bridge, with a fraction of its original art. Knowing this matters when you look up at the panels as you cross.

The Bridge

Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrücke) was built in 1333 as part of Lucerne’s fortifications, connecting the old town with the new town and protecting the city’s southern flank. It is Europe’s oldest surviving wooden covered bridge, 204 metres long, roofed, and running on a slight diagonal across the Reuss River. The Water Tower at the bridge’s bend is even older, built around 1300, serving over the centuries as a watchtower, a city archive, a treasury, and a prison and torture chamber. It’s now a gift shop.

The surviving panels in the bridge rafters depict scenes from Swiss and Lucerne history alongside the lives of the city’s patron saints Leodegar and Maurice. They were painted in the 17th century, which already made them several hundred years newer than the bridge itself.

Visiting

The bridge is free to walk across at any hour. Early morning (before 8am) and evening give you the clearest experience; midday in summer puts you in the middle of the heaviest tourist flow in Switzerland, which is saying something. The light in the early morning particularly, with the mountains reflected in the Reuss and the flower-boxes on the bridge rails, is worth waking up for.

The Water Tower is not open for interior visits; it can be seen from the bridge walkway.

Lucerne

The city is compact and easily walkable. The Lucerne Museum of Art (Kunstmuseum Luzern) on the lakefront is free on Saturdays and has a good collection of modern and contemporary Swiss work that most visitors skip entirely. The old town north of the river has covered arcades, market squares, and the painted facades of the houses on Hirschenplatz that are the other characteristic Lucerne image.

Mount Pilatus (2,132 metres) and Rigi are both accessible by cogwheel railway and cable car from the city. The Pilatus ascent is the more dramatic; the Rigi is often called the “Queen of the Mountains” by locals and offers the more comprehensive panorama on a clear day.

Where to Eat and Stay

The lakefront hotels command significant prices; the Hotel des Balances directly above the river on Weinmarkt is the luxury option with the best location. For mid-range stays within the old town, options on the lanes off Hirschenplatz are more reasonably priced than the waterfront.

The restaurant selection around the bridge is heavily tourist-oriented. Walk two streets north or east and the ratio of residents to tourists improves. The Wirtschaft Galliker on Schützenstrasse has been serving Lucerne cooking since 1856 and is the right choice for a sit-down lunch away from the main circuit.

Getting There

Lucerne is 45 minutes from Zurich by direct train, one of the most frequent international connections in Switzerland. The Swiss Travel Pass covers this route and all transport within the city including boats on the lake.