Travel Photos Lucerne, Switzerland

Lucerne's famous Chapel Bridge leading into the Old City

Lucerne's famous Chapel Bridge and stone Water Tower leading into the Old City

Lucerne's famous Chapel Bridge leading into the Old City

Lucerne's famous Chapel Bridge and stone Water Tower leading into the Old City

Another bridge over the Reuss River, leading into the Old City

Catching a drink from one of the many public fountains scattered all over the city

Fresco painted houses in the Old City

Lovely old architecture in the Old City

Fresco painted houses in the Old City

Fresco painted house in the Old City

Fresco painted houses in the Old City

Beautiful old buildings along the Reuss River in the Old City

The Town Hall reflects into the Reuss River

Beautiful old building with castle turret in the Old City

The Town Hall clock tower

Local residents perform on the Alpenhorn at the Town Hall courtyard

Reuss River water level is controlled with a series of wooden water spikes, which are hand-raised and lowered each day

Half of the river is diverted to a placid canal, while rapids mark the other half on its route down

Enjoying a picnic lunch on the steps between the canal and the Reuss River rapids

Looking back toward the Jesuit Church, with the water spikes open to create rapids on the Reuss River

Rapids of the Reuss River, with the Stone Water Tower in the background

Up above the water spikes on the Reuss River

On the Spreuer Bridge, with its lovely hand-[painted murals overhead

The twin steeples Hof Church from across Lake Lucerne

Pipe organ at the Hof Church

The Hof Church

Interior of the Hof Church

The Jesuit Church from across the Reuss River

Inside the Jesuit Church

Pipe organ at the Jesuit Church

Franciscan Church, unassuming on the outside

Franciscan Church, spectacular on the inside

The Dying Lion of Lucerne, carved out of solid stone

The reflecting pond at the Art Museum, with the Hof Church in the distance across Lake Lucerne

Fountain at the Art Museum creates a spectacular rainbow in the late afternoon sun

Resting beneath the fountain at the Art Museum

Lucerne's Banhof - the main train station

Bikes stored at the Banhof while locals travel

One of the many ferries plying Lake Lucerne

Distant Alps lord over sailboats on Lake Lucerne

Ferry and paddleboat on Lake Lucerne, with Alps in the distance

Alps tower over Lake Lucerne

Lucerne's famous Mount Pilatus is the back drop for the town

Lovely architecture abounds outside the Old City as well

A city street in Lucerne

A portion of the well-preserved Musegg Wall - the original city fortification - seen at the end of a city street

The Musegg Wall up close

A portion of the Musegg Wall with one of its towers

A portion of the Musegg Wall with one of its towers - this one was open to the public and accessed the upper ramparts

A portion of the Musegg Wall with two of its towers

Walking the ramparts between two towers on the portion of the Musegg Wall that is open to the public

The view of Lucerne and Mount Pilatus from the very top of the Musegg Wall tower

Climbing aboard a paddlewheel steamboat for the first portion of the Golden Round Trip to Mount Pilatus

The steam engines that provide power to the paddlewheels

Sailing on Lake Lucerne during the first portion of the Golden Round Trip to Mount Pilatus

Sailing on Lake Lucerne during the first portion of thy Golden Round Trip to Mount Pilatus

Steep cliffs and green hills rise from the shores of Lake Lucerne

The village of Dorf on the shores of Lake Lucerne

The village of Hergiswil on the shores of Lake Lucerne

The village of Stansstad on the shores of Lake Lucerne

After hydraulically lowering the mast and flags, the steamboat nears the bridge separating Lake Lucerne from Alpnachersee

Crossing under the bridge to the Alpnachersee with little room to spare - this is the only steamboat on the Lake Lucerne that can cross into the smaller lake

Sailing in the Alpnachersee, on the way to our destination of Alpnachstad, at the very end of the Alpnachersee

The Mount Pilatus cog railway entrance in Alpnachstad

The Mount Pilatus Cog Railway, with a grade of up to 48%, it is the steepest cog railway in the world

The Mount Pilatus Cog Railway

Engineer moves a portion of the lower track from one side to the other, allowing the cars to pass one another

Headed up the mountain in a cog railway car, looking back at our ferry boat, docked at the end o Alpnachersee

