Lucerne

About

Beginning as a Benedictine monastery around 750 AD, the city proper didn’t begin to develop until 1178, when Lucerne became independent from Murbach Abbey. In the 14h century, Lucerne was one of the four original cities to form the Swiss Confederacy, which put an end to Austrian rule. Following this victory, the city flourished, and was a popular place to settle in the 16th and 17th centuries. Today, its 17th century Jesuit church is regarded as Switzerland’s first sacral Baroque building. Many of the buildings in the car-free old town are decorated with frescoes, as exemplified in the picturesque ‘Weinmarkt’ square. The town’s defensive wall has been almost perfectly preserved, with only one tower not in its original state. The 14th century Chapel Bridge was constructed as a part of the city's fortification system, and is now the symbol of the city.