Wooden bridges, a city wall and a dying lion: Lucerne as a riddle trail
The Lucerne scavenger hunt is a self-guided city game you play on your phone: you walk from landmark to landmark, solve a riddle at each one by looking closely at what is in front of you, and unlock the stories and legends behind it. Two covered bridges, a hillside wall and the lake shore add up to around 59 minutes and 4.3 km on foot between 10 stops, and with the riddles and their stories the game runs to about 3 hours, from whatever start time you pick.
Highlights include the painted Spreuer Bridge, the towers of the Musegg Wall, the Lion Monument, the Hofkirche, the lakeside quay with views of Mount Pilatus and the Chapel Bridge with its Water Tower. Lucerne's old town is compact and largely car-free, and the river Reuss and the lake make it easy to find your way on foot.
- Durationabout 3 hours
- Walkingabout 59 min · 4.3 km
- Stops10
- LanguagesEnglish, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Chinese
Riddles along the Reuss, up on the Musegg and by the lake
Paintings under the roof, a lion in the rock
At each stop a riddle waits, and its answer is right there in the scene: the triangular paintings under the roof of the Spreuer Bridge, the gateway through the base of the Nölli Tower, the lion carved into the sandstone cliff, the farmhouse-style roof on the Renaissance town hall. You need no guidebook, only the patience to look.
Swiss Guards, chaff and a clock that runs early
Behind the answers are Lucerne's stories: the Swiss Guards killed at the Tuileries in 1792, remembered by the lion that Mark Twain called the most mournful and moving piece of stone in the world, why chaff could only be thrown into the river from one bridge, and why the Zyt Tower clock may strike a minute before all the others. The audio narration tells them as you walk beside the Reuss.
4.3 km with a climb to the Musegg
On foot you cover around 59 minutes and 4.3 km, from the left bank of the Reuss over the Spreuer Bridge, up along the Musegg Wall and down to the Lion Monument, the Hofkirche and the lake. Google Maps shows each leg, including the steepest stretch by the towers.
Paddle steamers and a café break
No clock is ticking against you, so sit on a bench on the lake quay watching the paddle steamers come in, follow the app's tips to a café in the old town and carry on later or the next day.
See the route and attractions →
How it works
- Book online Choose the number of players. Your booking reference arrives by email straight away.
- Get the app Download the World City Trail app from the App Store or Google Play and enter your booking reference.
- Play when you like Start whenever you are ready, walk at your own pace and pause any time. No guide, no fixed schedule.
Mountain-bound travellers, families and teams in Lucerne
Between two mountain excursions
Many visitors use Lucerne as a base for Mount Pilatus and the Rigi, and this game fills about 3 hours in town on a day when the summits are hidden in cloud. It begins a short walk from the railway station.
Children, swans and a dying lion
Kids enjoy counting the towers of the Musegg Wall, hearing about the clock that strikes early and standing in front of the huge lion in the rock, and the swans on the Reuss are rarely far away. Every team has a grown-up on board.
Company teams by the lake
Teams of up to 5, each player on their own phone, can set off from the Jesuit Church and reunite at the Town Hall on the Kornmarkt, right by the river. All 10 stops are on public streets, paths and bridges, so the only thing to book is a ticket for every player.
Good to know
- Bring a charged smartphone with mobile data; a power bank helps.
- No entry tickets needed: everything happens outside the buildings. Going inside is optional and paid separately.
- Family friendly; children must be accompanied by an adult.
- Not suitable for wheelchair users and difficult with strollers.
- Teams of up to 5 work best; bigger groups split into several teams, one ticket per player.
- Every purchase helps support stray cats and dogs in Greece.
The route: from the Jesuit Church over the Spreuer Bridge and the Musegg Wall to the Town Hall
10 stops · about 59 min walking · start: Jesuit Church of St Francis Xavier · finish: Lucerne Town Hall
The hunt starts at the Jesuit Church on the left bank of the Reuss and passes the Historical Museum before crossing the covered Spreuer Bridge. You then reach the Nölli Tower, follow the Musegg Wall above the old town and head on to the Lion Monument and the Hofkirche. From the lakeside quay you walk to the Chapel Bridge and finish at the Town Hall on the Kornmarkt. Every answer hangs on a bridge gable, a tower or a façade you can see from the street, so no ticket desk stands in the way, and if the Chapel Bridge is closer to your hotel than the Jesuit Church, the app will start you there and rearrange what follows.
Open the route map ↗
1Jesuit Church of St Francis XavierStart
The Jesuits built this church on the bank of the Reuss between 1666 and 1677, and it is one of the earliest large baroque churches in Switzerland. Its white façade is framed by two towers whose onion domes were only completed in the 19th century. From the forecourt you look across the river to the old town.
Read the full story →
2Historical Museum Lucerne
The Historical Museum occupies the old arsenal on Pfistergasse, a 16th-century building where the city once stored its weapons and armour. Today it tells the story of Lucerne and its canton, and it is known for theatre tours in which actors bring the collection to life.
3Spreuer Bridge
The Spreuerbrücke is a covered wooden bridge across the Reuss whose history goes back to 1408. Its name comes from chaff (Spreu), which could only be thrown into the river from this bridge. Under its roof hang the 17th-century Dance of Death paintings by Kaspar Meglinger.
