LUCERNE

Path of the Past

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Lucerne, the trailhead of our Switzerland tour, introduced us to wooden bridges, mural-covered buildings, and fountains.  Our local guide Eveline shared how some murals depict the services offered by the businesses once housed in the buildings.  The paintings on the bridges, including the ones damaged by fire, are a storyboard for the area.  Chapel Bridge initiated me into a town escorted by flower boxes!

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I never thought of neutral Switzerland as having no allies.  This perspective unfolded on our trip to Furigen Fortress, a bunker carved into a mountain during WWII.  Machine guns and cannons protected the entrance and poised to protect the surrounding area.  I’ve always been drawn to stories of WWII and this bunker was new territory to explore- 100 men lived there ready to defend against Germany and Italy with their own electricity and ventilation to survive being cut off from the outside world.