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Photo: Simon Koopmann, CC BY-SA 2.0 de via Wikimedia Commons
UNESCO Biosphere reserve. Nearly a third of the area is protected moorland, and the mountainous karst region of Schrattenfluh. The latter is a limestone karst massif with several peaks, covered by fissured rock surfaces, dolines, and underground caves, developed through the dissolution of calcium carbonate by mildly acidic rainwater.
The Entlebuch Biosphere is a UNESCO-designated biosphere reserve in the Swiss canton of Lucerne. Covering an area of approximately 395 square kilometres, it was designated in September 2001 as Switzerland’s first biosphere reserve under UNESCO’s updated criteria, which require both ecological conservation and sustainable human development. Nearly a third of the area is protected moorland, and the mountainous karst region of Schrattenfluh forms part of the core zone of the reserve.
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A famous mountain overlooking the city of Lucerne. Pilatus is definitely a must and gives you a good impression of a wild and rocky peak with a marvelous view of the "real" Alps. Its peak can be reached by the world's steepest cogwheel railway from Alpnachstad (not operating in wintertime) and all-year-round by cable-car in three sections from Kriens (10 minutes by trolley bus no. 1 from Lucerne as far as 'Linde/Pilatus'). Going up from Alpnachstad and down to Kriens, combined with a boat ride from Lucerne, is called the Golden Round Trip and is over €100. A pleasant, and cheaper, option is to take the train from Lucerne to Alpnachstad (roughly €8), then take the cogwheel railway to Pilatus's peak and then the first cable-car down towards Kriens (roughly €52, or €26 with a rail card), and then hike the rest of the way down to Kriens (free, approximately 2 hours). Of course you can walk the entire way to the top on foot, which takes at least 4 hours from Kriens. In addition to hiking, there are several other activities, including a suspension rope park and a 1,350 m long toboggan (both at the second stop of the cable-car from Kriens). Even if you don't plan to hike, allow for at least three hours to spend on Pilatus.
Spreuerbrucke
The Spreuer Bridge, or Chaff Bridge, is the other surviving wooden footbridge in central Lucerne, a short walk from the more famous Chapel Bridge. It was built in 1566, replacing an earlier bridge destroyed by fire. It is known for its decorative paintings depicting the Dance of Death, by the studio of Kaspar Meglinger.
Sammlung Rosengart
Well over 200 works by 23 artists of early modernism, including 125 works of Paul Klee and about 50 by Pablo Picasso. Also works by Cézanne, Chagall, Miró, Pissarro, among others. The collection also houses 200 photographs, previously housed in the Am-Rhyn-Haus, by David Duncan Douglas, Life Magazine’s World War II photo correspondent who arrived with his camera uninvited at Picasso’s villa “California”, was welcomed by Picasso and his family, and over the years produced an intimate portrait of the artist’s day-to-day life. Picasso's living room was his studio, and domestic scenes — a ballet lesson, Picasso drawing with his children, or wrapping himself in the cape and hat of his native Spain —play out within the backdrop of some of his most famous works. Allow at least 2 1/2-3 hours to see all the artworks. There are three floors, and you should allow plenty of time for each one. The ground floor houses many very interesting works by Picasso, but there are lots of others on the first floor, along with outstanding works by Raoul Dufy, Fernand Léger, Vassily Kandinsky, Georges Rouault, et al. The Klees are all in the basement. The titles in Klee's handwriting are often very small and hard to read, and he did not put titles in every work, so ask for a printed list of composition titles for them.
Museggmauer
A part of the rampart walls built in 1386; the wall is still almost entirely intact and visitors are able to walk a section of the rampart. Four towers are open to the public: Schirmer, Zyt, Wacht and Männli. The Männliturm allows access to the rooftop of the tower which gives the most extensive and unobstructed views.