This was a really cool building we came upon while walking around town. A lot of the older buildings have murals or decorative scrollwork painted on them. It really was impressive!
This was part of the old city wall. It is across the inlet of the lake from the Bahnhofplatz.
This is a view of the city on the south side of the inlet of the lake. You can see the old (as in 16th Century) bridge that crosses the inlet of the lake to the north and the old part of the city. The old wall tower is in the center and the twin spires to the right are from the Catherdral.
This is looking up a side street towards a hill where in the side of the hill is a statue of a lion. There is a lot of shopping her and no less than a billion watch stores - ok, I might be exaggerating, but you can't swing a dead (insert animal) without hitting a watch shop!
This is the Hof Church, the city's Cathedral and where a Benadictine Monstary were founded. It was destroyed by a fire in 1633 but was rebuilt in 1645 and is the most important Renaissance church in Switzerland. There is a relief panel in Mary's altar that dates from the 1500s.
This is a view from the north side of the lake inlet looking towards the mountains which backdrop the city.
This is Chapel Bridge which was constructed in the first half of the 14th century as part of the city's fortifications and was names after nearby St. peter's chapel. Inside the bridge near the roof were a series of trinagle shaped pictures added in the 17th century of Swiss scenes, local history including the biographies of the city's patron saints, Leodegar and Mauritius. Sadly, many were destroyed in a fire in 1993(?), however, the ones which remain are still located under the roof on the bridge.
This was taken from the steps of Hof Church. It is the beghinning of several sections in which grave markers are located. Some of the grave markers are the most beatiful and ornate I have ever seen. Even the flowers laid on the ground near some of the newer markers were breath taking.
This is the statue of "The Dying Lion of Lucern." It is a monument hewn out of natural rock in memory of the heroic death of the Swiss mercenaries at the Tuileries in 1792. It is quite sad and beautful. There is a pond at the base of this with what appears to be glacial water because it has that blue, somewhat milky tome to it.
This is another view from the north side of the inlet, just after you cross the Chapel Bridge. It is looking at the bridge tot he south and to the right you can see the Jesuit Church.
This is a closer view of the Jesuit Church. It is the first large sacral Baroque building in Switzerland. It was constructed in 1666 by Father Christoph Vogler for the Jesuits. The vault was redecorated in the 18th century. The original vetments of Brother Klaus, a famos Swiss patron, are stored in the inner chapel. When we went to visit, it was the middle of a mass so we weren't able to get any pictures, which is very unfortunate, because the inside was one of the most beautiful I have ever seen.
This is one of the many wacky fountains that are peppered all over the city. In fact the entire country is riddled with them. The water is clean enough to drink and that is exactly what people do. On some fountains, they even have a lower section for dogs to drink from.
This is another really intense mural painted on the side of another restaurant (I think).
This is a shot from on the Chapel Bridge looking towards the west. At the top of the hill is a hotel which has been there a really long time. In fact, so long that Queen Victoria once stayed there for at least a month.
Here is an example of one of the paintings that is under the roof rafters on the Chapel Bridge. They are a lot bigger than this pictures implies and there were nearly 100 if I am not mistaking, but again only a few survived the fire.
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