Switzerland --- zurich or Lucerne?
 

Hi,

If I want a feel of Switzerland for maybe 3D2N. Would you recommend zurich or Lucerne?

Thanks

In my opinion, in Switzerland you have to see the nature. I would stay in Lucerne and make day trips, for instance one day to Pilatus Mt. One day go to Schaffhausen (Rhine Falls) and make a stop in a small and very nice town - Stein am Rhine. One day visit Lucerne.

What, guv are you interested in?

Zurich is a big(ger) city. Luzern is a charming town.

If you want to do luxury shopping, eat in snooty-snoot restaurants (Terrasse at Baur au Lac), have a some sweet nibbles at Spungli or Laduree (Shashay-Shontay I want the rose macaron!), oogle Miss Prada Bag or Miss Balenciaga Tote throwing attitude on the Bahnhofstrasse, then Zurich is the place for you.

If you want to stroll around a lake (or take a boat cruise around a lake), wander around with an ice-cream cone peering into High Street shops, feed some swans, or stay at a resort hotel with a great spa, then Luzern is the place for you.

HOWEVER, GUV, if I had three days in CH, I would head STRAIGHT for the Bernese Oberland, stay in a place like Wengen, Murren, Grindelwald, or Lauterbrunnen, and see some of the most beautiful country imaginable.

Some of the views in Wengen or Kleine Scheidegg are life changing.

P-P-P, you know me!

I agree with P, but would add Kandersteg- another lovely town. There's no shortage of nice places in the Bernese Oberland, and great hikes!

Kandersteg is nice, but the geezer only got 3 days.


P-P-P, you know me.

Lucerne. Not even a question in my mind. Lucerne is, in some ways, Switzerland in a nutshell. Zurich is a (quite boring) city.

I would absolutely choose Lucerne over Zurich. Lucerne is immeasurably more charming and scenic that Zurich. As others have said, Zurich is a big city with some bits of Swiss character. Lucerne is all Swiss charm and very little big city. The lake is lovely, the Swiss Transport, Rosengart and Picasso Museums are all excellent. The Swiss Guard monument is memorable and the city is eminently walkable.

Unless, of course, you are interested in the history of the reformation and the Anabaptists ... in that case, Zurich.