A covered bridge on a mountain-ringed lake
Lucerne sits where the River Reuss leaves Lake Lucerne, with mountains rising on all sides. The Chapel Bridge, a wooden covered bridge from the 14th century with painted panels, crosses the river beside its octagonal water tower. The old town has frescoed facades and squares, and the Lion Monument, carved into a rock face, is a moving memorial to Swiss Guards killed in the French Revolution. Paddle steamers cruise the lake, and Mount Pilatus, reached by the steepest cogwheel railway in the world, and Mount Rigi make superb excursions.