Headed toward the first in a series of tunnels on our way up Mount Pilatus

Climbing Mount Pilartus, with another red rail car seen in the far distance

Looking back over the valley and snow-capped Alps

The track rises steeply, quickly leaving trees behind and entering grassy plains and scrub vegetation

Soon even the grass and shrubs give way to rugged rock

The view from the rail car as we climbed along the impossibly narrow, knife-edge of the mountains

Arriving at the top of Mount Pilatus, where people sunbathe, despite crisp mountain temperatures

The Mount Pilatus cog railway station, with tram wires leading down the other side of the mountain

View of an Alpen church from one of Mount Pilatus' walking trails

View down to Lake Lucerne from one of the hiking trails at Mount Pilatus

Walking along the mountain ridges on one of the trails at Mount Pilatus

Walking trail at Mount Pilatus

Rough steps cut into stone on a Mount Pilatus trail

Looking sown on the cog railway station and the Mount Pilatus Hotel from the top of the trail - the highest trail of all is the hill behind the train station and the next one I climb

Just to prove I was actually there....

View of the snow-capped Alps from the top of the trail, showing the cog railway line on the left and the zigzag walking trail down the mountain on the right

Descending back to the cog railway station, headed for the trail to the top of the hill behind the rail station

Put these two photos together to get an idea of the panoramic view from the top of the trail - Lake Lucerne is at the left and the Alps are on the right, with two tiny rd cog railway cars climbing the steep rail line toward the barn on the right-hand side

A lone red cog railway car slowly makes its way to the top of Mount Pilatus

A cable car leaves the station, headed down the back side of the mountain

Lake Lucerne from the highest trail, above the rail station

Looking down on Mount Pilatus Hotel from the trail above the rail station

Looking back at the Alps from the top of the trail above the rail station

The cable car that carried us down the back side of the Mountain to Lucerne completing the Golden Circle Round Trip

Paragliding from the top of Mount Pilatus


LUCERNE, SWITZERLAND

Lucerne's famous Chapel Bridge leading into the Old City	Lucerne's famous Chapel Bridge and stone Water Tower leading into the Old City	Lucerne's famous Chapel Bridge leading into the Old City

Lucerne's famous Chapel Bridge and stone Water Tower leading into the Old City	Another bridge over the Reuss River, leading into the Old City	Catching a drink from one of the many public fountains scattered all over the city

Fresco painted houses in the Old City	Lovely old architecture in the Old City	Fresco painted houses in the Old City

Fresco painted house in the Old City	Fresco painted houses in the Old City	Fresco painted houses in the Old City

Beautiful old buildings along the Reuss River in the Old City	Beautiful old buildings along the Reuss River in the Old City	The Town Hall reflects into the Reuss River

Beautiful old building with castle turret in the Old City	The Town Hall clock tower	The Town Hall clock tower

Local residents perform on the Alpenhorn at the Town Hall courtyard	Reuss River water level is controlled with a series of wooden water spikes, which are hand-raised and lowered each day	Half of the river is diverted to a placid canal, while rapids mark the other half on its route down

Enjoying a picnic lunch on the steps between the canal and the Reuss River rapids	Looking back toward the Jesuit Church, with the water spikes open to create rapids on the Reuss River	Rapids of the Reuss River, with the Stone Water Tower in the background

Up above the water spikes on the Reuss River	On the Spreuer Bridge, with its lovely hand-[painted murals overhead	The twin steeples Hof Church from across Lake Lucerne

Pipe organ at the Hof Church	The Hof Church	Interior of the Hof Church

The Jesuit Church from across the Reuss River	Inside the Jesuit Church	Pipe organ at the Jesuit Church

Franciscan Church, unassuming on the outside	Franciscan Church, spectacular on the inside	The Dying Lion of Lucerne, carved out of solid stone

The reflecting pond at the Art Museum, with the Hof Church in the distance across Lake Lucerne	Fountain at the Art Museum creates a spectacular rainbow in the late afternoon sun	Fountain at the Art Museum creates a spectacular rainbow in the late afternoon sun

Resting beneath the fountain at the Art Museum	Lucerne's Banhof - the main train station	Bikes stored at the Banhof while locals travel

One of the many ferries plying Lake Lucerne	One of the many ferries plying Lake Lucerne	Distant Alps lord over sailboats on Lake Lucerne

Ferry and paddleboat on Lake Lucerne, with Alps in the distance	Alps tower over Lake Lucerne	Lucerne's famous Mount Pilatus is the back drop for the town

