Lucerne Old Town

With its idyllic lakeside promenade lined with half-timbered buildings, old burghers' houses decorated with elaborate murals and maze of cobblestone lanes linking the main squares of Weinmarkt, Hischenplatz and Kornmarkt; the pedestrianized Lucerne Old Town provides an atmospheric backdrop for a walking tour. The UNESCO-listed district is the historic heart of the city, set on the eastern banks of the River Reuss and still surrounded by the remains of its medieval city walls and watchtowers.

Many of Lucerne’s top attractions can also be found in the Old Town including the poignant Lion Monument, the Alpineum, the Picasso Museum and the 17th-century old Town Hall, as well as the 15th-century Mills Bridge, a wooden crossing adorned with colorful Kaspar Meglinger murals. Another instantly recognizable landmark of Lucerne is the 14th-century Chapel Bridge - the flower-lined walkway crosses the Reuss from the Old Town and is renowned for its iconic Water Tower and the series of 17th-century paintings that hang from its roof, many of which were partially destroyed by fire.