Pablo Picasso, Franz Liszt, and William Tell in Luzern

by

Mackenzie Patel

Hallo World Travelers! Two weeks ago, I hopped onto a train to Luzern (Lucerne in German), a Swiss city that was much bigger and bustling compared to my secluded, angelic hamlet of Engelberg. I only had a few hours in this historic place, but I managed to sightsee to the fullest and experience the small-town, yet modern vibe Luzern exuded. From Engelberg to Luzern, it takes roughly 50 minutes by train and 30 minutes by car; however, the rickety rode descending down the mountain of Engelberg is so treacherous that I would heartily recommend the train route! Twisting and turning through black tunnels and idyllic countryside, the ride is both scenic (minus the tunnels of course) and relaxing.

After emerging out of the sooty train station into the blinding sunlight and warm air (it was around 28 degrees Celsius!), my mother and I journeyed to the nearby Sammlung Rosengart Museum on Pilatusstrasse. The stunning collection features several works by Picasso, Klee, Chagall, and Braque; however, the paintings, photographs, and sketches are not the main reason why this jewel of culture is not to be missed. Angela Rosengart, the woman for which the museum is named after, was a personal friend of Picasso and was painted by him several times in his cubist, amorphous style. The aged art enthusiast still comes into her gallery nearly every day, although I just missed her on the particular day I ventured into Luzern. Her collection, gathered along with her deceased husband Siegfried, is immense and contains a wealth of paintings worthy of a first-rate museum in Paris or Rome. In particular, my favorite work was Portrait of a Painter, after El Greco that was created by Picasso in 1950. It was so absurd and strange looking, complete with the iconic (but distorted/cubist) ruff that El Greco, the talented mannerist from Crete, painted several times in his heyday. Although the basement exhibition of Paul Klee paintings wasn’t my favorite thing ever, I did enjoy the room of Chagalls and the few Renoirs that lit up the cream-colored room with an Impressionistic warmth. I only spent an hour in this museum because my time was limited, but I could have easily spent another two hours analyzing each work, staring into the probing eyes of Jacqueline (Picasso’s former lover) , or conjuring up a life story behind the gypsy fortune teller painted by Matisse. Find out more about this Swiss gem here.

After the Rosengart (and a pretzel/ice cream break), my mother and I meandered our way towards the “old quarter” of the city. Like any other antiquated European city, the narrow streets were cobble-stoned and pockmarked with history, the tall apartment and commercial shops rising up on either side like a maze of pop up buildings. The most famous relic of this area is the Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrucke). This wooden overpass spans the width of Lake Luzern and has gorgeous flowerboxes spilling over the side into the brilliantly clear blue water. Although some of the wood is charred and decayed (a fire devastated parts of the bridge in 1993), a few religious/civic images still remain in the triangular recesses at the top. Also, make sure not to miss the massive swans that parade about the lake as if they are the true beauties of the area, not the centuries old bridge! Besides old buildings with faded paintings adorning the crumbling facades, the old quarter also has a lively shopping district including an authentic music store. I only mention this store in particular (MusikHug) because in the area where sleek grand pianos were being sold, a debonair portrait of the handsome Franz Liszt was peeking out cheekily from behind a lid. ;) Several churches and chapels were in this district as well, and like most places of worship in European cities, one can simply push open the heavy wooden doors and explore the aged frescoes, oils on canvas, and sculptures free of charge. Finally, my mother and I only had a couple minutes of spare time to find a space on the banks of Lake Luzern and just admire its azure waters and somewhat fierce-looking swans. The legend of William Tell is enmeshed into the local history of Luzern (it also appears in the works of Salvador Dali!) Find out more about this peculiar folklore here, and how Tell help to found modern day Switzerland (at least its culture).

Although I only had three hours in yet another fairytale city in the land of the neutral, I enjoyed myself immensely and experienced so many interesting and educational things. I even saw two weddings being celebrated in the most picturesque and old-fashioned part of the old quarter! I would recommend staying at least two days here and seeing the Dying Lion sculpture, the concert hall, the William Tell statue, and the Richard Wager museum (I can’t believe I missed that!) After some research, I discovered that the poignant Dying Lion was a monument to all the Swiss guards that were murdered at the Tuileries Palace during the French Revolution. Be sure to visit it and perhaps you will hear an old man playing away on his alphorn nearby…