Lucerne’s Lakes and Mountains

The Pearl of Switzerland, also known as Lucerne or Luzern (in German) lies at the north end of Lake Lucerne (Vierwaldstätter See) where the River Reuss flows out of the lake. The town, with its well-preserved medieval core, elegant historic buildings, and genial atmosphere, is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Switzerland. 

The must-see sites in the city are:

Kapellbrücke (Chapel Bridge)

The most characteristic sight in Lucerne is the Kapellbrücke, a covered wooden bridge running diagonally across the Reuss. Built-in 1333, it is a picturesque centrepiece for Lucerne. More than one hundred 17th-century pictures hang from the roof rafters inside, depicting patron saints and scenes from the town's history. The bridge and tower are among the most photographed scenes in all Switzerland.

Löwendenkmal (Lion Monument)

It was carved out of natural rock in memory of the heroic deaths of the Swiss mercenaries at the Tuileries in 1792. 'The dying Lion of Lucerne' is one of the world's most famous monuments. Mark Twain described the Lion of Lucerne as the saddest and most moving piece of rock in the world.

Swiss Transport Museum

A large complex covering all forms of transport, as well as communications and tourism. Follow Switzerland’s development of its renowned transportation from its earliest days, especially in its mechanized forms. Through rolling stock and railway locomotives, both models and actual examples of ships, aircraft, rockets, and automobiles. A treat for children and adults alike.

Älplermagronen

A traditional all-in-one pasta, potato and cheese dish that originates from the German part of Switzerland. The classic version is made by layering cooked potatoes and macaroni with cream and cheese, before baking it in the oven. People usually serve it with fried onion rings and a stewed apple sauce on top. The dish sometimes comes with bacon, too. Whatever ingredients you include, though, Älplermakkaronen is a seriously hearty meal that warms you up a treat.

Fondue

Fondue in Switzerland may seem clichéd, but it is indelibly woven into the country’s fabric. It is a must-have for any local or visitor to the country from autumn to spring. Dunk rustic country bread into melted cheeses, infused with lashings of wine and garlic, bubbling over an open flame. Pair yours with white wine and chase it with schnapps or tea for an epic meal.

Rosti

Thinly grated potatoes, pan-fried until crisp and golden, rosti is one of Switzerland’s iconic national dishes. Served steaming in a ceramic dish, Rosti Valaisanne is a delightfully addictive mash-up of rosti topped with salty bacon, fried egg, and melted raclette cheese, served alongside tangy gherkins and pickled pearl onions.

Raclette

Raclette is a local cheese customarily grilled slowly over a fire, with layer-by-melted-layer sliced off to blanket boiled potatoes, pickles and onions. Contemporary raclette machines make grilling commonplace in Swiss homes, where friends gather for hours, waiting for slices of raclette to melt, while drinking copious glasses of local Fendant wine.

Zurcher Geschnetzeltes

Zurich-style diced veal is an iconic national dish that makes a hearty lunch. Made of sliced veal, calves’ kidneys and sweetbreads sautéed in a gravy of onions, butter, white wine, cream, and mushrooms. The mixture of cream laced with wine over veal, Zurcher geschnetzeltes as it’s known in Swiss-German dialect, is a delight.

Macs Adventure has been running self-guided walking holidays in Switzerland since 2008.  Whether you like mountains and hills, lakes, rivers and glaciers, dreamy villages and well preserved medieval cities, Switzerland has something to offer for everyone. This abundance of wonderful places to explore lead us to seek out more and more areas where we could help people to discover Switzerland on foot. 

From humble beginnings, we now send over 2000 walkers to Switzerland every year, each walking the route that excites them the most. We provide the freedom to choose your route, itinerary and travel companions and discover Switzerland at your own pace. 

We know how daunting it can be, setting off on an adventure of this scale and we quickly realised how important it was to have amazing partners on the ground in Switzerland to deal with any issues that you might come across.  We are proud to say that we work incredibly closely with all our accommodation suppliers and luggage transfer teams and should you have the slightest issue, they will fall over themselves to help you out. 

We offer a flexible hiking experience that gets you in comfortable, friendly overnight accommodation in local B&Bs and guesthouses. We carry your bags to lighten your load so you can concentrate on simply putting one foot in front of the other and enjoying the unique culture, food and scenery of Switzerland. No hostels, no leaky tents, no heavy bags on your back just a straightforward active holiday that you can book with confidence that we have it all covered for you.