TRAVEL DIARIES // LUCERNE DAY ONE

^^ I'm in love with all of this pretty architecture. ^^

^^ palace luzern. ^^

^^ chateau gütsch. ^^ 

now, I don’t have the most extensive imagination. not even close. I am 100% positive that there are more creative people out there than myself. but I don’t think I can imagine a more perfect, ideal, utopia than lucerne. it’s what I would imagine heaven to be like and I’m pretty sure just walking down those cobblestone streets was enough to make me self-actualized, if that's a thing.

picture a modern, but charming, little town nestled at the foot of the mountains. all of the fish available for purchase are caught from the lake you walk by and around everyday. even though you live in what feels like an urban environment, all of your neighbors make room for planting eggplants, tomatoes, and zucchinis on their rooftop balconies, windowsills, and in clever hanging contraptions featuring clay pots. the abundance of german architecture is so cute and makes you crave a different time when you knew the name of your milkman and the lady who sells you eggs. all of the people are perfectly friendly and understanding of the fact that you don’t speak any german and barely any french, but are happy to help you anyway.  can you picture it? if you can, you’re absolutely in lucerne. I have dreamt of this gorgeous place since I left and I miss it. I frequently try to coerce mitch into retiring there with me when we’re all old and wrinkly. he’s seriously considering it.

hotel seeburg.

it was out of sheer luck that we found hotel seeburg. it was our favorite travel website’s ‘deal of the day’ and after reading a few reviews, we decided it would be the perfect place for our two-night stay in lucerne. the location and the view were incomparable as was the overall feel of european simplicity that enveloped the place. there were always fresh, local fruits in the lobby and the breakfasts in the morning were large and varying. mitch and I have actually adopted their style of breakfasting because we enjoyed it so much. I cannot recommend hotel seeburg highly enough if you’re planning a trip to lucerne. they even have their own bus stop and bike rental, which may not be a big deal to some, but it was to us.

bäckerei hug.

as embarrassing as it is to admit, mitch and I stopped at this one bakery three times in the 48 hours we spent in lucerne. the fact of the matter is, once you try their strawberry tarts, there is no walking by the bäckerei hug. there is only walking into the bäckerei hug. after we received all of our spoils, we usually took them out onto the steps by the lake and proceeded to be badgered by several very hungry, very forward swans. mitch, being the generous guy he is, shared his loaf of bread with the little beggars until we saw the sign indicating that we shouldn’t feed the birds and it was all over for them after that. the gig was up.

kapellbrücke.

it would be pretty impossible to visit lucerne without visiting kapellbrücke (chapel bridge). it sort of connects the two sides of  central lucerne and acts as a beautiful landmark. I forget the exact number, but I want to say it still has 15 or 16 of the original paintings that hang in the newly rebuilt rafters and 30-something in total. I’m not a terribly historical person, but I thought it was interesting that we always associate switzerland with peace, but the paintings clearly indicate they had to fight for what is now the peaceful country we all know and love.

sunset bar.

located just across the street from our hotel lay the sunset bar, which really is the most ideal romantic spot. from here, you can see the sun just tucking down between the mountains and the city of lucerne while the waves crash against the shoreline. sadly, I don’t remember the exact words mitch and I said to each other that evening because it’s been a couple months since we spoke them (darn my tendency to procrastinate!), but I can’t imagine them being anything less than joyful. how could they not be in a setting like that, you know?

stern luzern.

this restaurant. oh my word, this restaurant. it was recommended to us by molly who writes my name is yeh and her friend recommended it to her before she traveled to lucerne. and can I just say, I cannot thank them enough?! it did not disappoint. it is, most definitely, the most deliciously simple and, admittedly, expensive meal mitch and I have ever paid for in our relatively short time married, but so so worth it. there are no pictures to prove it as mitch and I were really in more of a here-and-now mood rather than a document-for-later mood, but you trust me, don’t you? I ordered the fish of the day whose name is a german word that starts with ‘p’ that I couldn’t pronounce and have yet been able to remember. our waitress was unbelievably kind and reassured me that it was caught in the lake just the night before. mitch ordered the herby roasted whole chicken and because I always have to know who ordered better, I can say first-hand that it was a draw. they were both superb (which is my favorite word when discussing really good cuisine). for dessert, we ordered the creme brûlée and the raspberry and mint gelatin. both were very good, but mitch preferred the creme brûlée and I preferred the gelatin.

^^ the snap before we put the camera away for an evening all to ourselves. ^^

more things to do in lucerne that I highly recommend ::

soul chicken for the best fried chicken and dipping sauce you will ever have.
bachmann for that post fried chicken gelato you're craving.

 lucerne farmer’s market for the freshest fruits and vegetables you will ever taste.

 crazy cupcake café for cupcakes that taste anything but vegan but totally are.
palace luzern for views of a breathtaking lobby and patio.
chateau gütsch for if you feel like a hike and the 'lucerne from up high' shot.
rathaus brauerei for bretzel sandwiches you'll want a fork and knife to tuck into.

läderach for a whole box of chocolates that you and your and your husband share and then go into one crazy codependent sugar high.

what we hope to do next time (and there will be a next time!) ::

take a ferryboat to weggis.
wander the swiss museum of transport.
rent a paddleboat.
ride the gondola up to mount pilatus.
bring home our very home lucerne schwannen.

I don't think I can stress enough how perfect lucerne was. is. it was such a privilege to even walk those streets and I seriously encourage each of you to go if you ever get the chance! believe it or not, this was just day one of lucerne, so stay tuned for day two! thanks for reading!

love, arielle