Lucerne's Towers Walking Tour (Self Guided), Lucerne

Lucerne boasts a wealth of spectacular medieval towers, located in the Musegg Wall area. This former symbol of power forms an impressive city crown, shaping up its skyline, and affording great panoramic views of Lucerne and the eponymous lake, the Reuss river, and the surrounding mountain scenery.

Built in the 13th-14th centuries, the 870-meter wall, complete with its nine towers, is one of the best preserved and longest fortifications in Switzerland. The majestic towers, West to East, appear as follows:

Nölliturm – built in 1513; the only round tower on the Musegg Wall.

Männliturm – a 15th-century tower, renowned for its “Little Iron Man” crowning the top.

Luegislandturm – built in 1290, the oldest and the highest (52.6 meters) part of the Musegg fortification.

Heuturm/ Wachtturm – a former hay storage from the 14th century, destroyed by gunpowder explosion in 1707; rebuilt as a watchtower, 44 meters high.

Zytturm – one of Europe's most unique clock towers, with mechanism made in 1535 – still working; famously strikes the hour one minute before all the other clocks in Lucerne.

Schirmerturm – formerly gateway from the city into the country; built in 1420.

Pulverturm – built in 1398/99, one of the Musegg Wall oldest towers.

Allenwindenturm – a half-tower, one of the best-known tourist attractions in Lucerne; built circa 1408.

Dächliturm – the easternmost and smallest tower on the Musegg line; home to the Swiss Association of Master Carpenters since 1936.

The Männli, Wacht, Zyt and Schirmer towers are open to the public from April 1 to November 1, 8 am to 7 pm. If you feel like stepping back in time and exploring these fascinating ancient monuments in more detail, take our self-guided walking tour!

Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Roland Zumbühl.

How it works: Download the app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store to your mobile phone or tablet. The app turns your mobile device into a personal tour guide and its built-in GPS navigation functions guide you from one tour stop to next. The app works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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Create Your Own Self-Guided Walks in Lucerne

Map Instructions: (1) Click the "Nearby Sights" button to view the nearby attractions; (2) click a map pin to see sight information.

Guide Name: Lucerne's Towers Walking Tour
Guide Location: Switzerland » Lucerne (See other walking tours in Lucerne)
Guide Type: Self-guided Walking Tour (Sightseeing)
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.0 Km or 0.6 Miles

Sights Featured in This Walk

WalkBuilder (customize this walk)

Use the WalkBuilder tool below to customize this walk to suit your interests. Instructions: click

at the upper right corner in the map above to view other sights in the city. To learn more about a sight, click a map pin. Click the “+” or “–” to add or remove a sight from the walk. To reorder the selected sights, simply drag and move them up or down the list in the left column.

Click here to view route map

Enter a name for your custom walk, along with your email address, in the fields below. You will receive the instructions for retrieving your custom walk in the GPSmyCity app by email. The GPSmyCity app offers turn-by-turn travel directions to guide you from one attraction to the next.
Walk Name*:
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Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do I access my walking tour in Lucerne?
Save your walking tour on the website. Then download the GPSmyCity app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store and sign in to your GPSmyCity account. Next, download “Lucerne Map and Walking Tours” within the app. Your walk will appear on the Walks screen.

2. How do I view other attractions in Lucerne?
At the upper-right corner of the map above, click the “Nearby Sights” button to show or hide other sights in the city. Click a map pin to view details about a sight. To add a sight to your walk, find it in the right column of the WalkBuilder tool above and click the “+” button next to it.

3. How do I re-arrange the sight order?
In the left column of the WalkBuilder tool, drag a sight to move it up or down the list. Then click “Click here to view route map”. Repeat this process until the route meets your needs.

4. Can I add my hotel to a walking tour?
Yes. You can add your hotel as the starting point, the ending point, or both (creating a loop route). This feature is currently available only in the GPSmyCity app.

5. Can I add my own sights to a walking tour?
Yes. You can add sightss that are not in our database and include them in your walk. To do so, sign in to your GPSmyCity account on the website or use the GPSmyCity app.

6. How many sights can be included in a walking tour?
For technical reasons, the number of sights in a walking tour is currently capped at 20. This limit may be increased over time.

Walking Tours in Lucerne, Switzerland

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Travel Distance: 4.2 Km or 2.6 Miles