Hotel Monopole Jesuit Church Interior
The train ride from Paris to Basil to Lucerne took about 6.5 hours, about the same time as the flight from Philadelphia to Paris. But the seats were a lot more comfortable! The outskirts of Paris quickly gave way to rolling French countryside, small towns, and then the more mountainous country of Switzerland. we were delighted to find that the Hotel Monopole was literally across the street from the railway station in Lucerne. (Don't think small whistle-stop here, think mall-sized station!) The rooms in the Monopole were markedly larger than the French hotels and actually had an elevator large enough to hold more than two people squeezed together!
After dropping off the bags, we were off to explore the town. On the same side of the bridge as our hotel is the Church of the Jesuits, built in 1663 and renovated in 1979-1980. Its onioned turrets and elaborate baroque interior contrasted markedly with Notre Dame in Paris.
The Kappelbrücke Bridge, originally built in the 14th century but partially devastated in a fire and rebuilt in 1993, is central to the town. It is a footbridge over a narrow portion of Lake Lucerne. In the not-too-far distance snow-covered mountains remind us where we are.
Crossing over the bridge brings you into the "old town" of Lucerne, full of shops selling watches, clothing, cameras, chocolates, clocks, and pretzels. A colorful fountain stands in the square near the entrance to the sops. Many of the buildings, including the Hôtel des Balances are colorfully decorated with frescoes. A 10-minute walk from the shopping area brings you to the Lion of Lucerne, built in memory of the Swiss guards who died at the Tuilleries in Paris during the French Revolution in 1792. The lion is carved from rock in the side of a hill with a beautiful garden and pond in front. Nearby, we found an ultra-modern library with internet access for about $1.25/hour!
The next day, we set out to visit Mount Pilatus, which rises to about 7000 feet. A 15-minute bus ride from Lucerne brings you to Kriens. A brief walk along neatly planted yards, an old church and cemetery, and a roadside shrine takes you to the base of the lift. A four-person gondola takes about 25 minutes to traverse the first 4649 vertical feet of the trip. Before your eyes, the landscape changes from verdant green, to original growth evergreens, to snow-covered tall pines. You get out at Fräkmüntegg and switch to a 40-person cable car for the 5-minute ride up to Mt. Pilatus at 6953 feet.
Mount Pilatus is supposedly inhabited by a variety of dragons, according to legend. Various myths had at various times even prevented the townspeople nearby from going into the mountains or even grazing their flocks on its slopes. In the summer, Pilatus features the longest toboggan in Switzerland and is accessible by a cogwheel train, inclined nearly 48%. Unfortunately, there was still too much snow for the train to run while we were there.
At the top of Mount Pilatus, there are two small hotels, a couple of restaurants and a tavern. The day we were there, visibility was less than 10 feet, so the spectacular panoramic view afforded from the summit was lost on us. Hot chocolate, soup and sandwiches in the restaurant in the Hotel Bellevue helped restore warmth after the trek through the caves which tell the legends of the dragon of Mt. Pilatus.
After returning to the hotel for a warming shower and a brief rest, we set out for dinner at Château Gütsch. Accessible via a funicular, it sits high on a hill over Lucerne giving a spectacular view of the city below and the Alps in the distance.
