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Crystal Clear Waters of Lucerne, Switzerland

Coming to the end of the long Christmas trip, my last stop was in Zurich for the flight back to Cologne. Since I had been to Zurich before during my family trip, I decided to take a train to the nearby Lucerne (itinerary) for a short trip before the flight back. After taking a map from the information center and depositing my backpack at the train station, I stepped out of the train station to be greeted by the breathtaking view of the Swiss Alps framing Lake Lucerne. Previously, my family went into the heart of the alps at Jungfrau, but I did not except such a gorgeous view of the mountains so near to Zurich. The lake waters were clear and large flocks of swans and seagulls were crowding the boat quays. All we got in Singapore are mynahs, and the lucky Swiss have wild swans. Breaking down the itinerary into top 5 spots:

1. Chapel and Spreuer Bridge

One of the most photographed landmarks in Lucerne is the wooden Chapel bridge (Kapellbrücke), which looks very much like the inspiration for the wooden bridge that appears in the Harry Potter films. Constructed in the 14th century, it spans the mouth of the river near Lake Lucerne and is decorated by wooden paneling along its length, portraying scenes of Swiss and local history. The bridge in its current form has been extensively restored since suffering a fire, and some of the wooden panels have been left black and charred, which is a pity. In the middle of the bridge is the Water Tower (Wasserturm), and had played the role of an archive, treasury, prison and torture chamber over the years. 

I took a liking to the Chapel Bridge’s lesser-known twin, the Spreuer Bridge (Spreuerbrücke), which looks similar to the chapel bridge but it is a completely different bridge. It is a little further in, past the Jesuit Church. Its name comes from the fact that it was the only place that chaff from cereals (Spreu) could be dumped in the water.

The panelling on the Spreuer Bridge has 67 wonderful wooden panel paintings depicting a Danse Macabre that also spans the bridge. Danse Macabre - the Dance of Death - is a medieval allegory of the universality of death, and the paintings show people from all walks of life being led by skeletons to that great equalizer of death. I thought this was far more interesting than the over-photographed Chapel Bridge, so don’t miss this bridge after crossing the Chapel Bridge.

2. Needle Dam

Writing about Switzerland is not complete without a mention of the crystal clear water. The water in Switzerland is so clean and pristine, the water in the river and lake genuinely looks good enough to drink! I didn’t have to buy bottled water because it is safe to drink from the tap - free Swiss mineral water.

The Needle Dam is between the two wooden bridges. It was installed in the 1800s and still regulates the water level of the Lake Lucerne, by removing or inserting timber needles into the dam. It is the best spot to see how clear the water is, flowing and churning rapidly over the dam. 

3. Jesuit Church

The Jesuit church is right next to the Chapel Bridge, established since 1666.

4. Lion Monument

The Lion Monument (Löwendenkmal, Löwe - Lion) is another famous landmark of Lucerne. It is slightly out of the way from the other attractions in the city center, and it commemorates the Swiss soldiers who died protecting the Tuileries Palace in Paris during the French Revolution. The statue was very life like, and I can see why Mark Twain described it as “the saddest and most moving piece of rock in the world”. The little enclave was peaceful except for the steady trickle of tourists taking photos with the lion, marking the last must-see item on my Christmas trip. 

5. Lindt Chocolate

Switzerland is definitely not for a budget student trip, and most lunch places in Lucerne were way out of my budget. If you are a budget backpacker like me, one tip to eat within budget is the Coop restaurant, which is a food court eatery on the top floor of the Coop supermarket, where a hot meal can be bought for around 10 euros. I had lunch there which was pretty filling. And of course, Coop is a good place to stock up on Lindt chocolate. Swiss chocolate is actually pretty cheap in Switzerland, and there is a Lindt Double Milk flavour that I can only find in Europe so I bought a lot of those to bring back and slowly eat in Singapore. Coop has a huge range of flavours to choose from, so I think they do make for a great gift or personal souvenir that will be tasty and not break the bank!

After stocking up on my Lindt double milk chocolate bars, it was sadly time to walk back to the train station and change to the train to the airport. Here’s Kim Woobin saying goodbye, and that concludes the super long 7 country Christmas/New Year trip.