Lucerne like a local!

Lucerne like a local!

View from the balcony of Waldstätterstrasse
View from the balcony of Waldstätterstrasse.

Lucerne is a very beautiful city with a lot of different sightseeing hotspots and therefore a lot of tourists. But if you would like to experience the city like a local then you’ll find everything you need to know, here in this post!

Where to stay?

You don’t go to a hotel. Hotels are for tourists. 😉 If you want to feel the spirit of the city and their residents then you better stay in one of our totally new apartments in the center of Lucerne. We have several apartments all over Lucerne, but if you want to stay in the center then you should choose the apartments located at the Waldstätterstrasse. There we offer apartments from 1 up to 3 rooms. So if you are traveling alone, with your boyfriend/girlfriend or with your whole family, we have the right apartment for you. Our apartments are fully furnished and provide everything you need for a stay abroad. Go to our website www.hitrental.ch to check the availabilities of the apartments.

Where to eat?

At the riverside next to Reuss, there are a lot of Restaurants. But most of them are rather expensive and very touristy. So, if you prefer something less crowdy, I suggest going to Neustadt. Neustadt is a district in Lucerne, on the other side than the old town (behind the main station). Neustadt is where the locals meet, eat and go out. And all of the suggestions below are right next to our apartments at Waldstätterstrasse and Winkelriedstrasse.

You like burgers? Then you have to visit Jeff’s Burger! I really love the burgers there and you should try the fries topped with cheese… just delicious!
Jeff’s Burger, Hirschmattstrasse 29, 6003 Lucerne

You prefer Mexican food? No problem, then I suggest eating at El Divino. They make probably the best burritos in town or if you prefer something healthier you should try the salads there. And don’t forget a mojito or a frozen margarita!
El Divino, Winkelriedstrasse 39, 6003 Lucerne

And my last suggestion is Korea Town a Korean restaurant, which offers a large variety of Asian dishes.
Korea Town, Hirschmattstrasse 23, 6003 Lucerne

 Burrito at El Divino Asian food

Where to eat breakfast?

Breakfast in Switzerland is a bit different than in other countries. Usually, we eat cereals or just bread with butter and jam or honey and cheese. 🙂 And sometimes at the weekend, we eat eggs or “Rösti”. “Rösti” is a typical Swiss food made from potatoes. If you are in Switzerland you should try it, it’s delicious!

Rösti, a traditional Swiss food
Rösti, a traditional Swiss food

If you want to eat breakfast, I suggest going to Café Gugelhupf, where you can eat breakfast the whole day. And on Sunday they offer a brunch.
Café Gugelhupf, Waldstätterstrasse 6, 6003 Lucerne

An other nice place to eat breakfast is La vie en rose. Enjoy the early morning with the coffee specialties or a sweet treat from Bachmann.
La vie en rose, Pilatusstrasse 17a, 6002 Lucerne

And the last suggestion and my personal favorite is Mill’Feuille at the Mühleplatz. They serve breakfast the whole day and you can enjoy a nice view.
Mill’Feuille, Mühlenplatz 6, 6004 Lucerne

Where to go out?

If you would like to have a beer,  a glass of Swiss wine or a Cocktail to let the evening start, I have three suggestions for you:

Filou & Bengel is a lovely coffee by day and a nice place to drink a glass in the evening. And by the way, they offer a variety of sweet cupcakes. Mhmm!
Filou & Bengel, Beim Vögeligärtli, 6003 Lucerne

If you would like to try the best cocktails in town, then you should visit Karel Korner. They offer a menu with self-made cocktails with funny names such as “The Good”, “The Bad” or “The Ugly”.
Karel Korner, Winkelriedstrasse 30, 6003 Luzern

Another nice place to drink a beer is Barbès. It’s a small bar next to our apartments in Walstätterstrasse. And the food there is also very delicious!
Barbès, Winkelriedstrasse 62, 6003 Luzern

What to do?

There are a lot of tourists in Lucerne and most of them visit only the main attractions such as chapel bridge, lion monument, KKL, the old town the Lake Lucerne. But there is more in this beautiful city!

Dreilindenpark
My favorite place in Lucerne is the Dreilindenpark with the conservatoire. With a surface of 35’000 m², this park is the largest public park in Lucerne. From the park, you can enjoy a beautiful view over Lucerne and the Alps. The music students from the Lucerne University of Applied Science and Arts are studying in this lovely buildings, so sometimes if you are enjoying your time in the park you can listen to nice music from the building. From the main station, you can take the bus No. 14 to the station “Konservatorium”. Then you have to walk up the stairs and on the top, you’ll see the conservatoire of Lucerne surrounded by a lovely park.

Dreilindenpark in Lucerne
Dreilindenpark in Lucerne (Von Leiju – Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 3.0)

Ufschötti
An other nice place in Lucerne at the lakeside is an area called “Ufschötti“.  Ufschötti is just a green park at the lake of Lucerne, but there is also a bistro, where you can buy snacks and drinks. In summer there are always a lot of people there and on the weekend it’s a nice place to do a small barbecue.

Ufschötti is very easy to reach. From the main station, you can take the bus No. 6/7/8 to the bus stop “Werkhofstrasse”, then you have to cross the street and just walk straight until you reach the lakeside. Or if you want to go by foot from the station, just walk to the small park in front of the station called “Inseli” and from there, follow the bridge over the lake.

map ufschötti
map of Ufschötti

Richard-Wagner Museum / Park
And my last tip is a true insider! If you pass Ufschötti and you follow the lakeside you will sooner or later see a signpost to “Richard-Wagner-Museum“. Just follow this signpost and you will arrive at an other very nice park, which surrounds the museum of Richard Wagner. Wagner was a very famous composer, who lived for about six years in this building. This park is less crowded but also very beautiful. I also recommend this park for a walk or a run. And by the way, there is also a boat stop just next to the museum, where you can hop on a boat and enjoy a cruise on Lake Lucerne.

Richard Wagner Museum
Richard Wagner Museum (www.hohlgassland.ch)