Lucerne is a beautiful city on Vierwaldstattersee (Lake of the Four Forested Cantons, aka Lake Lucerne), with spectacular views of the Swiss Alps. We went there to visit the Mallonee family’s former exchange student David (who is German but now lives in Switzerland). David was an extremely generous host and we really felt at home while staying with him.
On days when David had to work at the KKL (Kultur and Kongresszentrum – a modern concert hall), we relaxed and discovered the city at a leisurely pace. We explored the beautiful medieval old town and its most famous attractions: the covered wooden bridges (Kapellbrucke and Spreuerbrucke), the Lowendenkmal (the dying Lion Monument), and city walls (Museggmauer) and towers. We also took in a few free concerts at the Blue Balls Festival that happened to be going on during our visit.
On David’s days off, we went further afield. One day the three of us took an all-day cruise around the lake, making it far enough to see Rutli Meadow – the place where Switzerland was born in 1291. Another, we made the trip to the top of Mount Pilatus, along with David’s girlfriend Olivia. Mount Pilatus, at 2132m, normally towers over Lucerne but was, sadly, mostly shrouded in dense fog when we ascended via the world’s steepest cog railway. On August 1, we celebrated Swiss National Day by relaxing in a lakeside park, swimming in Lake Lucerne, and sampling some Augustweggen (a type of bread made especially for the holiday). On most evenings, the three of us cooked (we made Nora’s dad’s enchiladas one night, David made us fondue another), drank beer, and chatted.
We really appreciated David’s hospitality and relished being in the company of a good friend. We enjoyed our time here immensely (so much so that we returned for a couple more nights after three nights in the Swiss Alps), but we happened to be visiting during the strongest Swiss franc in years. Without David’s generosity, we wouldn’t have been able to afford to stay in Switzerland as long as we did.
Click the photo below for our Lucerne photo album.
On days when David had to work at the KKL (Kultur and Kongresszentrum – a modern concert hall), we relaxed and discovered the city at a leisurely pace. We explored the beautiful medieval old town and its most famous attractions: the covered wooden bridges (Kapellbrucke and Spreuerbrucke), the Lowendenkmal (the dying Lion Monument), and city walls (Museggmauer) and towers. We also took in a few free concerts at the Blue Balls Festival that happened to be going on during our visit.
On David’s days off, we went further afield. One day the three of us took an all-day cruise around the lake, making it far enough to see Rutli Meadow – the place where Switzerland was born in 1291. Another, we made the trip to the top of Mount Pilatus, along with David’s girlfriend Olivia. Mount Pilatus, at 2132m, normally towers over Lucerne but was, sadly, mostly shrouded in dense fog when we ascended via the world’s steepest cog railway. On August 1, we celebrated Swiss National Day by relaxing in a lakeside park, swimming in Lake Lucerne, and sampling some Augustweggen (a type of bread made especially for the holiday). On most evenings, the three of us cooked (we made Nora’s dad’s enchiladas one night, David made us fondue another), drank beer, and chatted.
We really appreciated David’s hospitality and relished being in the company of a good friend. We enjoyed our time here immensely (so much so that we returned for a couple more nights after three nights in the Swiss Alps), but we happened to be visiting during the strongest Swiss franc in years. Without David’s generosity, we wouldn’t have been able to afford to stay in Switzerland as long as we did.
Click the photo below for our Lucerne photo album.
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