preciousbane

A chance opportunity has dropped in our laps, and my husband and I must choose either city. Never mind the details. I want to go to Brussels. He wants to go to Lucerne. Which place would you choose and why? Thanks for your help.

Cicerone

What time of year? What activities do you like to do? Museums, shopping, hitory and architecture, outdoor activities? Where are you flying into and out of? These are all factors in making the choice.

BTilke

Yes, it totally depends on your agenda. If you want to shop and dine at nice restaurants, then Brussels, hands down. If you want scenery, fresh air, then Lucerne, hands down.

Georgine

HI!!

If this chance oppurtunity is for a
"very soon departure", you need to check what conditions are around Lucerne. They had very serious flooding within the last two weeks, and you need to find out if services are back in order and tourists are again welcome (and safe) to go there.

The advice of other two respondents are excellent thoughts.

I would add that Brussels "in a day" was enough for me; however, wonderful Bruges and Ghent are within an hour's train ride.

yildy

Been to both places. In one you get lost in the crowds and traffic while in other you relax and enjoy nature. Go and enjoy Luzerne. Just been there and stayed at "Weggis" on the lake Luzerne at Alpenblic Hotel in Weggis and had a very good deal. Many sights are nearby. Enjoy a full day lake trip. Go to Mt Riggi, Mt. Piltus and Mt. Tittlis..........enjoy your time.

preciousbane

We will be there in late April, early May. We like cities, we like walking around, we like scenery, though I can't say I am much of a hiker. We are not hard to please. Thanks.

simpsonc510

I have not been to Brussels (hubby has though, and one day was plenty for him). But I have been to Lucerne at least a dozen times. Lucerne is wonderful for strolling along the lake, boatrides, dining, shopping, mountains, gorgeous scenery, it's all there! And if you want to hop on a train, you can easily get to other towns to explore, or rent a car and be in any number of interesting places in a short drive. Lucerne is my choice.
Carol

kleeblatt

Don't let the flood situation in Lucerne put you off. Everything is open and running again. They are welcoming tourists with open arms!

nytraveler

Obviously it depends on your specific interests.

But I found Brussels to be a very bland and not specially interesting city. I love Lucerne - for the charm, beuatiful buildings, the lake, the setting in the mountains - for me it;'s a must see.

I would have to have been to Lucerne 5/6 times lately to even consider Brussels as an alternate.

crefloors

I have not been to Brussels so can't compare the two but I have been to Lucerne and I just loved it there. I had two wonderfully relaxing days, walking along the lake, strolling through town, eating fondue and drinking beer,people watching. The setting is just beautiful.

Cicerone

A couple of things to consider when deciding:

Weather wise, late April and early May is not great in either place. It is still pretty cool to cold in both, and you probably will get rain and a good chance of a cold rain and fog. Both Switzerland and esp Brussels are fairly far north (both are north of Boston) so it is not quite spring there yet. You may get some spring flowers in sheltered places. Now you could really luck out and get totally sunny and warm weather, but the odds are not with you. Take a look at weatherbase.com and worldclimate.com for historical average temps and rainfall. This is esp true in the mountain areas of Switzerland, where you will find most hotels and restaurants are actually going to be closed, as the ski season is over but the summer season has not started, so if you go up into the Alps from Lucerne, you may not find a lot to do, as walking and hiking trails may be either closed as there is not enough snow for winter walking and they are too wet for spring/summer walking. (There are numerous easy walks in the Alps which a non-hiker can enjoy, people bring babies in strollers. It is worth a trip in the right season.)

Brussels has a smallish old town area and some EU buildings, but does not offer a lot in itself, IMO, but the surrounding area, esp Bruges, is very interesting if you like history and medieval architecture. I see from previous posts that your husband has an interest in monasteries, this area might be of interest to him. Bruges is about an hour by train from Brussels. You could actually stay in Bruges and do a day trip into Brussels. There are a couple of really charming small hotels in the old part of the city on the canals in Bruges that I could recommend. You can also stay in monasteries, take a look at http://www.visitbelgium.com/accommod...eriesandabbeys

Lucerne has a smallish old town, but surprisingly does not offer than much in terms of historical sights to see; it is more about boat trips on the lake and mountain views, neither of which are going to be great in late April and early May.

I lived in Switzerland for 4 years until last June and Lucerne was one of my least favourite places, so I would not put it at the top of my list even in the good season. There are just many other much more beautiful places and more charming towns, IMO. As I said, Brussels has some interesting bits and Brugge is actually very interesting.

kleeblatt

Hi Cicerone,

I have to defer. I've lived 40 min. away from Lucerne for the past 20 years and still find it beautiful. I agree: not too much history, but the view is breathtaking. The day trips from Lucerne are awe-inspiring.

Weather-wise? There will be snow in the mountains but not in Lucerne. All the cable cars in the vicinity are open and there are trails to walk on.
Yes, there may be rain/fog or sunshine. You never know.

However, the good thing about the weather is that if it isn't good in Lucerne, you can always jump on a train and go do to Lugano for the day and enjoy the spring and it's flowers. Lugano is only 1.5-2 hours away by train. It's usually a direct journey from Lucerne.

Cicerone

Schuler, I disagree. I was in Murren on May 1 in a cold rain and fog, and believe me, it was anything but beautiful. I did not say in my message that cable cars and trains weren't running, I said hotels and restaurants would be closed. The fact that you can take the cable car up into the rain and fog, but can't have lunch doesn't make up for a lot.

Sorry, we continue to disagree on the "beauty" of Lucerne. I agree the countryside is absolutely gorgeous, its just the city and its endless boring concret suburbs that don't do much for me. I don't know why people would go to Lucerne when they go be IN the mountains or in a charming little place like Weggis.

kleeblatt

Two different opinions. Both are acceptable. That is what is so great about this board.

I know a lot of people like Weggis. I lived there one summer long twenty years ago without a car. I loved the beauty of it but felt it was very out of the way. However, if someone has a car or is very organised about their transportation, it's beautiful and peaceful.

How did you like the Luzerner Fasnacht? You must have experienced it intensively.

Cicerone

Never went, always went to Basel. See, we just can't agree on Lucerne. . . .

isabel

Another vote for Lucerne. It has beautiful buildings, a river running through the center crossed by interesting bridges, lots of cafes, shops, the old center is mostly pedestrian only, it is in a lovely setting. Brussels was one of the few places I've been in Europe that disappointed me. The Grand Place is indeed grand, but beyond that it seemed to me like it was a pretty boring city.