In the city of Lucerne, capital of the canton, central Switzerland

 It is said that the recipe for a gorgeous Swiss city is a cobalt lake that's ringed by mountains of myth, blessed with a well-preserved medieval Altstadt (Old Town), and a reputation for making beautiful music ... and sprinkled with covered bridges, sunny plazas, candy-colored houses and waterfront promenades.

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(in the Swiss canton of Lucerne in central Switzerland) The city of Lucerne, capital of the canton, is both stunning and popular since the likes of Goethe, Queen Victoria, and the composer Richard Wagner savoured its views in the 19th century.

+ The city of Lucerne is found on the Reuss River where it issues from the northwestern branch of Lake Lucerne, southwest of Zürich. The city’s name was derived from the Benedictine monastery of St. Leodegar (Luciaria), founded in the 8th century. From the nearby fishing village grew a city, whose inhabitants were originally serfs of the monastery. After the opening of the St. Gotthard Pass (ca. 1230), Lucerne developed into an important trade center between the upper Rhine River and Lombardy in northern Italy. In 1291, both the monastery and city were purchased by Rudolf IV of Habsburg (also called Rudolf I of Germany), against the will of the citizens, who desired independence. Political instability under Rudolf’s successors led Lucerne in 1332 to join the alliance formed by the cantons of Uri, Schwyz, and Unterwalden in 1291. The group won independence after the Battle of Sempach (in 1386) against the Habsburg army. By 1415 Lucerne had acquired most of the territory of the present canton, by either treaty, armed occupation, or purchase. It became the leader of the Catholic cantons at the Reformation and was the seat of the papal nuncio from 1579 to 1874. The city’s aristocratic regime was compelled to abdicate in 1798 under the onslaught of the Napoleonic armies. (Lucerne was briefly the capital of the Helvetic Republic, resuming its status as the cantonal capital in 1803.)

+ Lucerne has become one of the most important tourist resorts in Switzerland. Steamer services on the lake connect with various mountain railways and cableways, and there is a direct narrow-gauge rail connection with the winter-sports center of Engelberg. Facilities include a casino, beaches, rowing and sailing regattas, horse-racing and show-jumping competitions, an annual international music festival, and a traditional pre-Lenten carnival.