Lucerne attractions

Best known as the KKL (Kultur und Kongresszentrum Luzern), this waterfront concert hall and cultural center is famous for avant-garde architecture and its status as a top music venue. Designed by French architect Jean Nouvel, the site boasts contemporary features like a “floating” roof, which contrasts against Lucerne’s historic cityscape.

The Swiss Museum of Transport (Verkehrshaus der Schweiz) is dedicated to the past, present, and future of transport and mobility on land, at sea, in the air and even outer space. More than 3,000 displays bear witness to a moving history in the truest sense of the word and show the inventions and deeds of explorers and inventors.

Mt. Stanserhorn’s CabriO cable car is the first in the world to boast a roofless upper deck, bringing you closer to the Swiss landscape. Breathe in fresh Alpine air as you ascend to the 6,227-foot (1,898-meter) summit and enjoy panoramic views of the mountain towns, lakes, and meadows below.

Kloster Engelberg is a working monastery that’s home to around 30 Benedictine monks. It was built in 1120, and then rebuilt after fire damaged it in the early 18th century. Visitors can take a guided tour to check out the beautiful interior, interesting artifacts, and the baroque monastery church.

The Richard Wagner Museum is located in a country manor where the 19th-century German composer Richard Wagner lived for a short time, just before his death. The building, located on the southern shore of Lake Lucerne, in Tribschen, houses a variety of interesting items, including historical musical instruments and Wagner memorabilia.

Rosengart Collection Lucerne houses the extensive and once-private collection of art dealer Siegfried Rosengart and his daughter Angela, who had collected one of the biggest private art stashes, including works by Picasso, Paul Klee and another 23 artists from the the Classic Modernism and Impressionism era.

On the banks of Lake Lucerne, less than an hour by boat or car from Lucerne, Weggis is sometimes referred to as Central Switzerland's Riviera due to its slightly warmer climate and lakefront views. It's also a popular base for visiting the Rigi, a towering mountain great for summertime hikes and wintertime snow activities.