Lucerne and Zug, Switzerland

While on my jaunt to Switzerland, we took the train to Lucerne for $35. We were advised by some locals to stop off in Zug on the way back. It was a good decision.

Lucerne (Luzern in German) is a gorgeous, medieval town south of Zurich. It's surrounded by the Alps including Mt. Pilatus and Rigi. The Reuss River goes through the city and empties into a lake.

After we arrived, we stumbled upon an outdoor church service where some musicians were playing the alphorns (see above photo). Then we strolled around the city looking for the Rosengart Musuem. We finally found it, and it was well worth our hunt. This museum is packed with Pablo Picasso paintings and photographs. There's also an impressive collection of Paul Klee, Matisse and Chagall.

The most notable site in Lucerne is the Chapel Bridge, or Kapellbrüke. The wooden bridge was built in 1333. Though most of it was destroyed in 1993 due to a fire, it's still a beautiful structure. The water there is so clear and blue that it's unreal. We had lunch near the bridge at a Swiss German restaurant Rathaus Brauerei. They actually brew their own beer on site and had good pretzel sandwiches.

On our way back to Zurich, we took the 15-minute train ride to Zug. We took a walk around the city. Someone told us that this is where a lot of the wealthy business people live who work in Zurich. I can see way - it's a gorgeous place to live.

Our feet were aching so we parked it for a while on a dock and then at a little lakeside bar to watch the sunset. The sunset was unbelievable. Before we left, we had dinner at a little Italian place called San Marco. It was a great day excursion. I'm glad that we decided to go there rather than making the much longer trip to Geneva.