I have posted a bunch of images of Lake Lucerne and Mount Pilatus but I realized that I have never posted any of the city of Lucerne itself. Lucerne was founded in the year 750 and has long religious and cultural history. Its architecture is very unique which makes the city a popular tourist destination. On one of my many city walks, I spotted a prime example of the great architecture, namely, the Jesuit Church. The church is the first large baroque church built in Switzerland north of the Alps. Its "onion" shaped steeples are quite the unusual sight in the middle of Switzerland.
Pilatus
I hope everyone who celebrated Thanksgiving had a great one. I have posted a number of images from Mount Pilatus in Lucerne, Switzerland. All of the previous posts were from the top of the mountain. This image today is of Mount Pilatus itself from the waters of Lake Lucerne. This viewpoint shows the beautiful green countryside and small towns that line the lake, all within the shadow of the 7,000 foot mountain. The mountain got its name from a legend that states that Pontius Pilate was buried there.
Alps Overlook
In previous blog posts, I described the trip we took to Mount Pilatus that towers over Lucerne, Switzerland. The mountain got its name from a legend that states that Pontius Pilate was buried there. After taking a cruise on Lake Lucerne and riding the steepest cog railroad in the world, you reach the observation deck just below the summit of the mountain. After spending time at the summit, the trip continued with a 48 person gondola ride (which can be seen just leaving the mountain) down the other side of the mountain. About halfway down, you switch to a 4 person gondola to waiting buses on the ground. The observation deck, pictured in this image, gives a 360 degree view of the surrounding area. To the south, the world famous Alps can be seen in the distance. Almost straight down, a small portion of Lake Lucerne is visible. A little to the west (not shown in the image) is the city of Lucerne. Just to the right (also not in the image) is a Swiss Army base. Male citizens are required to serve in the army annually until the age of 34.
Chapel on High
In yesterday's post, I described the tour we took from Lucerne to the top of Mount Pilatus, which towers 7,000 feet above the city. After taking the cruise of Lake Lucerne and riding up the steepest cog railroad in the world, you reach the summit of Mount Pilatus. There you have a full 360 degree view of the surrounding countryside. To the south, one can see the snow-capped mountain tops of the Alps (from a geological aspect, Mount Pilatus is the northernmost branch of the Alps). Looking toward the north, I was surprised to spot one of the most remote chapels I have ever seen. Perched on a ridge is The Transfiguration of Christ on Mount Tabor. The chapel was built in 1861 and has been renovated a number of times, the most recent renovation being in 2004. I was unable to find out if it is open; whether or not services are performed there; or if there is even a parish associated with it. Suffice to say, one must really be dedicated to attend church there, especially in the winter.
Rolling Hills
My recent trip to Europe ended with a few nights in Lucerne, Switzerland. Up until then, I hadn't seen the type of landscape and mountains that I envisioned before visiting Switzerland. After spending our first day in the city of Lucerne, we signed up for a tour to travel to Mount Pilatus, which towers 7,000 feet above the city. The tour consisted of a cruise of Lake Lucerne followed by a ride on the Pilatus Railway, the world’s steepest cog railway. During the cruise of Lake Lucerne, we passed some of the most picturesque landscapes I have seen. Along with the mountains that surround the lake were beautiful green rolling hills that were spotted with chalets. This image captured some of the wonderful countyside bordering the lake.