The best panoramas are the views from any of Lucerne's nine lookout towers, which are clustered in an orderly row within a 5-minute walk uphill and north from the center of town. Part of the old fortifications erected along the north side of the medieval sector, they were all built in a different style between 1350 and 1408. At twilight they stand in dramatic silhouette against the sky. The nine towers are known as the Museggtürme, but you can climb only three of them. Admission is free, and they're open from May until the beginning of October from noon to 8pm daily. You can also take a short walk on the old outer wall of the city.
Although our only walking tour is for the independent traveler, guided walking tours are also available; contact the tourist office for more details. These tours cost around 18F ($15/£7.80). In summer, tours depart daily at 9:45am; in winter, tours are conducted only Wednesday and Saturday at 9:45am.
Nearby Attractions -- There are dozens of half-day and full-day excursions from Lucerne -- so many that we recommend you allow at least 5 days to see the city and its environs. There are several points of interest around Lake Lucerne. Most of them can be reached by paddle-steamer along the lake. While en route, you can enjoy a panoramic view of the water and mountains. Lake Lucerne (Vierwaldstättersee) winds its way 39km (24 miles) into the alpine ranges of the heart of Switzerland. Many excursions can be combined with a trip to the top of a mountain by cable car or funicular. Summer is the peak season.
Schiffahrtsgesellschaft Vierwaldstättersee (Lake Lucerne Navigation Co.; tel. 041/367-67-67; www.lakelucerne.ch) operates a flotilla of lake steamers that chug across the surface of Lake Lucerne, much to the delight of sightseers, who appreciate the steep mountains rising on all sides. Round-trip passage from Lucerne to the lake's most distant point, Flüelen (4-hr. round-trip) costs 79F ($65/£34) in first class, 53F ($43/£22) in second class, and departs from the quays opposite the Hauptbahnhof in Lucerne. In midsummer departures begin at 9:15am and continue every hour or so throughout the day. Wherever you decide to disembark en route, find out the departure time of the last boat back to Lucerne. Usually, the last boat from Flüelen departs before 4:20pm. All boats have a restaurant, or at least a cafeteria, onboard.
The William Tell Express offers an opportunity to see regions of German- and Italian-speaking Switzerland in one full-day excursion. Between May 12 and October 24, it transports participants, as part of a 6-hour travel experience, from Lucerne, via Lugano, to Locarno. Begin with a 3-hour boat ride from Lucerne to the lakeside hamlet of Flüelen, then hop aboard a special train for a continuation of the trip across some of the most jagged and precipitous mountain scenery in the world. Seats in the first-class compartments have wider windows and skylights, while those in the less comfortable second-class cars are slightly less panoramic. A three-course meal, served aboard the lake steamer during the first part of the journey, is included in the round-trip (Lucerne to Locarno) price of 245F ($201/£105). Reservations, preferably several days in advance, are vital. To make them, and get more information, call tel. 041/367-67-67.
