Our post-trip to Lucerne and the Swiss Alps

**NOTE:  This is the last posting for our trip of the Rhine and Mosel.  Start reading at the beginning of the posting for this trip by clicking:  Rhine and Mosel 2021

 

We arrive in Lucerne via a coach bus ride from Basel.  We will be spending 5 nights in a nice hotel that is just 200 yards from the lake.

As usual, after checking into our hotel, we go on a guided walk around the town.  Our local guide is Susy and she fills us in on the history of Lucerne.

Unfortunately, today is cloudy and a bit drizzly with rain.  There's a lake and mountains out there, but we just can't see it with the low clouds.  Better photos of this area will come.

This photo shows the medieval Chapel Bridge spanning the Reuss River which flows into Lake Lucerne.  It dates back to the 14th century and was built as part of the fortifications of Lucerne. 

As we walked on the bridge, we saw paintings placed below its roof, which depict events from the history and legends of Lucerne.  They were painted in the 17th century; unfortunately, the fire of 1993 destroyed two thirds of the paintings.  From 147 paintings, only 30 were successfully restored.

 

 

Part of the bridge is "Water Tower", having this name because it stands on water.  The tower is older than the bridge and was used as a prison.

 Spreuer Bridge is also an old, covered wooden bridge.  The original Spreuer Bridge was erected around the early 15th century and rebuilt in the late 16th century.  The name comes from the custom of throwing chaff (spreu) from the wheat and leaves into the river from the bridge.

 

We walked through the streets admiring the centuries-old architecture.  Many of the buildings were covered in paintings.

A little ways out of the Old Town is a statue of the Dying Lion of Lucerne.  It was carved out of stone on site and commemorates the fallen Swiss guardsmen who died in 1792 while serving the French king during the French Revolution

We saw lots more that we would revisit during our free time when the weather was much better.

But we did walk along the shoreline of Lake Lucerne where we started to see the mountains emerging from the clouds.

It looks promising for a better day tomorrow.

The next morning, we had a beautiful sunny day.  And it was the day of a marathon in Lucerne that was running just steps away from our hotel.

The Reuss River was beautiful this morning with the reflections of the buildings.

Across the river is the Rathaus, or Town Hall, built in the early 1600s.

Here's looking down the river that empties into Lake Lucerne.

We headed over to the hill with the white building on top.

We took the funicular up the hill.  We hoped to have some views of the city and lake below.

Access was closed off at the top to the building and some viewing points. But we did find a bit of a view.

We knew there was a way to hike down through the forest.

Peeping through the trees, we could see more of the town below.

Back down into the town, we headed over to the Musegg wall and its nine towers, part of the historic fortifications erected in the early 15th century.

The 800 meter wall is considered one of the longest and best-preserved defensive walls in Switzerland.

We climbed up one of the towers and out onto the wall.

This was the last day the inside of the towers would be open for the season.

The steps were steep and narrow inside the towers.

 

This is the Zyttower, (Zyt meaning time) that has the city's oldest clock; and, therefore, the privilege to chime one minute before all the other town clocks.

Back down on the riverfront, we stop in at the Franciscan Church, which is the first large baroque church in Switzerland.

The interior is quite ornate.

The main organ was built in the late 20th century using parts from an older organ dating back to the 18th century.

The Needle Dam was installed in 1859 and regulates the water level of Lake Lucerne by the removal or insertion of its timber "needles".

It was then time to meet up with our group for a scenic boat ride on Lake Lucerne and dinner high up on Mount Rigi.

We docked in the tiny town of Weggis at the base of Mount Rigi.

And boarded an aerial cable car to ascend the mountain.

We had spectacular views all the way up.

Couldn't resist a selfie at the top.

We feel like we are on top of the world, or at least on top of a mountain in the Swiss Alps

After dinner we will be taking the train back down.

The sun is starting to go down

As we head into the restaurant for dinner, we are entertained 

And the music continues with various instruments throughout our dinner

There was lots of laughter and some dancing and Terry kept sneaking outside to take photos of the sunset.

Lake Lucerne far below.

We loved this day in Lucerne and beautiful Switzerland.

The next day was a day we spent off on our own.  And it was cloudy and occasionally rainy.

 We explored a little bit more and found the Hof Church, dedicated to the patron Saint Leodegar.  We did not go inside this one.

The rain has dropped a lot of leaves.

Another view of the Water Tower

Now we can see the snow-capped mountains

The next day we are off on a full-day excursion to visit the Swiss Alps.  We first have to take a coach bus ride to where we will board a train to go up into the Alps.

We stop at the town of Brienz on a lake

And take a short walk to see a street lined with homes decorated with flowers.

The fall color is at its peak here.

We arrive in the town where we will board the Jungfrau Line Railway for a 40-minute ride up the mountain to Kleine Scheidegg.

Along the way everyone is snapping photos right and left of these majestic mountains.

We arrive at Kleine Scheidegg, a major ski area.

Manuela is in the middle of a snowball fight.

There's another train that goes from here to the top of the mountain, Jungfrau

It's a bit windy up here

We are loving it...

Soon it was time to board the train for the trip down the mountain.

It was a wonderful day.  Back at the hotel that evening, it was time to say goodbye to our Program Director and fellow travelers as tomorrow everyone would be leaving, either to fly back home or to continue traveling in Europe.

We will continue traveling as we have another river cruise booked on the Seine River in France.