The Honeymoon Series [xi] - Lucerne and Zurich, Switzerland

Following my post on Interlaken up to Jungfrau, Switzerland (review here), The Honeymoon Series Part 11 here documents our journey to Lucerne (you may also see it spelt as "Luzern") and Zurich,  our last exploration in Switzerland before we move on to other parts of Europe.

PLACES OF INTEREST

A compact, German-speaking city in central Switzerland, Lucerne is well-known for preserved and medieval architecture, sitting amid snow-capped mountains on Lake Lucerne.

Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and capital of the canton of Zurich, known as a global centre for banking and finance; it is also a metropolis of experiences by the water.

LION MONUMENT
Denkmalstrasse 4, 6002,  Luzern, Switzerland
Website: http://www.luzern.com/en/lion-monument

Also known as "The Lion of Lucerne" or the "Dying Lion Monument", is a memorial, a rock relief carved out of sandstone. It is one of Switzerland's most sentimental monuments and commemorates the heroic deaths of the Swiss mercenaries during their servitude to King Louis XVI during the French Revolution. It is designed by Bertel Thorvaldsen and hewn in 1820 - 1821 by Lukas Ahorn.

CHAPEL BRIDGE AND WATER TOWER (KEPELLBRUCKE and WASSERTURM)
Kapellbrucke, 6002, Luzern, Switzerland
Website: http://www.luzern.com/en/chapel-bridge
Website: http://www.luzern.com/en/water-tower

Lucerne is divided by the River Reuss into Old Town and New Town districts, connected by none other than the Chapel Bridge, dating back to the year 1332. It is a covered wooden footbridge spanning around 204 metres across the Reuss, forming part of the city's fortifications with the Water Tower.

The Water Tower is a massive, octagonal stone tower over 34 metres high, built around the year 1300 and as part of the city wall. It is used as an archive, treasury, prison and torture chamber.

RHINE FALLS
Rheinfallquai, 8212, Neuhausen am Rhinefall, Switzerland
Website: https://www.zuerich.com/en/visit/nature/rhine-falls
Price: 5 CHF (including Laufen Castle at the South Bank)

The largest plain waterfalls in Europe - Rhine Falls, can be found in Switzerland. It is a magnificent spectacle of plunging waters across a width of 150 metres and a height of 23 metres tall.  Besides viewing its beauty for photos and nature appreciation, one may take on the adventure path with elevator that goes from Laufen Castle to the outlook platform, or boat ride to the Rhine Falls Basin. An adventure park lies on the north bank - one of Europe's most spectacular rope parks.

SHOPPING

We went shopping in Switzerland, of course, a very Swiss way of life. The chocolates and watches here are must-buys.

PILATUSSTRASSE
Pilatusstrasse, 6003, Luzern, Switzerland

Located in the newer part of Switzerland, the Pilatusstrasse Square is an intersection of hotels, shops, boutiques and cafes, leaving tourists plenty to do for an afternoon here. Go crazy over Swiss-made leather goods, clothings, watches and chocolates.


BUCHERER
Schwanenpl, 5, 6004, Luzern, Switzerland
Website: http://www.bucherer.com

From high end watches to wallet-friendly quality watches, Bucherer has it all under one house. Bucherer Building alone has 4 to 6 floors of timepieces and some jewellery - you can find anything from Rolex to Audemas Piguet to Piaget to Chopard to IWC etc under one roof, easy for your comparison and shopping needs.  Just a friendly note to you though - that prices may not be the most competitive here - small watch boutiques around the same row of shops may very possibly offer prices that are better (depending on brands and models).

RESTAURANTS

I very much enjoyed the food in Switzerland overall, especially the cheese and chocolates because the milk they use here is just oh so delicious.

HEINI
Falkenpl, 6004, Luzern, Switzerland
Website: http://www.heini.ch

A lovely tea house translated into "Raindrops from Luzern", they serve up unique pies, creative confectionery, pastries and bread here, opened by Hans and Anna Heini. Their fine cakes and masterpiece chocolates won them quite some awards over the years.

