Can Switzerland get any better? A train whisked us away from Zurich up toward the mountains to Lucerne. My what a lovely place, and at Christmas time!!! The train ride was scenic. Green, green, green! We passed small villages of white houses and dark roofs. And then the snow-capped, rugged, and immense Emmental Alps began to appear. We knew this was going to be good.
The contrast was shocking as we stepped from the train into an ultra-modern train station in Lucerne. Why so new, we thought? Lucerne is from the Middle Ages. On the pavilion in front of the station stands a tall, majestic stone archway. Saved from the original train station, the arch graces the station entrance and is a reminder of the 1892 elegant domed train station that tragically burned to the ground in 1971. The new train station is in the exact spot where the original sat for 85 years.
Looking past the train station is the compact town of Lucerne. It is oh so lovely! Sitting on the picturesque Lake Lucerne framed by the great snowy mountains, it has two ancient, covered wooden bridges spanning the Reuss River. They once connected the old town to the new town. On either side of the river are buildings of gorgeous architecture, cobbled streets, fountains, and shops of every nature.
Christmas time is not a high tourist season in Lucerne, but there were plenty of people visiting and wandering the charming streets and alleyways.
It is simply breathtaking. We hope to return here to spend not just one day but several days here sometime.
Besides the two covered wooden bridges, the iconic Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrucke from 1333) and the newer Spreuerbrucke from 1408, the most striking and emotional sight and possibly the most famous monument in Switzerland is the Lion Monument or the Lion of Lucerne. Carved into a massive stone relief in a quiet spot, away from the heartbeat of Lucerne, it commemorates the 760 Swiss Guards who were killed in 1792 by revolutionaries in the French Revolutions. It is sobering and heart-rendering.
Mark Twain is said to have praised this sculpture of a mortally wounded lion as “the most mournful and moving piece of stone in the world.”
And so, this ends the 4th of our six-month world journeys. This one has been especially educational and moving; from the horrors of Auschwitz to the stunning castles in Romania, the coastlines of Croatia, the great Acropolis in Athens, and to the Pyramids of Egypt. It was amazing, just amazing.
And what a joy it has been to finish at Christmas time in the magical land of Switzerland. Thank you for coming along with Stan and me on this trip and thank you to all those we met along the way.
I cannot wait to put my arms around my daughters, family, and friends. And do a little Christmas cooking. I’m in the mood!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
My darling sister! I have to say this again! You need to put ALL of your blog posts together into one, FABULOUS travel recommendations book!! What a guide it could be! And written so eloquently!
I’m excited you guys are headed back to the states! I know your girls are so excited! I think you are planning a trip to Arkansas while you’re home and if so, I can’t wait! If not, I truly understand.
No kidding, have these all published in a book!!
I love you two!!
I totally agree with Melissa, your writen word, I believe to be ready to publish. Your descriptions are magical, and puts the reader in the tour. Love it so much.
Homeward bound now, please travel safely, with God’s blessing and enjoy a wonderful Christmas with your lovely girls. Much love, cousin Lana
I am just now seeing your sweet message. Thank you so much! You know we love you too!
Beautiful ending to your most recent adventure. Where did you stay as I find Switzerland beautiful and expensive but so worth it.
Hi Kathy, how great to hear from you. I’m so glad you liked our adventure. For us, it was wonderful. Visiting Switzerland was a last-minute add-on as we had extra time originally scheduled for a visit to Jordan. We are glad we did. Switzerland is such a pretty pretty country but as you giund, wildly expensive!!! We stayed in Airbnb apartments both in Basel and in Zürich— which we usually do in all the places we visit. Both apartments were very nice and conveniently located to public transportation which we always insist on if possible at all, but in the grand scheme of things, even the Airbnb apartments are expensive there too, but well worth the expense— and far more comfortable and less expensive than hotels. We enjoyed visiting theses cities very very much—stops in Basel and Lucern were great additions to Zurich. One more thing it was very cold, and wet. I think we saw one day of real sunshine in our whole time there. We visited Zürich several years ago in early spring, and guess what it was cold and cloudy then too. I have a feeling a summer visit would be amazing though. For me Switzerland is worth it any time of year. Take care! And Merry Christmas to you!!
Lucern was one of my favorite cities when last I was in France. Every time I went to Europe, I came back so disappointed in our lack of beautiful buildings. It’s just a shame we couldn’t have brought some of the old world with us. I love your photos and will miss them until you’re off again!
I’ve always thought that I would want to live in Switzerland but cold and overcast doesn’t suit me. Maybe I need to check into how many days of sunshine they have each year. Lol.
Loved your travels!
Hi Ginny! I’m sorry I failed to answer your question from a few months ago. As I hear it, we were there in an unusually cloudy and damp time. My friends there say the weather is generally quite lovely. Don’t give up your dreams of visiting Switzerland. ❤️