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Luzern, also known as Lucerne, is probably the most
picturesque city in Switzerland and, I found out, a real gem of a
holiday location for disabled people. With its lakeside setting, its
castellated city walls and medieval bridge, Luzern represents exactly
what you think a Swiss city should look like.
A shaky beginning to the holiday
A near disaster presented itself upon arrival. I found out that the
hotel I was recommended to go to turned out to be an absolute nightmare
in terms of access. You know the sort of worst case scenario — lifts
that won’t take wheelchairs, bathroom doors that were too narrow, no
specialised equipment in the bathroom — in short, enough to make anybody
scream. It was here that the drawbacks of the mighty Internet came home.
You exchange messages on the assumption that the recipient is a person
of moderate intelligence. Maybe it’s a warning that disabled people
should not put their full faith in Internet booking.
All was not lost however. Following a hasty search we found a truly
excellent location. Located in the street beside the railway station and
boasting no less than six fully accessible bedrooms and adjoining
bathrooms, the Hotel Continental Park proved ideal. Being beside the
railway station, which in turn is virtually on the lakeshore where the
boat cruise stations dock, this meant that all our transport
requirements were taken care of at a single stroke. Access is guaranteed
on all the major boat trips and excursions to the surrounding
mountaintops.
The only query I remember was whether all the cable cars
would accept disabled travellers, and they did! This put us within a
travel radius of 40 km (effectively the length of the lake) and you
could reach Ticino (on the other side of the Alps) by train within a few
hours or even get as far as Milan if the fancy took you.
One of our first excursions was a boat ride down the length of Lake Luzern to
Brunnnen. When we arrived we drank coffee in the same lakeside
café as once did Richard Wagner and Hans Christian Andersen. Sailing
back to Luzern through the mists and cloud which had enveloped the lake
was a mystical, Wagnerian experience.
Out of town to
Mount Pilatus
Another day took us to Mt. Pilatus, a massive
table-top mountain overlooking Luzern and its environs. To get there we
left the railway station for the boat to Alpnachstad and then by a
cogged railway line - the steepest mountain railway in the world I was
told, and yes, it felt like it! We arrived on the summit with its
panoramic views of central Switzerland. Afterwards we came down via a
series of three cable cars to arrive in Kriens (actually a suburb of
Luzern) and simply hopped on the local bus (which was fully
handicap-accessible, of course) to arrive back at the railway station —
a round trip almost, and one to remember.
However, like most good things, there is a down side. Switzerland is a
fairly expensive place and you would need to work out your budget
carefully before going. Temperatures are — when I went in late September
— much like home (the United Kingdom) really except the nights are a
little sharper. The Swiss use their mountains as a huge, outdoor
heritage park — everywhere is accessible. I will certainly be going back
and I do recommend it to any disabled travellers.
The city of Luzern itself is worth visiting too. Take an initial tour on
the fully accessible City Train (operating from the front of the grandly
imposing Hotel Schweirhof on the southern shore front). This runs every
hour most days and is great for an orientation. Also a must-see is the
lowendenkmal — an image of a dying lion cut into a sheer rock face. It
was carved in the early 19th century to commemorate the 700 Swiss Guards
who died defending the French king Louis XVI at the Tuileries Palace, Paris
during the French Revolution (like many absolute monarchs of his time
Louis XVI had a personal bodyguard of foreign mercenaries to defend him
from his own people — but when the revolution ousted the King his
bodyguards were slaughtered). This history makes the monument a
melancholic and strangely moving place to visit.
The best-known image of Luzern is the Kapellbrücke - a medieval covered
bridge spanning the Reuss River and part of original city defences. The
Swiss did not enjoy 500 years of peace and democracy but were constantly
at war with each other, or with the Germans or Austrians. The bridge
entrances are stepped but access is available by stair lift (operates
with a Eurokey you can obtain from the tourist information centre in the
railway station).
Luzern Tourism produces a leaflet on disability access in the city. This
is in German only - which does not help those of us who do not speak the
language. Maybe at some stage the tourist board might be persuaded to
give a translation, for in many respects, Luzern is an excellent
destination for the disabled traveller.
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