Luzern, Switzerland: Swiss Finale

What a surprise Luzern was! After the last few days of packed action and exploration, another Swiss city was really the last thing that I wanted to deal with. Surprisingly, Luzern was my favorite city of the entire trip (excluding Munich). Our hostel was a bit of a hike away from the station and a little difficult to find, but we managed to make it and lock up our luggage before hitting the town.

Our first stop was the Lion Monument, a giant lion etched into the side of the mountain (think Stone Mountain). The Lion was etched in memory of the Swiss Mercenaries that fought in the French Revolution. For lunch we got some meat, cheese, and bread from the supermarket. Finding a place in the park near the lake we people watched for half an hour.

The city was overrun with Asian tourists! It was insane. They were everywhere snapping pictures and throwing up peace signs like they were going out of style. The massive hordes of tour groups clung to the edges of the lake and their ridiculous tour boats. My favorite incident was when one of the men from one of the groups detached himself and stood a full foot in the crosswalk in the road completely oblivious to the fact that a car could have killed him at any moment. He reminded me of the man who stood in front of the tank in Tianenmen Square.

From the monument, we managed to find the old city wall with its 9 towers. Each tower was unique, though the wall was nothing special. We picked our way through some major shopping areas in Old town and found the river that runs into the lake. we crossed a wooden covered bridge and snapped some photos of the tightly placed city, the lake, and the Alps. After walking along the river for a bit, we ended at the oldest covered bridge in Europe (though much of it burned and was rebuilt in 1993). The bridge spanned the river and led us back into old town.

Finding a spot near the lake to sit and observe, we waited about 10 minutes for Molly's train to get in. Meeting her on the bridge, we went back to the hostel to check in. Heading out, we toured the city again, allowing Molly to take some pictures. For dinner, we all agreed to do cheese fondue (apparently something the Swiss are known for). We picked up a DIY packet from the grocery store along with some bread and sausage to dip in the cheese.

The fondue was horrendous, but the bread and sausage saved the meal. That night, we researched Austria, planning our attack on the cities of Salzburg and Vienna.