Friday, March 14, 2008

On Friday morning we decided that we would finish our stay at the Hotel Bellevue with a leisurely breakfast in the dining room before heading to Luzern. This would allow us to leave a little bit after the morning rush-hour commute and thus, hopefully, allow for less congested trains and stations.

Our path from Wengen to Luzern (in light blue).

We again enjoyed fresh baked breads, Swiss cheeses, cereals, and assorted jams, jellies, and beverages. During breakfast we talked about everything we had seen since our arrival in Wengen four days earlier and remarked that we were both excited and sad to be moving on to our next “home destination.” Aside from Interlaken, we had seen little of the larger population centers of Switzerland and I eagerly looked forward to comparing and contrasting them with the smaller, ski towns of the country.

We finished breakfast and I went back upstairs to grab the already-packed bags as Travis went to the front desk to check out. Given the time of year and the location, we both felt the Bellevue was well worth the cost and would certainly consider the hotel again if ever we returned to Wengen. My only complaint would be in reference to the heating system in the room. It just didn't seem to provide for much warmth, although, this is coming from a Floridian so take it with a grain or two of salt.

Our train ride from Wengen to Luzern again afforded us some spectacular views. We rode along the banks of the two lakes of Interlaken for some time and caught wonderful views of the turquoise waters laid out against the backdrop of the soaring alps. Talk about postcard perfect.

Wengen to Luzern Itinerary.

The train trip was relatively uneventful except for the odd banana wielding passenger that boarded in Interlaken and sat next to us until his departure somewhere before Luzern. Let's just say that some individuals, apparently, are more than a little bit forward. Banana Gate was somewhat uncomfortable and very unpleasant.

During the train trip I amused myself with my GPS, which, I come to find, has a difficult time maintaining a signal on the train system; listening to my Sansa; and watching the Swiss tapestry unfold. Two hours after we left Interlaken Ost (two hours fifty-three minutes after boarding the train in Wengen) we arrived at our destination: Luzern. Now, to find the Magic Hotel!

Prior to leaving Florida we had printed out basic maps that would help us find out hotels in Luzern and Zurich. The Magic Hotel was near the center of Luzern's Old Town and just across a platz from several city landmarks. Our map proved very useful and we were soon trudging along toward the hotel.

Luzern was bustling on the Friday afternoon on which we arrived. The bahnhoff was huge compared to any we had seen thus far and reminded us a great deal of the stations in Paris and Champagne we had seen the previous summer. Even with the mobs of people moving throughout the station and the 18+ tracks, however, it was very easy and direct to find out where we needed to be and where we were going.

We headed for the main exit of the station and were soon on the streets of Luzern next to the Reuss River. Although the mountains were further in the distance now, at least in comparison to how close they had been in Interlaken, Wengen and the various other towns we had visited, they still provided a massive and spectacular backdrop for the city.

We crossed the river by one of the many bridges and headed down a narrow, cobble stone road that soon opened up onto the platz. Across from a huge clock tower we saw the sign for the Magic Hotel. As we reached it we noted the all-glass front door, the call buzzer, and a sign that said all Magic Hotel guests needed to check in at the Krone Hotel at the given address. We referred to our map and quickly spotted the Krone just a street over. Off we went.

Travis went in to the Krone to check us into the Magic (interesting, huh?) while I waited outside with the baggage. The plaza seemed quite busy for a Friday afternoon with people shopping, walking, and heading here and there. Travis soon emerged and we were off on our way back to the Magic.

We slid the key card into the designated spot and opened the door to find nothing more than a winding stairway directly in front of us. Up we went. The Magic Hotel sports about ten different room all themed differently. Such themes as “The Pirate Room” or “The Egypt Room” provided unique furnishings, decor, and ambiance. We had been assigned “The Farmer Room” despite having requested something along the lines of “The Swiss Chalet Room.”

Arriving at the fourth floor we opened the door to our room and were greeted by, well, chickens, roosters, and cocks! Not real ones, mind you, but rather the plastic and ceramic variety that had been glued around the room. Pressed hay held between chicken wire was used as wall decoration and bedside lamps were in the shape of giant sunflowers that glowed soft yellow and greens. Included in the room was TV, coffee/espresso maker, mini-bar, writing desk, and the usual other trappings of a hotel room. Upon first entering the room I wasn't quite sure of the theme, but, the more I experienced it, the more I grew enchanted with it. It's one of those memories that I hope to look back on in twenty years and which will lend a bit of nuance to my stay in Luzern.

After resting for a bit and getting our clothes and bags situated we decided to head off to explore Luzern. I had purchased the Frommers Switzerland guide book at Borders because they provided walking tours of each of the major cities in Switzerland. Travis had copied the walking tour for Luzern and we decided to give it a try. I'm exceptionally glad that we did as it provided for an outstanding afternoon of seeing the sights in the city.

