Ultimate Chapel Bridge and Water Tower in Lucerne Guide (Kapellbrücke)
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One of Switzerland’s most famous bridges is the Chapel Bridge in Lucerne (Kapellbrücke).
A gorgeous medieval wooden footbridge that allows you to cross over the Reuss River with an octagonal water tower (Wasserturm) attached.
Not only is this bridge one of the oldest covered bridges to exist in Europe, but it’s also the longest surviving truss bridge in the world.
Today, it’s an icon of Lucerne and one of Switzerland’s main tourist attractions. So, you simply must pay a visit.
This is one of my favourite bridges. I loved admiring all the beautiful paintings inside, not to mention the gorgeous views from here.
This is a complete guide to the Chapel Bridge and Water Tower in Lucerne, with the history, highlights, and how to visit.
What is the Chapel Bridge or Kapellbrücke?
The Chapel Bridge in Lucerne is a historic footbridge that lets you cross the River Reuss.
It was originally built as a thoroughfare in the 14th century and acted as part of the city’s fortifications.
The word Kapellbrücke in German translates to ‘Chapel Bridge ’, and it was named after St Peter’s Chapel nearby.
Initially, it was a whopping 270 metres long, but over time it has shortened and now stands at only 204 metres.
This truss bridge is built with carved wooden panels and triangular trusses.
It’s also unique as it has a series of fine triangular paintings inside that tell the story of Lucerne’s history.
It’s one of three historic wooden footbridges in Lucerne. The others were the Hofbrücke (destroyed) and the Spreuerbrücke.
Before the Chapel Bridge was built, there was an octagonal water tower or Wasserturm, that stood here.
Chapel Bridge history
Before the Chapel Bridge, a water tower stood in the middle of the River Reuss. This is thought to have been built around the 1330s.
The name Wasserturm translates in English as ‘tower standing in the water ’, as opposed to it being used to store water itself.
This octagonal tower, standing around 35 metres high, has had many uses over the years.
It has been a city treasury, prison, and even a torture chamber for criminals in the city, as the tower is isolated by water making escape difficult.
Later, the Chapel Bridge was built in 1365. It was constructed to create an accessway from the Old Town in Lucerne to the ‘New’ Town or Rathausquai.
It also served as a defensive fortification for the city, helping prevent attacks from foreign ships arriving from Lucerne Lake.
The triangular Chapel Bridge paintings
The beautiful triangular paintings hanging above the trusses were added much later, in the 17th century.
Hans Heinrich Wägmann originally painted 158 of these. These all told the story of Lucerne’s history.
The storyline starts with Lucerne’s patron saint, St. Leodegar, and depicts his life and death with a few famous legends thrown in.
Many of these paintings were influenced by Catholicism and created during the Swiss Counter-Reformation.
Almost like modern-day propaganda as a reminder to remain true to the Catholic faith.
Notable city council members sponsored the panel paintings. In return, they were allowed to have their coat of arms featured on it.
Unfortunately, many of these original paintings were burned in a fire. It was a tragic event that nearly destroyed the whole bridge in 1993.
What was the Chapel Bridge fire?
On the 18th of August 1993, the Chapel Bridge caught fire in the early hours of the morning.
Although the exact cause of the fire is still unknown, it is thought someone was careless and left a cigarette burning.
Because the bridge is made of wood with webs in the gables, it caught fire and spread rapidly. Within 10 minutes, a large part was destroyed.
It is also thought that a large amount of plastic bags from the souvenir shop in the Water Tower caused the fire to spread further and explode.
Luckily, it was quickly contained. However, it still took eleven hours to completely put out the fire and make sure it couldn’t spread further.
In the end, two-thirds of this historic bridge was destroyed! All that was left was a charred skeleton.
The fire also ruined over 86 of Wägmann’s original triangular paintings. You can still find burn marks on the bridge today.
Kapellbrücke reconstruction
The Chapel Bridge fire shook Lucerne, Switzerland, and the world.
Thousands of people gathered at the River Reuss to see the damage the fire had caused.
It was a huge loss, and the news soon reached headlines around the globe.
The city government reacted quickly and decided that day to rebuild the bridge.
The Chapel Bridge reconstruction project began just weeks later, and it required hours of research and review of historic records to ensure it was recreated sympathetically to the original style.
By November 1993, construction began, and within eight months the new bridge was complete.
The entire project cost the city 3.5 million Swiss Francs (CHF) and reopened to the public in April 1994.
Lucerne’s director of tourism, Kurt H. Illi, cried tears of joy. Thankfully, this time, the chapel bridge was rebuilt with modern fire protection.
Highlights and what to expect on your visit
Today, the Chapel Bridge remains the city’s icon and one of the most photographed landmarks in Switzerland.
So, if you’re visiting the fairytale city of Lucerne, you must prioritise this bridge as a stop on your itinerary.
Not only is the building itself gorgeous, but the views you get from here are beautiful too.
You can admire the historic buildings, the swans on the River Reuss and even Lucerne Lake.
As you traipse across the wooden panels, you can stop a while to take it all in and watch the world go by.
I spent way more time here than I thought I would. There is so much to see here, including the water tower and paintings.
Although the water tower isn’t open to the public, a small gift shop sells tourist souvenirs if you want to buy them.
Unfortunately, many of the famous triangular paintings were destroyed in the fire.
They collected 47, but only 30 were fully restored. You can still see the effects, with some of the triangular paintings being completely charred.
During the carnival months of January and February, the city replaces these with modern paintings.
Where is the Chapel Bridge located in Lucerne?
This landmark in Lucerne will certainly be hard to miss when you visit the city. It sits proudly over the Reuss River in the city centre.
You can easily see it from the modern Seebrücke Bridge, and it lets you cross from the Old Town of Lucerne on Bahnhofstrasse to Rathausquai.
It doesn’t really matter which way you enter the bridge to see the paintings, as they are on both sides.
But I ended up walking up and down the bridge a couple of times to see it all.
The Chapel Bridge is around a 15-minute walk from the central Lucerne Train Station. It’s easiest to access the bridge on foot.
Chapel Bridge opening times & prices
The Chapel Bridge is open 24 hours a day and 7 days a week in Lucerne. So, you can cross over it at any time throughout the day.
I’d allow at least 30 minutes to an hour to visit the bridge. You may find you spend much longer here because of all the amazing artwork.
The Wassertum Souvenir Shop is open daily from 10 am – 6 pm. It’s also completely free to visit.
Things to do in Lucerne
Lucerne is the stuff of fairytales, and it’s also one of the most romantic cities in all of Switzerland.
From boat rides on the lake, the ancient colourful buildings of the old town, lively markets, restaurants by the river, and this bridge.
There are countless things to do, plus some hidden gems to discover.
Related Post: The Ultimate Lucerne Travel Guide
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