Things to do in Lucerne

Lucerne is the classic full-day trip from Interlaken, reached in about 1 hour 50 minutes on the scenic Luzern-Interlaken Express over the Brunig line, with a change of scenery from the Bernese Oberland to Lake Lucerne.

The old town is compact: the wooden Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrucke), rebuilt after a 1993 fire, and the Musegg Wall with its nine medieval towers, several open free of charge from spring to autumn. The Lion Monument, cut into a sandstone cliff in 1821, draws crowds for a single carved animal and a five-minute viewing.

The Swiss Museum of Transport takes a half day on its own, and the KKL concert hall on the lakefront is worth a look even without a ticket. Pair a lake cruise with a mountain trip up Pilatus or Rigi to fill the afternoon before the return train.