The hook
A medieval town on a lake ringed by mountains, with a covered wooden footbridge from the fourteenth century and cog railways and cable cars up peaks that rise straight from the water.
01Why it's worth it
Lucerne is the postcard of central Switzerland, and it earns it. The old town sits where the lake pours into the river, spanned by the Kapellbrücke, a roofed wooden bridge from the 1300s hung with old painted panels, with a stout octagonal water tower beside it. The lake itself, Vierwaldstättersee, is a branching, fjord-like sheet of water at the historic heart of the Swiss confederation, and the mountains around it are set up for easy ascents: the world's steepest cog railway climbs Pilatus, another line and a cable car reach the ridges of Rigi, and elegant paddle steamers still work the lake. The town has a mournful stone Lion monument that Mark Twain called the saddest piece of rock in the world. It is polished and popular, but the boat-and-mountain day out is a genuine pleasure.
02How to experience it
Combine a lake steamer with a mountain: boat out across the water, ride the cog railway or cable car up Pilatus or Rigi, and come down the other side, a classic round trip. Walk the Kapellbrücke and the old town early before the tour groups, and find the Lion monument in its quiet grotto.
From the locals
Lucerne's most useful endorsement in the r/travel Switzerland thread comes from someone who lives an hour away and could have picked their own city. A Basel native, having made the case for their own Rhine-side home town, conceded the point anyway: "my preference still goes out to Lucerne and Bern, though. Absolutely gorgeous cities."
The other contributor there built a ten-day trip around it, flying into Zurich and taking "the train straight to Lucerne" rather than staying in the bigger city — with the money-saving tip that generalises across the country: they stayed in a hostel "just outside the city, a 10 minute bus ride," and noted that "if you're looking to save some money, not staying in the middle of town is the way to go." On the trains, they bought half-fare cards, which also cut about 25% off the scenic routes.