Lucerne sits at the point where the Reuss river flows out of Lake Lucerne, backed by a ring of green hills with the glacier-capped peaks of Pilatus and Rigi rising beyond them. For over a century it has been one of Switzerland's most visited cities, and it is easy to see why: the medieval Kapellbrücke still stands across the river, the painted gables of the old town line the lakefront, and the mountains are close enough to fill the horizon. Lucerne is unashamedly scenic, and it knows it.
That said, this is more than a backdrop for photographs. The old town has genuine texture — the Jesuit Church on the south bank is one of the finest Baroque interiors in Switzerland, the Spreuer Bridge carries a macabre set of Death Dance panels from the 17th century, and the Musegg Wall with its nine towers still rings the northern edge of the medieval city. The Lion Monument — carved directly into a cliff face — has moved visitors to tears since 1821.
For museums, the Swiss Museum of Transport is one of the country's great institutions: full-size aircraft, vintage locomotives, and the original mesoscaphe submarine designed by Auguste Piccard. The Rosengart Collection holds one of Europe's better private caches of Picasso and Klee. The Bourbaki Panorama is an enormous circular painting depicting the internment of the French Bourbaki army in 1871 — a deeply Swiss episode that most visitors have never heard of.
Lucerne works well as a base for the region. Mount Rigi is accessible by the oldest mountain railway in Europe. The lake itself is beautiful, and boat services reach Brunnen, Flüelen, and the mythic meadow of Rütli where Switzerland was said to have been founded.