RunCity

Lucerne on foot: a self-guided walking route

This route takes you past 10 of Lucerne's best-known sights, including Culture and Congress Centre (KKL), Seebrücke, Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrücke) and more. It is about 3.5 km on foot, roughly 1.5 hours at an easy pace with short stops. Follow the list on your own, or play it as a free GPS checkpoint game with RunCity and race the clock on the Lucerne leaderboard.

  • 10Stops
  • about 3.5 kmDistance
  • 1.5 hoursWalking
  • about 41 minRunning
Play Lucerne in RunCity

Free during launch. Runs in your phone's browser; the app is in English, German and Hungarian.

Lucerne
Photo: Валерий Дед · CC BY 3.0

Lucerne sits where the Reuss leaves Lake Lucerne, with mountains on every side, and this route covers its old town in about 3.5 km. It starts at the KKL, the culture and congress centre with its long roof over the lakefront, and crosses the Seebrücke for the view up the lake. The Chapel Bridge, a covered wooden bridge from the fourteenth century with painted panels under its roof, runs beside the octagonal Water Tower.

The painted façades of the Weinmarkt, the twin-towered Jesuit Church and the older Spreuer Bridge with its Dance of Death paintings lead to the bonus stop, the Nölli Tower at the western end of the Musegg Wall. Several towers on the wall are open to climb in summer, and the Zyt Tower has the oldest clock in town. The route ends at the Lion Monument, carved into the rock for the Swiss Guards killed in Paris in 1792, and the twin-spired Hofkirche above the lake.

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Download the route as GPX (for Komoot, Strava or a watch)

The stops

A suggested order. In the game you can visit them in any order.

  1. Culture and Congress Centre (KKL)

    Culture and Congress Centre (KKL)

    The long roof over the lakefront and the cultural centre.

    Photo: Photones · CC BY-SA 4.0

  2. Seebrücke

    Seebrücke Photo

    The lake bridge looking out over the water to the mountains.

    Photo: Leonhard Lenz · CC0

  3. Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrücke)

    Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrücke) Photo

    The covered wooden bridge with the octagonal water tower beside it.

    Photo: Simon Koopmann · CC BY-SA 2.5

  4. Weinmarkt

    Weinmarkt

    The old town square with painted façades and a fountain.

    Photo: Ymblanter · CC BY-SA 4.0

  5. Jesuit Church

    Jesuit Church Photo

    The twin-towered baroque church seen from the riverbank.

    Photo: Reinhold Möller Ermell · CC BY-SA 4.0

  6. Spreuer Bridge

    Spreuer Bridge Photo

    The older covered bridge with its weir and painted gables.

    Photo: Delsener · CC BY 3.0

  7. Nölli Tower

    Nölli Tower Bonus Photo

    The slim tower at the western end of the wall, above the rooftops.

    Photo: Ymblanter · CC BY-SA 4.0

  8. Musegg Wall

    Musegg Wall Photo

    The medieval wall and towers climbing the hill above the old town.

    Photo: Lucerne-Tourism · CC BY-SA 4.0

  9. Lion Monument

    Lion Monument Photo

    The dying lion carved into the rock face above its pond.

    Photo: Gürkan Sengün · Public domain

  10. Hofkirche St. Leodegar

    Hofkirche St. Leodegar

    The twin-spired church above the lake, behind its arcaded yard.

    Photo: Liridon · CC BY-SA 4.0

Play Lucerne in RunCity

Leaderboard

    Questions

    Can you see Lucerne on foot in one day?

    Yes. The 10 stops on this route add up to about 3.5 km, roughly 1.5 hours at an easy pace with short stops.

    Is this self-guided walking tour free?

    Yes. The route and map on this page are free, and the RunCity game for Lucerne is free during launch.

    How does the RunCity game work in Lucerne?

    Open Lucerne in RunCity, walk to a stop and tap Validate: your phone's GPS confirms you are there. Some stops also ask for a photo. Timed runs go on the Lucerne leaderboard.

    Where does the route start?

    This page suggests starting at Culture and Congress Centre (KKL) and finishing at Hofkirche St. Leodegar. In the game you can take the stops in any order.

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