Chapel Bridge

What makes it special

The paintings hang on the roof beams over the walkway, each in a triangular frame. Together they show scenes from Swiss history and the legends of Lucerne's patron saints, St Leger and St Maurice.

Starting from the station side of the river, the first 76 or so panels show Swiss history and the next 29 the legends of St Maurice. A heraldic pyramid of Lucerne's arms opens the sequence at both ends, and one panel shows the Last Judgement and the Triumph of Death.

Many frames are now blackened or empty. The 1993 fire burned 86 of the 111 paintings then hanging, partly or past recognition, and the charred panels were left in place.

The octagonal Water Tower at the bend takes its name from standing in the river, not from holding water. It served as a prison for centuries.

The railings carry 278 flower boxes each year, grown with no pesticides, and they are at their best in high summer.

Visiting

A crossing on foot is the whole visit: the bridge is a public footpath over the Reuss between the old town and the new. Walking straight over takes about five minutes. The bridge is about 200 metres long and you cannot walk fast in the crowd, so keep children close.

Cross once to get your bearings, then walk back slowly with your eyes on the paintings overhead. Stop at the bend beside the Water Tower; it is closed to visitors, so the bridge is where you see it from.

Then follow the river to the Spreuer Bridge, the younger and smaller of Lucerne's two covered bridges, which draws fewer visitors. Its 45 gable paintings show the Dance of Death, and it has a chapel of its own.

Tips

Avoid weekends, and Saturday above all, when the crowd slows the crossing to a shuffle. The bridge is at its busiest from about 3pm, so do your slow walk early and save the afternoon for a single crossing.

If you want the paintings in order, start at the station end and walk towards the old town.