We left ultra modern Zurich to seek some old world comfort in the charming city of Lucerne, Switzerland where we stayed for a day in a lovely bed and breakfast a little out of the main CBD.  The day began with a nice Swiss breakfast at our hotel. The breakfast was buffet style with assortment of croissants, bread, Swiss cheese and of course birchermuesli, the staple of Swiss breakfast, the land of muesli.  After breakfast, we ventured out into the city to explore. 

Our first stop was the Lion of Lucerne, a beautiful sculpture of a wounded lion which pays homage to the Swiss guards who were killed in the French Revolution. Described by Mark Twain as the most "mournful and moving piece of stone in the world", the statue is located beyond a small lake inside a lush park which is popular with tourists.

After this quick visit we decide to stop by Laderach chocolate among the main strip of shops by the lake to enjoy some delicious pastries and coffee before moving onto the bustling Old Town.

Perhaps its because Lucerne falls in the German speaking part of Switzerland, but I found that Old Town, with it's beautiful bridges, dazzling lights and quaint shops, reminded me a little of Salzburg, Austria.  And while there isn't much to "do" per se, one could spend hours and hours simply absorbing the ambience of this place.

We walked along the beautiful Chapel Bridge and Spreuer Bridge and got dazzling views of Lake Lucerne before paying a visit to the grand Jessuit Church and enjoying a lovely baguette from a local eatery and hot chocolate from a small Italian-run cafe by the water.  

Finally, as we almost always do, we sought out a panoramic view of the city by climbing the Musegg Wall. The walk is pretty easy but for those itching for some adrenaline, you can climb the clock tower for an even better view of the lakeside city. The walk however made us hungry again so we grabbed a simple sandwich of Zopf bread, a type of braided Swiss bread to keep us company as we strolled around waiting for the sun to fall.

We love cities that are full of adventures, but there is something to be said of places that move you simply by being. We didn't conquer any grand bucket list items in Lucerne but the feeling of just enjoying the presence of a place, taking in the culture and people is just as electric as ticking off those highly anticipated activities.