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The Lion Monument, Lucerne, Switzerland

Amongst the variety and range of sites to see in Central Europe, the Lion Monument (near the Lowenplatz Park) in Lucerne, Switzerland may not be atop the list. Hell, it’s not even close. But while in Lucerne, walking is the thing to do and the walk to and from the Lion Monument was one of the highlights of my time there.

The air was cool, the stores bustling a busy front, and Amanda, Chris and I were in the mood for walking. Lucerne, like most cities in Europe, consists of winding streets and tricky side alleys solely created to confuse the tourists into a false sense of wonderment. “Look, we didn’t go down this street yet, what’s down there you suppose?” “We did go down that one, five times over two hours.” “Are you sure, it doesn’t look familiar.” “I’m positive, see? We need to go down Zelpinshaaar and that says “Zalpinshuur.” However many times you walk the same street, Lucerne’s don’t disappoint. Grab your map and keep going!

This Lion Monument blog is simply an excuse to imbibe, or remind, travelers to look around at more than the shops, restaurants, and major sites. Not every city has “major sites” to begin with. There wasn’t one thing in Lucerne I just had to see, but it turned out to be one of the prettiest towns I visited. It reminded me of that movie American Beauty: look closer. Look at the sides of buildings, chances are there’s paintings on them done from the 13^th and 14^th centuries. Look at the hundreds of types of trees that seem to be growing in all parts of the town and how they illuminate in the breaking sun’s rays.

Despite the chilly temperature (I was there at the end of October) and despite being out of money, Lucerne was noteworthy in its simplicity. I didn’t spend a lot of money while there and I used my final Eurorail Pass day to get there so other than my stay at Backpackers Hostel for two nights and a couple cheap meals of spaghetti, it was a great low-key town to relax in.

Not to discount the Lion Monument site itself for it does represent something unique to Lucerne, Switzerland’s history - the lion is a commemoration of Swiss Guards who were killed during the French Revolution - and its size is something to behold. But remember, it’s getting there that’s half the fun.

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