Sam's Exotic Photos of Awe-Inspiring Lucerne (Luzern), Switzerland

Lucerne, Switzerland, Lake Lucerne, sunrise, sunset, street scenes, landscape photography, nature photography, pictures of people, exotic travel, adventure travel, nature photography, landscape photos, photo journeys, pictures of people, photography, images

City of Lucerne at Sunset from Harbour, Lucerne, Switzerland Lucerne at Sunrise from Ramparts, Lucerne, Switzerland Footbridge over River Reuss, Lucerne, Switzerland

An hour south of Basel and Zurich, and boasting invigorating mountain views, lake cruises and a picturesque old quarter, LUZERN (Lucerne in French and English, Lucerna in Italian) has long been one of Europe’s most favorite tourist attractions. With a population of 75,000, tourism is the leading source of income, and yet the city has adeptly managed to retain all of its charm.

The River Reuss splits the town, flowing rapidly out of the northwestern end of the lake. River banks on both sides are clustered with medieval squares, frescoed houses, ancient guildhalls, churches and chapels, and filled with a liveliness that belies the city’s age. Aside from using Lucerne as a base from which to explore the region, it would be easy to spend at least a couple of days taking in some of its quality museums – a Picasso gallery, the impressive Verkehrshaus (Transport Museum) – in between walking on the medieval battlements, and exploring cobbled alleys and hidden garden courtyards.

But Lucerne is no museum piece; café culture is treasured by the city’s large population of young people, and at midnight on a weekend night, the main Pilatusstrasse boulevard has the feel of any European capital, with people bar-hopping, waiting for the last bus, or hanging out deciding where to go. Whether you’re charmed by Lucerne’s sense of history and tradition, or by the misty lake at its doorstep and the snow-capped Pilatus rising above, or even by its nightlife, charmed is what you’ll be.

While every city we visited had its charms, Lucerne was my favorite site of the trip. It was so picturesque, it would be difficult to take a bad picture. I definitely would like to go back, but then again there are so many places I haven't seen yet and so little time.

Sunset Cruise on Lake Lucerne - Well, a charming city, beautiful lake and huge homes dotting its shoreline all viewed at sunset. What more can I say.
Night Views - With the lake and the river, night views were special too. Check out the views.
Sunrise - It is the early bird that catches the worm - er pictures along the harbor, up on the battlements and along the river.
Street Scenes - Want more? Check these out too. This is the only place that the views were so great, I didn't do a series on people, just one man fishing.

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Copyright notice
Please note that all photographs and text appearing on this site are the exclusive intellectual property of Sam Stearman. No images are within the Public Domain, and no image use is permitted without the written prior authorization of the copyright owner. If you see any pictures you would like to buy, all the thousands of pictures on this site are available in high resolution digital format, suitable for framing, use in magazines or advertising. Email me if you would like to know more.

This site was last updated 05/23/05