A Brief Visit To Lucerne and Safenwil, Switzerland

Waking up one morning from deep sleep we saw an amber glow in the skies. Looking out of the window, we were blown by the magnificent painting like sky of Lucerne. We had our first ‘Why is Switzerland Called So Picture-Postcard Beautiful’ moment.

On a brief trip to Paris, we had taken out two days (yes, only two days) to make a quick trip to Lucerne and Safenwil. And we wanted to drive it because we wanted to see and experience more of the ‘land’. Paris to Lucerne is a roughly 6 hour drive, and the gorgeous route is surrounded by blossoming farms and small stretches of forests.

We entered Lucerne in the evening while daylight was still around. After hanging around till dinner in the city we headed to the Gasthaus zum Kreuz, our wonderful hotel. A beautiful old lodge, it is barely 2km from city center, and has a wonderful view of the alps, notably Mount Pilatus and Mount Rigi.

Next morning, after hearty Swiss breakfast, we headed out towards Mount Rigi.

Overlooking the Lake Lucerne, the region around Mount Rigi is an excellent hiking spot with many well marked out trails. We walked in the meadows for a couple of hours and it was time to head to Safenwil. A Swiss friend from this village had invited us over, and thankfully because of that we got to see this lovely village, which wouldn’t have been on our travel radar..Often the best and most memorable trips are those where you make a connection and we did, on this trip. Safenwil is roughly a one hour drive from Lucerne, passes through excellent Swiss countryside and small villages. It was time to say good bye to Lucerne and head to Safenwil…

 

The morning view from Gasthaus zum Kreuz
The morning view from Gasthaus zum Kreuz
Drive to Lucerne from Paris.
Farms blossoming with a rich yellow. Are these mustard fields?
Highway from Paris to Lucerne
The highway from Paris, France to Lucerne, Switzerland, is gorgeous, with farms and small forest stretches on either side.
Alps..
The first view of the Alps…
Welcome to Lucerne
Finally, Lucerne…
parking at Lucerne Train Station.
Entering the parking lot in Lucerne.
Lucerne railway Station
The Lucerne Train station. Very convenient to travel to other parts of Europe from here.
Lake Lucerne in Switzerland
At the Lake Lucerne…
View of the Alps.
A view of the Alps from our room. Do not miss the rainbow.
View of Alps from Lucerne
Framing the view through the window of our room at Guesthaus zum Kreuz
Restaurant at Guesthaus zum Kreuz.
Our breakfast at Lucerne Gasthaus zum Kreuz was a delicious Swiss spread, in this amazing traditionally designed dining room.
Restaurant at Guesthaus zum Kreuz.
Love that font. So Swiss.
Ceiling at the Guesthaus Zum Kreuz.
Not to miss the elaborately designed ceiling and ceramic plates at the Restaurant of Guesthaus zum Kreuz.
Cheese and Salami Breakfast
Breakfast had the most yummy cheese and salamis…
Breads
With warm fresh and delicious choice of breads…
Gasthaus Kreuz
This wonderful hotel has been in the family for over 100 years.
Lucerne on May morning rain.
On a drizzly May morning, despite the cold rain, Lucerne stole our hearts…
Driving towards Mount Rigi
But after breakfast we had to head towards Mount Rigi…
Towards Mount Rigi
And the road was beautiful…
Meadows around Mount Rigi, Lucerne
Heading towards the meadows around Mount Rigi
Church in the meadows...
A beautiful church amongst the grass…
Meadows around Mount Rigi
These open alpine meadows are so gorgeous, so beautiful…
The church in the meadows...
We walked over to the Church…
Lucerne
And gorgeous spread of the Alps…
This entire region is very well marked out for trekking trails.
Common Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs), Lucerne
A Common Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs) sits puffed up in the May breeze of Lucerne Alps.
The Eurasian Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) in Lucerne.
The Eurasian Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) in Lucerne.
Wildflower in the meadows of Lucerne Alps.
Wildflower in the meadows of Lucerne Alps.
Common Vole (Microtus arvalis) in Lucerne
A common Vole (Microtus arvalis) forages in the undergrowth near Mt Rigi in Lucerne, Switzerland
Lichen in a tree in Lucerne.
Lichen on a tree makes such a gorgeous painting.
Another wild flower in the Alpine meadows in Lucerne.
Another wild flower in the Alpine meadows in Lucerne.
Park bench in Lucerne
Sitting amidst the meadow flowers…
Houses in Lucerne...
Driving through beautiful Switzerland… oh, those lovely houses…

What to do in Lucerne: The city itself has plenty to see including the Swiss Museum Of Transport. The entire region being mountainous, there are plenty of hiking trails. In the winters you could go skiing.

In the city itself, try and see the Chapel Bridge, a 200 meters covered wooden bridge attached to the Water Tower which was built in around 1300 AD. It has some 111 paintings inside. Go visit the Jesuit Church, Francesan Church, the Hof Church, the Lion Monument or Musegg Wall (the city walls from 13th century AD)

[box type=”success” width=”100%” ]How To Reach : Lucerne is very well connected by Train, Road and close to Zurich airport.

When to Visit: If you want to visit for Winter season, try January- February. April-May is low season, as the snow is melting, its generally slightly wet too. July/August is summers and high season again. October is low season and December is Christmas!

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6 thoughts on “A Brief Visit To Lucerne and Safenwil, Switzerland”

  1. From your photos I can almost smell the fresh air! Oh my, what a beautiful place this really is! Despite the not-so-ideal weather, it looks like you still had a great time during your brief visit in Switzerland.

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  2. I am searching for the travel informative website. I think this is the right choice for me. Thanks for sharing this post.

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