Summer in Lucerne means that one day we have brilliant sunshine and stifling heat, the next it’s epic rain. We all know what to do in the sunshine – head to the Badi, hike up a mountain, but what do you do when on a rainy day? Here’s a few suggestions for you if you don’t fancy staying indoors at home all day!
Art Galleries:
Although small Lucerne has two excellent art galleries. The Rosengart on Pilatusstrasse has over 300 paintings by 23 “Classic Modernist” predominantly Picasso and Klee with an assortment of others including Bonnard, Braque, Cezanne, Matisse and Monet. The Rosengart collection was originally a private collection of the Rosengart family and they were brought together in the old bank building and is a truly stunning collection of modern paintings.
- Public tours in German are available on Sundays with private tours available in English, French, Italian, Spanish and Dutch
- Opening Hours
- Open daily 10:00 – 18:00
- Admission: Adults – CHF 18; Children (7 – 16) – CHF 10
The Museum of Art Lucerne (Kunstmuseum) is house on the fourth floor of the KKL Unlike the permanent collection in the Rosengart the KKL regularly changes its exhibitions. This summer the exhibition is Sonja Sekula, Max Ernst, Jackson Pollock and friends. Sekula is a Swiss artist who moved to New York in 1936 and became part of the New York avant-garde movement. This exhibition showcases her art as well as the art of her contemporaries.
- Opening Hours:
- Tuesday to Sunday 10:00 – 17:00
- Wednesday 10:00 – 20:00
- Admission: Adults – CHF 15; Children (6 – 16) – CHF 6
Alternative Shopping:
When the weather is bad why not take some time to discover some unique shops in the area. These shops are excellent places to find quirky goods or something just a little bit different from what you will find in a lot of the other shops.
Ziitlos (Mythenstrasse 7) This vintage shop has a constant turn over of items, featuring women’s clothing, household items and the occasional vinyl gem. The opening hours of this store are best described as sporadic so it is best to check before heading over there.
If you looking for something different in the way of furniture then head over to Diverso (Industriestrasse 17) the upcycle furniture and always have something different on offer, nearby there is also another vintage store.
Spend time looking for Vinyl, there are three good vinyl shops in town allowing your to spend time out of the rain looking for vinyl gems.
- Co-Mix (Pfistergasse 11) is best for electronic / hip hop music. They also stock an array of comics.
- Music and Art (Dornacherstrasse 17) is best for Swiss, 1970s/80’s rock and metal music. They have a good selection of second hand records at a reasonable price.
- Old Town Record Store (Hertensteinstrasse 64) this is the best store for new releases and mainstream 1980s – now.
The brockenhouses around town are also good places to visit when its raining outside to look for bargains.
Coffee Shops
Sometimes it is just nice to get out of the house with a book or a magazine to watch the world go by. There are some hidden gems of coffee shops where you can sit back, relax and watch the world go by while waiting for the rain to stop.
Piccolino (Klosterstrasse 12) has a large outdoor terrace but also a nice seating area inside, there are often many people working so there is a good atmosphere in the place.
Sopranos (Mühlenplatz 10) is a cozy little coffee shop (although it is a smoking bar) looking out onto the square perfect for looking out a passersby.
Bourbaki (Lowenplatz) has a big coffee shop that occasionally spins around! With snacks available and a good working vibe that makes it perfect to people watch.
Alpineum (Denkmalstrasse 11) is a busy coffee shop near the lion monument perfect for watching the world go by. They make some incredible food here and you’ll find something to suit all tastebuds. They regularly run themed weekend offers like Taco Saturday or Steak Sunday, keep a close eye on their Facebook page to see whats their schedule is for the month.
-This post was kindly contributed by Linzie Stephenson for our community blogger feature.