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4Nölli Tower
The Nölli Tower stands where the Musegg Wall comes down to the Reuss, at the western end of the old fortifications. Built in 1513, it has a gateway through its base, so the road still passes right under the tower.
5Musegg Wall
Built largely in the late 14th century, the Musegg Wall runs for about 870 metres along the hill above the old town and still has nine towers. The Zyt Tower carries the city's oldest clock, made in 1535, which by tradition may strike one minute before all the other clocks in Lucerne.
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6Lion Monument
The dying lion, carved into a sandstone cliff in 1820 and 1821, commemorates the Swiss Guards killed in Paris on 10 August 1792, when the Tuileries Palace was stormed during the French Revolution. Bertel Thorvaldsen designed it and Lukas Ahorn carved it. Mark Twain called it the most mournful and moving piece of stone in the world.
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7Hofkirche St Leodegar
Lucerne's main church is dedicated to St Leodegar, the city's patron saint. After a fire in 1633 destroyed the old church except for its two slender Gothic towers, it was rebuilt by 1639 in late Renaissance style, rare for a large church north of the Alps. Arcades with old graves surround the church.
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8Lake Lucerne waterfront
Along the quay, the boats of Lake Lucerne tie up, including historic paddle steamers that still sail the lake. Its German name, Vierwaldstättersee, refers to the four forest cantons of Uri, Schwyz, Unterwalden and Lucerne on its shores. On a clear day Mount Pilatus and the Rigi rise beyond the water.
9Chapel Bridge
The Kapellbrücke, built in the 14th century, is one of the oldest covered wooden bridges in Europe and takes its name from St Peter's Chapel nearby. Many of the 17th-century triangular paintings under its roof were lost in a fire in 1993, after which the bridge was rebuilt. Beside it stands the octagonal Water Tower, once a prison, archive and treasury.
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10Lucerne Town HallFinish
The Rathaus on the Kornmarkt was built between 1602 and 1606 by Anton Isenmann. It combines an Italian Renaissance façade with a large hipped roof inspired by Swiss farmhouses, and under its arcades along the river a market is still held.
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Only logged in customers who have purchased this product may leave a review.
Anonyme (verified owner) –
Switzerland –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Enigmes abordables, simpathiques et pas trop longues
Belgium –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Jenny– United Kingdom –
Collected on GetYourGuide
What a fantastic way to explore the city! I loved the way that you could dip in and out, and the facts were so interesting. Gave me lots of inspiration for places to visit during my stay too.
United States –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Just what we wanted. We hit each of the main sites of the old city with information to read about each location. The scavenger hunt/riddle at each stop was a bonus for the kids.
Canada –
Collected on GetYourGuide
We really enjoyed the activity and the history behind everything.
United Kingdom –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Very interesting activities covering all the key highlights of Lucerne. Loved the little descriptions of each place at the start as well.
Carrie– United States –
Collected on GetYourGuide
The app crashed and said no internet connection (even though my phone had internet connection) just as we started the first stop. Thankfully my spouse was able to access it from his phone. The rest of the locations worked well and we felt like we saw many areas of the city. Highlights included the lion, the bridges, the clock tower and wall, and Rathaus.
Uganda –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Great. Though I skipped the riddles
Denmark –
Collected on GetYourGuide
fantastisk måde st komme rundt og se byen 😁
Sandro– Switzerland –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Auflösung der Rätsel gab es keine. fast alle rätzel waren mit Zahlen in verbindung, oder es war nocht immer klar, welches ziel als antwort gesucht ist.
Mewyong– Malaysia –
Collected on GetYourGuide
The guide is well planned and within walking distance. Great for first time visitor.
Pascal– Switzerland –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Très bonne activité, juste quelques activités pas très bien expliqué, sinon permet de passer un bon moment, et de découvrir différents site de la ville.
Netherlands –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Het was erg warm die dag. Gelukkig konden we op eigen tempo de activiteit doen.
Erika– Switzerland –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Tolles Erlebnis, ideal, um eine Stadt unkompliziert, ohne fixen Zeittermin, unterhaltsam zu entdecken.
Switzerland –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Fun, aktive, interesting riddles and saw pretty much all the important things!
Tanja– Switzerland –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Nachdem wir es endlich geschafft hatten mit der APP zu starten,lief alles super.
Switzerland –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Die Kinder haben es geliebt! Danke!
Greece –
Collected on GetYourGuide
That was an excellent way to explore this beautiful city. We had such a nice time 🙂
Switzerland –
Collected on GetYourGuide
La app esta bien hecha, el recorrido es bonito y ves casi lo mas importante de la ciudad pero no pensado para personas con movilidad reducida o carritos de bebe. No he visto que estuviese indicado tampoco. La informacion esta bien sin mas.. me esperaba mas y de mejor calidad.
Switzerland –
Collected on GetYourGuide
It was a nice way to get the kids (5 and 7) interested in trekking around. The puzzles were fun and some were pretty simple and they could help. They also loved the little fireworks when you got it right. Even though we have been around Luzern before, we noticed new things while doing this puzzle.
Zave –
If you are in Lucerne for a day trip, we highly recommend this activity as you will be able to explore most of the important sites in one walk!