Private 1.5-Hour Nightwatchman Walk in Medieval Lucerne

Highlights

Inclusions

Itinerary

1. As the tour starts you hear the fire horn followed by the invocation pray. The Nightwatchman tells you about his hard life in the middle age. With the help of a projector he introduces you to medieval Lucerne. You have a detailed look into the Martini plan, the first city map of Lucerne, dating from 1597. You see the route on the map and you will discover that many of the buildings on the map are still here today. You see St. Peter’s Chapel, the first church in town dating back to the 12th century. Next to it you see the first private stone house of Lucerne and you find out where the expression "stone rich" comes from.

   10 min

2. Did you know that the Water Tower was built some decades before the Chapel Bridge? In fact the Water Tower was built in the late 13th century while the Chapel Bridge dates back to 1365. You see pictures of the inside of the Water Tower and hear about the torture chamber, the dungeon and the secret room. Further you learn from where the Chapel Bridge got its name from.

   10 min

3. You walk round the corner to Kapellplatz and hear about live in the middle age in the blooming Republic of Lucerne. Walking through the Furrengasse you learn about its Ghost and the Toggeli (Incubus aka "love robber") around him.

   10 min

4. You arrive at the the Town Hall Square called Kornmarkt. You learn about the Renaissance Town Hall and its Tower with the clock without minute hand. You hear the story of the "Giant of Reiden" and you see the Lucerne Foot and Elle, the official measures of Old Lucerne.

   10 min

5. In the Brandgässli Alley you get to know about the Riot of Lucerne before you continue to the former fish market, known today as the wine market.

   10 min

6. On the Weinmarkt you see the old guest house signs and admire the frescos on the houses. On the former pharmacy house of Renward Cysat you read the latin sentence: "Amor medicabillis nullis herbis" which meams: "There is no cure for a broken heart."

   10 min

7. Right at the riverside square called “Zöpfli”, you hear about law and order in old Lucerne. You see projected paintings about the methods of prosecution, interrogation and corporal punishment of the Middle Age in Lucerne.

   10 min

8. You pass the bridge “Reussbrücke” and you see the Spreuerbruecke (Mill Bridge), the Needle Dam and parts of the Musegg Wall.

   10 min

9. A few steps further you arrive at the breathtaking medieval pharmacy window of the “Alte Suidtersche Apotheke”. The Nightwatchman tells you more about the house and the location.

   10 min

10. As you continue the Nightwatchman shows you some “Guardian Demons”. You stop at the legendary house of Lux Ritter and you hear why the first two floors look different than the third one. Then you hear the story of “Hans von Trient”, the unlucky stonemason. Another Highlight is the presentation of the seven paintings of the Dance of Death. You will see the pictures projected on a house wall and you hear details about from your Guide.

    10 min

11. You pass the Church of the Jesuits, the first baroque building in Switzerland dating back to 1677.

    Passes by

12. You cross the Chapel Bridge and see the paintings and you find out why the bridge is built diagonally over the river. At the end of the bridge you reach the starting point, where the tour ends.

    10 min

Cancellation

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.

Reviews

Ratings come from 16 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.

Know before you go

How it compares in Lucerne

• Its from-price is 46% below the median of the 343 experiences we list in Lucerne.
• It is shorter than most of them.
• By number of reviews it ranks 77 of 343.
• The operator lists free cancellation on it.

About Lucerne

Lucerne is a compact Swiss lake city with a covered wooden bridge, a medieval wall and a ring of mountains, in the heart of Switzerland.

Lucerne sits at the northern end of Lake Lucerne, where the Reuss River flows out under two old wooden bridges. The Chapel Bridge, with its stone water tower and painted roof panels, dates from the fourteenth century, although it was partly rebuilt after a fire in 1993. The old town has painted house fronts, squares and the twin-spired Jesuit church, and the Museggmauer, a wall with nine towers, closes it to the north.

Top-ranked sights in Lucerne: Lake Lucerne (Vierwaldstättersee), Lucerne Old Town, Mt. Pilatus.

See all 343 experiences in Lucerne