LADERACH CHOCOLATIER
Website: https://www.laederach.com

They have various outlets in Switzerland and needs no introduction - they are known for their top-quality, handmade gourmet chocolates since 1962. Whether you are looking for interesting designs or flavours, whether you are searching for a gift or personal indulgences, Laderach has it all.

CAFETERIA EMILIO
Grendelstrasse 9, 6004, Luzern, Switzerland
Website: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cafeteria-Emilio-luzern/188835671161304

A simple cafe located right in the midst of watches' boutiques at Lucerne, Cafeteria Emilio seems the perfect place to grab a meal or cuppa in between shopping. Decor is pretty, with dark oak and mirror panelings, however our tour-mates did not enjoy their food here. We had Hot Chocolate and Cappuccino, to battle the cold and recharge for more shopping - the beverages are fine.

MIGROS / COOP SUPERMARKET CAFE
A simple gourmessa filled with stalls selling pastries or piping hot food including Switzerland sandwiches, pies, etc to Asian sushi rolls. One may take-away or dine in their simple cafe. We were a little hungry so decided to grab a bite - this beef sandwich came with very hard bread but the patty was so juicy, succulent and delectable!!

RESTAURANT / LOUNGE of HOTEL MEIERHOF
Hotel Meierhof Level 5, Bahnhofstrasse 4, 8810 Horgen, Switzerland
Website:  http://www.hotelmeierhof.ch/gastronomie/lounge-bar-au-lac/index.html

A comfortable and intimate space located on level 5 of Hotel Meierhof, the restaurant / lounge offers different types of seating, faux fireplaces, and huge expanse of window space overlooking the lake. One could look forward to catching the sunrises or sunsets at the right times, over quality food and drinks.

SCHLOSS WORTH
Rheinfallquai 30, 8212, Neuhausen am Rheinfall, Switzerland

The Schloss Worth was also known as the "Water Castle", a fortification built in the 1300s, linked by a bridge. Today it houses a gourmet restaurant or some term "snacks bar" with a gorgeous view of the Rhine Falls.

ACCOMMODATION

We stayed in Lucerne for a couple of nights before zipping off to Germany. It was cold but Swiss hospitality could always be counted on. I also notice that hotels in Switzerland are rather fortunate because they could always count on the beautiful natural landscapes to provide excellent views for their guests.

HOTEL MEIERHOF
Bahnhofstrasse 4, 8810 Horgen, Switzerland
Website: http://www.hotelmeierhof.ch

A 4-star hotel that proclaims itself to be more relaxed than a home away from home, Meierhof is located in a good location, with 108 colorful rooms and is suitable for both business and leisure stays. The hotel itself has a bar and restaurant au lac, but they are only too happy to also recommend and make bookings for guests should they wish to dine at nearby restaurants.  The rate here is around 240 CHF a night.


Herein concludes our tour in beautiful Switzerland, which we miss dearly. We shall move on to Germany in the next episode of The Honeymoon Series. Keep your eyes peeled - thanks for gracing my site.


For backtracks:
(i) Honeymoon Series part 1 - selecting the destinations (click here)
(ii) Honeymoon Series part 2 - researching and booking (click here)
(iii) Honeymoon Series part 3 - preparing for the trip (click here)
(iv) Honeymoon Series part 4 - Rome, Italy (click here)
(v) Honeymoon Series part 5 - Siena, Florence & Pisa, Italy (click here)

(vi) Honeymoon Series part 6 - Venice and Milan, Italy (click here)
(vii) Honeymoon Series part 7 - Lorraine and Fontainebleau, France (click here)
(viii) Honeymoon Series part 8 - Paris, France (click here)
(ix) Honeymoon Series part 9 - Swiss Alps and Bern, Switzerland (click here)

(x) Honeymoon Series part 10 - Interlaken and Jungfrau, Switzerland (click here)