Around Lucerne's old town
Point 6 of 9 – Free Walking Tour
Lion Monument
LocalGuide from Lucerne, Silvan
Why a Lion Monument?
A regiment of 1200 Swiss guardsmen served as the royal guard for Louis XVI. During the French Revolution, some 760 guardsmen were killed defending the empty palace, and all 200 guardsmen accompanying the king were murdered.
In honor of these deceased Swiss soldiers, they built the Lion Monument with the injured, resting lion.
The artists
It was drawn by a well-known Danish sculptor. Urs Pankraz Eggenschwiler from Solothurn chiseled this monument into the rock until he fell from the scaffolding and was seriously injured. The work was then completed by the sculptor Lukas Ahorn from Constance. The monument was finished on August 10, 1821.
Tourism
Today, this lion receives visitors, from about 1.4 million tourists per year.
Glacier Garden
Right next to the lion monument you will find the Glacier Garden. A cool, newly renovated museum with a mirror maze. If you have time - it's worth a visit.
Quiz
How many tourists visit the Lion Monument per year?
Noooo. Don't make the lion roar.
True. About 1.4 million tourists visit this lion every year. That's over 3800 daily.
Wrong. You could talk about mass tourism. The Colosseum in Rome counts so many tourists per year.
Where is point 7?
> Go back to the Bourbaki Panorama.
> On the other side of the Bourbaki Panorama you will discover the Löwencenter.
> Go into the Löwencenter, past the Coop.
> Take the panorama lift to the right - up to the top.
> Meeting point: Viewpoint, at the top next to the lift, in front of SUVA.
Next:
The following stations are discovered
Kapellbrücke > Kapellplatz > Schweizerhof Quai > Pavillon > Bourbaki Panorama > Lion Monument > SUVA > Museggmauer / Zytturm > Zöpfli > Bahnhofstrasse