Things to Do in Lucerne, Switzerland: Walking Guide

Lucerne is a historic Swiss city on the Reuss River, known for its wooden bridges, monuments, museums and setting beside Lake Lucerne. From the iconic Chapel Bridge to the interactive Gameorama and the Swiss Museum of Transport, there are plenty of things to do in Lucerne on foot. Neywo offers a free audio guide for Lucerne with 6 narrated places, so you can explore while the stories play as you arrive.

Lucerne is a rewarding stop on a wider trip through Switzerland, whether you are interested in medieval landmarks, modern sculpture or interactive museums.

What to see in Lucerne

The following places bring together some of the most distinctive sights and experiences in the city.

Schlössli Schönegg

Schlössli Schönegg is a distinctive castle in Lucerne and one of the stops on Neywo’s walking route. Its location makes it a natural starting point for discovering a different side of the city beyond the best-known central landmarks.

Gameorama

Gameorama is an interactive play museum dedicated to games from different eras. Its collection includes classic board games, social games, vintage slot machines and modern video games.

Described as Switzerland’s only interactive play museum, it offers a hands-on experience rather than a traditional museum visit. It is one of the more unusual things to do in Lucerne, particularly for visitors who want something beyond monuments and historic streets.

Chapel Bridge

The Chapel Bridge, or Kapellbrücke, is Lucerne’s best-known landmark. This covered wooden footbridge crosses the Reuss River in the heart of the city and measures about 204 metres. It is the oldest wooden covered bridge in Europe and the second longest of its kind on the continent.

The bridge was originally built in the Middle Ages as a defensive walkway connecting Lucerne’s old and new towns on opposite banks of the river. The historic Water Tower stands in the middle of the bridge, adding to its instantly recognisable silhouette.

Inside, triangular paintings once illustrated stories from Swiss history. There were 111 paintings before a major fire in 1993 destroyed many of them and a large section of the bridge. The Chapel Bridge was carefully restored and reopened the following year. Today, it remains one of Switzerland’s most photographed sights.

The Lion Monument

In a peaceful park near Löwenplatz, the Lion Monument takes the form of a large rock relief carved into a cliff. It commemorates the Swiss Guards who died defending the Tuileries Palace in Paris during the French Revolution on August 10, 1792.

The dying lion is roughly ten metres wide and six metres high. Its paws rest on two shields: one bears the Swiss cross, while the other carries the French fleur-de-lis. The sculpture has also attracted strong literary praise; American author Mark Twain called it “the most mournful and moving piece of stone in the world”.

Wächter an der Thorenbergbrücke

In Lucerne’s Littau district, the Thorenbergbrücke is watched over by a monumental concrete sculpture known as Wächter an der Thorenbergbrücke. Locals affectionately call the figure Der Hahn, or “the rooster”.

Created by sculptor Gottlieb Ulmi, the work is a traffic monument and an example of post-war modern art. Its concrete form and nickname give this part of Lucerne a character quite different from the city’s historic bridges and monuments.

Swiss Museum of Transport

The Swiss Museum of Transport brings together exhibits tracing Switzerland’s travel heritage. It opened in July 1959 and has since become Switzerland’s most visited museum.

The museum complex includes more than transport exhibits. Visitors can also find a planetarium, the large-format Filmtheater cinema and the Swiss Chocolate Adventure. In 2019, the museum welcomed over 560,000 visitors, while the planetarium, cinema and Swiss Chocolate Adventure together attracted more than 300,000 guests.

Exploring Lucerne with a self-guided audio tour

A Lucerne self-guided walking tour is a convenient way to connect several of the city’s landmarks without joining a group. Neywo’s walking tour, Lion Monument & Schlössli Schönegg, covers 2.05 km in about 61 minutes and includes 4 narrated stops:

• Schlössli Schönegg
• Gameorama
• Chapel Bridge
• Lion Monument

The route links a castle, an interactive museum, Lucerne’s famous wooden bridge and one of Switzerland’s most memorable monuments. It is a focused introduction to the city’s history, art and landmarks.

Download Neywo for your Lucerne audio guide

Download Neywo and explore Lucerne with one walking tour covering 2.05 km and about 61 minutes, with 4 narrated stops. The app tells the story of each place as you reach it, at your own pace, with no group and no schedule. Narration is available in 11 languages, and the Lucerne audio guide includes 6 narrated places in total.