Lovely architecture abounds outside the Old City as well	Lovely architecture abounds outside the Old City as well	A city street in Lucerne

A portion of the well-preserved Musegg Wall - the original city fortification - seen at the end of a city street	The Musegg Wall up close	A portion of the Musegg Wall with one of its towers

A portion of the Musegg Wall with one of its towers - this one was open to the public and accessed the upper ramparts	A portion of the Musegg Wall with two of its towers	Walking the ramparts between two towers on the portion of the Musegg Wall that is open to the public

The view of Lucerne and Mount Pilatus from the very top of the Musegg Wall tower	Climbing aboard a paddlewheel steamboat for the first portion of the Golden Round Trip to Mount Pilatus	The steam engines that provide power to the paddlewheels

Sailing on Lake Lucerne during the first portion of the Golden Round Trip to Mount Pilatus	Sailing on Lake Lucerne during the first portion of thy Golden Round Trip to Mount Pilatus	Steep cliffs and green hills rise from the shores of Lake Lucerne

The village of Dorf on the shores of Lake Lucerne	The village of Hergiswil on the shores of Lake Lucerne	The village of Stansstad on the shores of Lake Lucerne

After hydraulically lowering the mast and flags, the steamboat nears the bridge separating Lake Lucerne from Alpnachersee	Crossing under the bridge to the Alpnachersee with little room to spare - this is the only steamboat on the Lake Lucerne that can cross into the smaller lake	Sailing in the Alpnachersee, on the way to our destination of Alpnachstad, at the very end of the Alpnachersee

The Mount Pilatus cog railway entrance in Alpnachstad	The Mount Pilatus Cog Railway, with a grade of up to 48%, it is the steepest cog railway in the world	The Mount Pilatus Cog Railway

Engineer moves a portion of the lower track from one side to the other, allowing the cars to pass one another	Headed up the mountain in a cog railway car, looking back at our ferry boat, docked at the end o Alpnachersee	Headed toward the first in a series of tunnels on our way up Mount Pilatus

Climbing Mount Pilartus, with another red rail car seen in the far distance	Looking back over the valley and snow-capped Alps	The track rises steeply, quickly leaving trees behind and entering grassy plains and scrub vegetation

Soon even the grass and shrubs give way to rugged rock	The view from the rail car as we climbed along the impossibly narrow, knife-edge of the mountains	The view from the rail car as we climbed along the impossibly narrow, knife-edge of the mountains

Arriving at the top of Mount Pilatus, where people sunbathe, despite crisp mountain temperatures	The Mount Pilatus cog railway station, with tram wires leading down the other side of the mountain	View of an Alpen church from one of Mount Pilatus' walking trails

View down to Lake Lucerne from one of the hiking trails at Mount Pilatus	View down to Lake Lucerne from one of the hiking trails at Mount Pilatus	Walking along the mountain ridges on one of the trails at Mount Pilatus

Walking trail at Mount Pilatus	Walking trail at Mount Pilatus	Rough steps cut into stone on a Mount Pilatus trail

Looking sown on the cog railway station and the Mount Pilatus Hotel from the top of the trail - the highest trail of all is the hill behind the train station and the next one I climb	Just to prove I was actually there....	View of the snow-capped Alps from the top of the trail, showing the cog railway line on the left and the zigzag walking trail down the mountain on the right

Descending back to the cog railway station, headed for the trail to the top of the hill behind the rail station	Put these two photos together to get an idea of the panoramic view from the top of the trail - Lake Lucerne is at the left and the Alps are on the right, with two tiny rd cog railway cars climbing the steep rail line toward the barn on the right-hand side

A lone red cog railway car slowly makes its way to the top of Mount Pilatus	A cable car leaves the station, headed down the back side of the mountain	Lake Lucerne from the highest trail, above the rail station

Looking down on Mount Pilatus Hotel from the trail above the rail station	Looking back at the Alps from the top of the trail above the rail station	The cable car that carried us down the back side of the Mountain to Lucerne completing the Golden Circle Round Trip

Paragliding from the top of Mount Pilatus	Paragliding from the top of Mount Pilatus	Paragliding from the top of Mount Pilatus

Paragliding from the top of Mount Pilatus	Paragliding from the top of Mount Pilatus	Paragliding from the top of Mount Pilatus