Lucerne sits at the foot of the Alps, and the weather can turn within hours. A morning of bright sunshine can give way to low cloud that hides Pilatus entirely, and a week in autumn or spring can pass with more grey than blue. The good news is that the city is built for it. Museums, tastings, covered bridges and indoor workshops fill a wet day easily, and some of the best views of the lake come when the mist is low over the water. This guide gives you a plan for a rainy day, in order of effort, so that cloud is a change of programme rather than a loss.
Start with a decision about the mountains
Before you cancel anything, check the live webcams for your mountain of choice. In the lowlands the cloud can sit for days while the summits stand in sunshine, which is common in autumn and winter, and the cogwheel or gondola can lift you above it in half an hour. If the webcams show a solid grey wall at the top as well, postpone the lift and save the ticket for a better day. Never pay for a summit on a day when the forecast says no view at all.
Museums that reward a wet afternoon
The Swiss Museum of Transport is the obvious headline: locomotives, aeroplanes, cars, ships and a large hands-on section make it one of the best family museums in Switzerland, and you can spend half a day under cover without noticing the weather. The Rosengart Collection is a calmer alternative for art lovers, with Picasso and Klee on the walls and a quiet atmosphere that suits drizzle. The Glacier Garden is part open air and part museum, with a mirror maze and a gallery of the ice age, and it works on a showery day because many of its sights are indoors. The Bourbaki Panorama is a huge round painting of an army in the snow, and it shows how a dramatic winter scene can feel more vivid in warm light from a grey sky.
Music and architecture
The KKL, the concert hall by the station, is a building to see even if you do not attend a concert. Its great roof reaches out over the lake, and the lobby and terrace are pleasant places to sit when the weather is poor. If you can arrange it, an evening concert is the best use of a wet night in Lucerne, as the hall is among the most admired in Europe for its acoustics.
Tastings and workshops
A chocolate tour is a safe bet: you learn how Swiss chocolate is made, taste several styles and design your own bar. A food tour in the Old Town pairs cheese, bread and pastry with walking, and most of it can be done with an umbrella. A beer tasting is the evening version, and it suits groups of adults who want a warm room and a few stories. All three are best booked in advance in school holidays and on weekends, when they sell out first.
The lake in the mist
A lake cruise in light rain can be beautiful. The mountains fade into layers of grey, the shore appears and disappears, and the boat has the water almost to itself. Choose a cruise with a covered saloon, bring a waterproof jacket and treat it as an atmospheric ride rather than a view-chasing one. In heavy rain, skip it, as the rewards are small and the decks will be empty for a reason.
Day trips that work in cloud
The Rhine Falls are dramatic in any weather and the spray looks good in grey light, which makes them one of the better excursions for a wet day, especially when combined with a stop in Zurich. The Glacier Express, a panoramic train through the high Alps, is another option, because snow and cloud can be as beautiful as sunshine from a warm seat. Both are long days, so go only if you are comfortable with an early start.
A sample rainy day
Begin with a late breakfast and a walk under the arcades and bridges of the Old Town, when the crowds are smallest. Spend the late morning in a museum of your choice, then eat lunch at a traditional restaurant, where a rainy window table is one of the pleasures of a Swiss day. In the afternoon, join a chocolate workshop or a tasting, and finish with dinner in the Old Town or a concert at the KKL. If the clouds break in the late afternoon, take a short walk along the quay for the clear light that follows rain.
Practical tips
Carry a compact umbrella and a waterproof jacket with a hood, and wear shoes with grip, as the old cobbles are slippery when wet. Dry clothes in the hotel room matter more than you expect, so choose accommodation with heating that works and a place to dry things. Many museums close on a weekday, usually Monday, so check opening days before you set out. And keep your tickets flexible where you can, because in Lucerne a bad forecast often changes by morning.
