Andre Dumas called Lucerne, located in the geographical center of Switzerland, a pearl in the middle of the world's most beautiful oyster. The town is nestled between the Alps and the Swiss Plateau right alongside the dark blue waters of Lake Lucerne. Local residents are quite proud of their lake that is enjoyed all year long and shared by paddle steamers, sailboats and water enthusiasts. Swiss Transport Museum Lucerne is also the home of the #1 attraction in the country, the Swiss Museum of Transport. From its dramatic entrance featuring hundreds of wheels to its many modes of transportation exhibits, it's not hard to see why this attraction has such a huge appeal. The museum showcases the development of transportation through the years, including road, rail and water as well as air and space. There are over 3,000 objects to view with many interactive exhibits. One area houses trains of all shapes and sizes, from horse-drawn railways to steam and electric locomotives. Some of these were designed to ascend the tallest mountains in the country while providing passengers a comfortable and warm environment from which to enjoy the view. The road display actually looks like a warehouse and is packed floor to ceiling with everything from carriages to bicycles to cars, dating from 1860 up to 2005. This particular interactive display involves a robotic system that takes requests from visitors, grabs a selection out of its bay and lowers it to the floor for closer inspection. Not surprisingly, the Swiss have thought of everything and have also included old airplanes and even an experimental aircraft all contained within their own hanger for viewing. Chapel Bridge The Chapel Bridge is the oldest covered wooden bridge in Europe and one of the most visited sites in the country. Built in the 14th century, the Chapel Bridge was originally part of the defense system of the city of Lucerne. The days are long gone when this city needs to be defended, but the bridge has remained an enduring work of beauty. Next to the bridge and part of the old city wall, is the old wasserturm or water tower. This medieval brick building has served as a prison, torture chamber, watchtower, and treasury building and is the most frequently photographed monument in Switzerland. Stone Lion Monument Mark Twain called this sculpture the saddest and most moving piece of rock in the world. He was talking about the Lion of Lucerne, a carving hewn out of natural rock to honor the heroic deaths of Swiss guardsmen during the French Revolution. And looking at this tragic carving, you can only agree as it is one of the most dramatic monuments in the world. The inscription above the lion reads simply: To the fidelity and virtue of the Swiss. Building Facades As I walked the winding cobblestone streets of Lucerne, I couldn't help but notice tourists pointing their cameras upwards to the many ornate and colorful facades adorning restaurants and hotels. Many of these date to medieval times while others are more recent or have been restored. Most tell stories about events or celebrations that occurred within the city. Rosengart Museum If you are interested in Classic Modernist art, then stop by the Rosengart Museum, which houses a private collection of masterpieces assembled by Siegfried Rosengart and his daughter Angela. Picasso, Klee and Matisse are among the featured 21 artists and their works of varying abstraction.

• published: 28 Sep 2013
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