Although the Frommer's walking tour gives a general order in which to see the various sights of the city, we opted to mix it up a bit and started with the listed item that was closest to the Hotel Magic. Several of the sights consisted of "platz" or town squares.

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Some of the city highlights (with notes from the walking tour):

St. Peter's Church in the background of the Kapellplatz.

Kapellplatz - Site of St. Peter's Church. The church is the oldest in the city of Luzern and was built in 1178. 830 years ago! A plain white building and very demure on the inside, we spent several minutes inside taking in the architecture and the activities going on inside. Each of the churches we visited had several worshipers inside and it was interesting to be an unobtrusive observer.

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Built in 1602 in the typical Renaissance style of that period.
Altes Rathaus (Old Town Hall) - Located directly across from the entrance to our hotel, we used this landmark as a reference during our stay in Luzern. The building was built in 1602 and housed the city government at one time.

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Kapellbrucke (Chapel Bridge) is over 675 years old.
Kapellbrucke (Chapel Bridge) - A significant symbol of the city. One could see its image everywhere and in everything from chocolate to pewter. Built in 1333 the bridge housed a series of 122 paintings on the beams inside. The paintings told the story of the daily lives of the people of the city until a fire destroyed 2/3 of the bridge in 1993. The city rebuilt the bridge to the tune of $2.1 million dollars but it certainly wasn't as splendid as it once was.

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The Mullersche Apotheke, seen in the center of the picture, is 478 years old.

Weinmarket (Wine Market) - Houses a "drugstore" from 1530. 478 years old. Now it's a Walgreens. (Just kidding!)

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The area surrounding the Lowendenkmal was beautifully landscaped with spring blossoms around the reflecting pool.
Lowendenkmal (Lion Monument) - A relief carving of a (gigantic) lion complete with reflecting pool and gardens filled with tulips. The carving represents the bravery of the Swiss guards who died in Paris trying to save Marie Antoinette.

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Hofkirche dominated the skyline of this part of the city.
Hofkirche (Church of St. Leodegar) - A beautiful church with twin towers reaching far into the skyline of the city. Inside we were amazed at the 4,950 pipes of the organ from 1640. The church property also houses a cemetery and beautifully landscaped grounds.

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We finished our walking tour at an overlook of the Reuss River as the sun was setting behind the mountains. Although it didn't provide for great pictures, due to the back light conditions, it was nice to enjoy the setting first-hand.

While we were touring the sites our hunger had escaped us but by dusk we decided to begin looking for a restaurant. We looked in our immediate vicinity and then decided to head back closer to the hotel. We soon found a cozy little place on the first floor of a neighboring hotel and were soon seated.

Restaurant Fritschi

Here we decided to try Raclett and had ordered a bottle of wine. Fortunately, our waited alerted us to the fact that it was a California bottle, it was only labeled as a Chardonnay, and we asked for a suggestion of a Swiss wine. We were greatly pleased with his recommendation!

Raclett is a type of cow's milk cheese produced in Switzerland. A typical meal of Raclett involves heating a one-half wheel of the cheese and then scrapping it off onto plates. The cheese is eaten with white potatoes, pickles, and cocktail onions. The combined tastes are simply superb and paired with the wine the meal was fantastic.

After the meal, a couple of hours later and back at the hotel, we decided we would check out the Grand Casino Luzern after reading the descriptions in Fodors and passing the outside of the building during our walking tour earlier in the afternoon.

The casino is situated on the ground floor of a large hotel bordering the Reuss. We walked into the grand lobby and were quickly approached by one of the staff. She directed us to the coat check where we had to leave our coats and bag, and thus the camera too, and then showed our passports at the entrance line. The charge to visit the casino was CHF 10.00 of which CHF 5.00 was returned to you in the form of a credit on a debit style card.

The casino was divided into two main areas and both were quite busy. The first room housed the table games: Mainly roulette and blackjack. The second, two-level room held the slot machines and a couple bars. In addition to the gaming, the casino also offered several different dance venues and a couple of different shows.

Not being one for major gambling, we watched the table games and then headed for the slot machines. I quickly discovered that even the one Swiss Franc games were a bit rich for my blood and headed to the "penny" slots which, considering everything, were quite fun. We played off and on for about an hour and a half and in between had a beer at the bar and watched the tables some more.

After about 90 minutes we decided we had had our fill of smoke and loosing money and headed out. I cashed out my "winnings" of CHF 2.86 and figured the visit cost of CHF 17.00 was probably worth the experience!

Heading back to the hotel we decided to walk around for a bit and ended up sitting on the banks of the Reuss river admiring the beauty of Luzern. Quite a few people were out and about either walking the streets or enjoying a drink at the many bars and restaurants that lined the streets and the river banks. We also noticed many younger "kids" doing the same.

With a trip to Bern planned for tomorrow and the weight of the busy day of sightseeing and travel catching up with us we headed back to the hotel for the night.

Additional photos of Luzern here.
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