Lucerne, a compact city in central Switzerland, sits amid snowcapped mountains on the north end of Lake Lucerne. With its colorful Altstadt (Old Town) and 14th-century Museggmauer city walls, covered bridges including the iconic Kapellbrücke and spired, turreted buildings, it's the storybook image of a Swiss town. It’s also gateway to hiking and skiing destinations in the nearby Rigi and Pilatus mountains and the Alps.