View of Château Gütsch

Look up towards the hill across the river. From here, you have a perfect view of Château Gütsch, whose white façade beautifully contrasts with the surrounding forest. Its name means “hill” in Swiss German. This château looks like it’s straight out of a fairy tale. It was built in 1888 in the charming Belle Époque style, and originally intended as a hotel, but the site’s history goes back much further. In 1590, a watchtower stood here, built at the edge of Lucerne’s city fortifications. It served as a lookout point: if danger was spotted, a fire would be lit at the top, visible to everyone in town. In 1859, a man named Burkhard Pfyffer bought the land and received permission from the city to open an inn, which eventually became a hotel. At the time, there was no funicular, which wouldn’t come until 1884. Until then, visitors had to hike up the hill on foot. Unfortunately, a fire broke out on the hill four years after the funicular opened, destroying the watchtower and much of the hotel. Its reconstruction in 1901 drew inspiration from Bavaria’s famous Neuschwanstein Castle. During both World Wars, the château was closed and occupied by the army, but it has been restored multiple times since then, and is now a luxurious hotel. If you’d like to visit, you can take the funicular from Baselstrasse — it runs every four minutes, and costs the same as a bus ticket. Once at the top, you’ll find one of the most breathtaking views of Lucerne — the perfect spot to enjoy a drink while taking in the city’s beauty.