Lucern

Lucerne is the capital of the canton of Lucerne. The city owes its development firstly to its geographical location on the important north-south transport axis, and secondly to the uniquely picturesque scenery of this region.

In the Middle Ages, Lucerne was a mere fishing village that people scornfully referred to as a “little wooden stork’s nest”. However, over the centuries it developed into a flourishing trade centre and its location on the Gotthard transit route led to an international exchange of commerce and culture.

Nestled among the foothills of the Alps, the city lies at the end of a lake that has been eternalised by poets and composers. An incredible panorama begins here which stretches from Mount Rigi to Mount Pilatus and, depending on the weather, season or time of day, sets dramatically different moods. Lucerne, with 60,000 inhabitants, is the eighth largest city in Switzerland. When the agglomeration is included, this figure triples. Lucerne is the capital of Central Switzerland due to its size, central location and economic potential. At the political level, Lucerne does not reserve any special right to govern because each of the four forest cantons has always had its own seat of government.