Landmarks of the city of Lucerne

Chapel Bridge, Chaff Bridge and Court Bridge

Stories, pictures and background information on Lucerne’s unique cultural monuments

News

The third of Lucerne’s wooden bridges – the Court Bridge – no longer exists. However, the artworks were saved. 113 panels that once adorned the Hofbrücke are now safely stored in the cultural heritage storage room of the City Archives. Here you can admire the cycle of paintings and learn more about them.

New lights on the edges of the roof set the Chapel Bridge in a better light. The balustrades of the cultural monument are bathed in soft light at night.

Read more: Press release City of Lucerne (german)

The water tower is in many ways an extraordinary monument. What is hidden inside him? What was the water tower for? A guided tour is worthwhile and is even possible from the comfort of the sofa.

Click here for the 360-degree panorama and more stories about this monument.

All about the Lucerne wooden bridges

The Chapel Bridge and the Water Tower are world-famous. Without them, Lucerne would be without its landmarks. But the Chaff Bridge further downstream is also a jewel. And then there is the third in the group: the Court Bridge. It no longer exists –except on this website, where you can find out all about Lucerne’s wooden bridges and their valuable picture cycles.

Hotspots

Chapel Bridge

Chaff Bridge

Former Court Bridge

The lost, the glamorous and the one with two parts

Covered wooden bridges have shaped the cityscape of Lucerne for centuries. Built as footbridges and part of the city’s fortifications, they have continued to change with the passage of time – some of these changes have been deliberate; some have been brought about through catastrophe.

Lucerne in the 12th and 13th centuries: The region was under the control of the monasteries of Murbach and Lucerne as well as the lords of Rothenburg. Lucerne increasingly took on the character of an urban settlement. Following the construction of a stone bridge over the Reuss, which was first mentioned in 1168, the city expanded along the left bank of the Reuss. Its growth was helped by the increase in traffic over the Gotthard Pass around 1200. It was the heyday of urban, bridge and road construction.

Chapel Bridge