Musegg Wall and Towers

The Museggmauer, or Musegg Wall, is the best-preserved stretch of Lucerne's medieval fortifications. It runs for roughly eight hundred metres along the Musegg hill on the north side of the Old Town, from the Reuss to the lake side, and it is punctuated by nine towers, each with its own name and character. The wall was begun in the late fourteenth century and finished within a few decades, and unlike many European cities Lucerne never tore it down, so the wall still shows how a small, wealthy Swiss town defended itself. It was built of local stone with a walkway behind the battlements and towers that served as watch posts, powder stores and, later, local landmarks. Today the wall and several of the towers can be walked through and climbed in season, free of charge, and the whole circuit takes less than an hour. From the top you look down over the Old Town, the Reuss, the Chapel Bridge, the lake and the mountains beyond, a different Lucerne from the one at street level.

Each tower has its own personality. The Zytturm, or clock tower, carries the oldest clock in the city, a mechanism from the sixteenth century that is allowed to strike one minute before every other clock in town, a small privilege that locals enjoy mentioning. The Schirmerturm, the Wachtturm and the Männliturm are among those that can usually be climbed, with steep wooden stairs and low ceilings that give a sense of how the soldiers once lived.

The Nölliturm and the Luegislandturm anchor the other stretches of the wall and are good landmarks to aim for when you are exploring. Inside, the beams and plank floors are as atmospheric as the views.

Plan the walk as a loop. Start at the Reuss side near the Spreuer Bridge or walk up from the Old Town, follow the wall uphill, climb whichever towers are open and come down on the other side. The paths are not long, but the stairs are steep and the walkways narrow, so wear shoes with grip and be ready to duck.

Early evening in the warmer months is lovely, when the low sun lights the roofs, though the towers close in the late afternoon, so check the current hours. The wall is not suitable for wheelchairs or pushchairs inside the towers, though the outside paths are easier.

Seasons matter here. The wall and its towers are open to visitors only in the warmer part of the year, typically from spring to the end of October, and they close for the winter. If you visit between November and March, you can still admire the wall from outside and from the streets beneath it, but you will not be able to climb the towers.

Check the tourism board's page for the current dates and hours before you plan a visit around it. Because it is free, there is no ticket to buy and no need to book.

The Musegg Wall suits visitors who like a little exercise with their history. It is a quiet alternative to the busier lakefront, a good place for photographs and a chance to see the Old Town from above. Combine it with the Chapel Bridge, the Spreuer Bridge and the Old Town squares for a full morning, and finish with lunch in the lanes below the wall.