Lucerne [Background: I have very fond memories of a school holiday to Lucerne in Switzerland in 1987. For anyone who has never considered this area of the world as a holiday destination, I thought that I would recount a few of my memories of the destination] If like me, you aren't a sun seeker, and prefer to take your holidays somewhere with a more temperate climate, then Switzerland may well be the destination for you. I went to Switzerland on a school trip many years ago, in 1987, and stayed at the small resort of Weggis, not far from Lake Lucerne - memorable (to me anyway) for having a large oversized chess board in the centre of the ...  Read the complete review

Lucerne, or Luzern in German, is pretty much the archetypal Swiss city. Firstly it is extremely easy to get to: both train and bus connections into the city are excellent and frequent. Once you're there, you'll be surprised at how beautiful its setting is, right on the shores (surprisingly) of Lake Lucerne - excellent photo-opportunities can be had. There is a wealth of things to do in the city: the great white statue of a lion set beneath trees that is on all the postcards; the Kapellbrücke which crosses the river flowing from the lake, a (partly) 12th century covered wooden bridge which has incredibly vivid paintings on the eaves; there is a 17th century ...  Read the complete review