Lovebirds in Lucerne

Due to moving to Germany four days after our wedding, we did not plan our honeymoon before we left. Between the jet lag and our yet to be determined travel plans, we didn't want to come in with anything set in stone and miss out on trips with friends. Deciding on a location was difficult. The possibilities were nearly endless given our proximity to new and exciting places. Initially, we thought hot beach like location, like the Canary Islands or Monte Carlo. However, the temperatures were not ideal at mid to high 70's. If you go somewhere like that, it needs to be warmer for full enjoyment. 

After some brainstorming, we decided on Switzerland. What better place to honeymoon than in a gorgeous, peaceful country with mountains and lakes at every turn. The harmonious vibe correlated with how we wanted to begin our married life. I did some research on various cities and locations before coming across Lucerne, and ultimately our honeymoon spot, Palace Luzern.

Palace Luzern. Taken from our boat tour later that week.

Germany has a holiday "Unity Day" which fell on Friday, October 3rd this year. Tom had that day off and we utilized that time towards our honeymoon. We left late morning on October 2nd and drove the three hours to Lucerne. There is a particular toll pass required to drive most highways in Switzerland (or face a $250 fine) and we fortunately pulled off to purchase one from a gas station just before we approached the border! 

From the second we arrived, the service at the Palace was outstanding. We were given a full tour of the hotel and shown around our room. We had a corner room which allowed us a lake and mountain view. This also meant twice the balconies and twice the opportunity to take in the scenery.

View from our front balcony

View from our side balcony.

When we booked the hotel we hadn't mentioned we were on our honeymoon, but when the staff found out they promptly send up a handwritten card. It was a very welcoming gesture. Every morning there was fresh fruit set out to enjoy and free bottles of water. Essentially, my idea of heaven.

The Palace Luzern is a luxury hotel and spa. Meaning they had a really top notch spa area with free access to their steam room, sauna, and relaxation room, as well as appointments for massages, facials, any all other spa treatments (sadly, not for free!).

The Lion Monument commemorates Swiss Guards who were 

massacred during the French Revolution.

We noshed on a few snacks, settled in, and hit up the concierge desk for maps of the area before exploring the city. Our first stop was the above Lion of Lucerne. The monument is lovely with the pool of water in front and the beautiful lion sculpture behind we tossed some Euro coins into the water before continuing our journey.

Many of the shops were beginning to close for the evening, making time that much more relaxed. I loved this tree shaded path above.

The Kapellbrücke, or Chapel Bridge. One of my favorite sites.

We made our way through the pedestrian walkways that meandered through the store fronts, I was peaking in as we went along and totally found the dining room table I want some day. I can seek out items I want to purchase even when the shops are not open! As we approached the end of the pathway, we found ourselves overlooking the Ruess River. 

Upon our return from dinner, we discovered there were literally chocolates on our pillow and our room was prepared for the evening. The shades were drawn, slippers were set out on either side of the bed, and the bedside lights were on and dimmed. We had no idea what to make of such detailed care, but we had fun with the amenities provided.

The lounge downstairs had a bar reminiscent of the past with dim lighting, leather covered low sitting chairs, and small intimate tables. Before turning in for the night, we ventured into the bar and had a drink before bed. They have a pianist each evening and he played everything from classical, to Adele, to John Legend's "All of Me".

Friday morning we enjoyed the endless hotel breakfast before going to the spa. The sauna was a perfect start to the day, and we got there not too long after it opened at ten. Post sauna, I hit the gym for a while, taking advantage of their treadmill and free water! 

We ate lunch in town and boarded at boat cruise of the lake. The morning had started out foggy and overcast, but the sun was breaking through as we boarded. I was fascinated with the way the fog was literally melting away as we listened to our audio guide and took in the panoramic view.

Interior of Hofkirche

Hofkirche

I had worn shorts and a sweater that day, a rather chilly choice as the day wore on so I did need to change before we went to dinner. As we walked toward the hotel, we stopped into a near by church, The Hofkirche St. Leodegar. It was built in the sixteen hundreds and structure was detailed and overwhelming. I really love churches in Europe. They have such a rich history, and this church was actually built on the base of another church. There was truly a connection to centuries of stories and culture.

Dinner reservations were at seven that evening and the restaurant was just across the river. The fall festival was being set up to open the following morning so we wandered through the booths and abandoned rides before taking in the view and reflections on the water. We again chose to spend a few hours in the hotel lobby/bar listening the magnificent piano music before turning in for the night. Our room was again prepared for the evening, this time with caramel cookies on our pillow!

Saturday we booked a private spa. This allowed us two hours of secluded spa time and a half hour couples massage. I was determined to get a massage while we were there and this was my chance! We arrived at our appointment to be shown a gorgeous locked off area covered in rose petals with a sauna, steam bath, hot bath, fresh fruit, water, tea, robes, and private balconies overlooking the lake. And in case they forgot anything? You could just call them or order room service. Naturally. To say it was an indulgent, luxurious experience would be an understatement. 

To me, the Swiss are extraordinarily skilled at two things: chocolate and watches. So we went shopping in town to look at both. There was a really cool stationary store that caught my eye, I love my pen and paper organization habits and nothing excited me like a crisp new notebook. The store was amazing with notebooks of every color and size, we ultimately left without buying anything, it was rather overpriced. After checking out a candy shop and the Lush Cosmetics store, I found the perfect chocolate shop up the road. I got a whole plethora of truffles: dark chocolate, coconut, caramel, Bailey's, and amaretto. Plus some others I'm sure I'm forgetting. All of them were amazing, but the coconut was a let down, too sugary tasting. Since my shopping list was complete, we explored as many watch shops as we could find, which was a lot. There was a multi-floor store dedicated to designer watches of all price ranges. I checked out the 44,000 CHF Rolex, but was super careful not to touch!

For dinner that evening, we ate at the restaurant in the hotel. We had time to kill before our reservation and took in the view from our room while waiting. The sun was beginning to set and the colors were beyond brilliant as it went down behind the mountains.

The following morning, we ate a late breakfast/early lunch at the hotel cafe. We took one final stroll through town, taking a picture by my favorite bridge on a beautiful and sunny day.

From the moment we drove into Lucerne, we both fell in love with the city. Yes, it is touristy at places, but everyone is so friendly. We spent fifteen minutes talking to a small shop owner about our lives and the country and living abroad. You don't have those connections in every place you travel. We plan on returning to Lucerne before we leave Europe, and now have an amazing retreat to return to later in life. For our fifty year anniversary? I vote a trip to Palace Luzern!