Chapel Bridge, city walks, lakeshores and the SGV ships: start a 360° tour right in your browser.
The tours open in a new tab. They are controlled with icons and appear in their original language (German or English).
Lucerne sits on Lake Lucerne, surrounded by mountains. Our virtual tours take you across the Chapel Bridge and through the city, to the lakeshore between Weggis and Vitznau, and to the SGV ships on Lake Lucerne. Every tour can be explored right in your browser, looking wherever you like. You will find matching panoramas and photographs in our shop.
The tours fall into three areas: the city of Lucerne (Chapel Bridge, city trip, city walks and the winter night), Lake Lucerne with its shores from Weggis to Vitznau, and the SGV ships. The SGV operates 19 vessels; five of them, the paddle steamer Uri and the motor vessels Brunnen, Cirrus, Europa and Saphir, can be walked through as tours. The tours are useful for visitors planning a stay in Lucerne and for anyone who wants to discover the city by the water virtually.
City of Lucerne
The Chapel Bridge is the landmark of Lucerne: a covered wooden bridge over the River Reuss with the water tower. It dates from the 14th century and was rebuilt after a fire in 1993. The tour leads you through the bridge and shows the view of river and city.
The tour begins with a view from above of the city, the lake and the mountains. That is only the entry point: it then leads through the whole old town of Lucerne. You can see how the city, the River Reuss and Lake Lucerne fit together, and then go scene by scene through the lanes of the old town.
This tour goes through the whole city of Lucerne: from Löwenplatz to Bundesplatz, past the railway station and the KKL, through all the streets and across all the old-town bridges. It also contains three selected tours: using the hotspots you jump straight to individual points and discover the city at your own pace.
Lucerne 360° is the entry point to the tours of the city of Lucerne: a portal with scenes from the old town, bridges, churches and the surroundings, including the Chapel Bridge. From here you jump to the individual places.
This tour shows Lucerne on a winter night: snowy banks, lit-up houses and a tower of the city fortifications by the water. The mood differs clearly from a summer day and suits city lovers and photography fans.
Lake Lucerne
The tour leads to several shore points around Lake Lucerne: meadows, lakeside paths and views across the water to the mountains. It is a good way to explore the lake and its towns without being there in person.
The tour shows the lakeshore landscape between Weggis and Vitznau at the foot of the Rigi: road, slopes and a view of Lake Lucerne. Vitznau is the starting point of the Vitznau–Rigi railway, the first mountain railway in Europe.
SGV ships
This tour shows selected SGV ships on Lake Lucerne at their landing stages. You see ships, piers and the lakeshore and can move from ship to ship. The SGV operates 19 vessels in total, five historic paddle steamers and 14 motor vessels; only some of them can be seen here. Uri, Brunnen, Cirrus, Europa and Saphir are also available as separate tours.
The “Brunnen” was built in 1991 at the Deggendorf shipyard in Germany and is one of three panorama ships on Lake Lucerne. From the rondel in the bow the eye ranges far across the water, and large windows connect the salons with the landscape. The tour leads through the bow, the first- and second-class salons, the wheelhouse and the decks. The interior has been renewed since 2026, so the ship looks more modern today than in the tour.
The name “Cirrus” recalls the fine feathery clouds high in the sky, and the ship fits: a modern catamaran built by Shiptec in Lucerne in 2009, with a large salon and huge panoramic windows that let the view sweep almost unhindered across the lake. In the tour you explore the salon in the bow, the main deck, the wheelhouse and the stern, and you see why the ship is also popular for parties and events.
The “Europa” is the fleet’s party ship: built in 1976 at the SGV shipyard in Lucerne, she holds up to 1,000 guests in summer, with two bars, two large banquet rooms and the largest upper deck of the whole fleet. She was overhauled in 1995. The tour leads through the first- and second-class salons, across the middle deck and the stern, and even shows the ship in the shipyard.
The “Saphir” bears the name of a gemstone: built by Shiptec in Lucerne in 2012, with a light-flooded panorama salon and a terrace right at the water, she holds 300 guests. Now she is writing a special chapter: since October 2025 she has been converted to hydrogen propulsion and is due to sail from spring 2027 as Switzerland’s first hydrogen-powered passenger ship. In the tour you see the bow, main deck and upper deck, the wheelhouse and the ship in the shipyard.
The “Uri” is a piece of floating engineering history: she set off on her maiden voyage on 8 May 1901, built by the Sulzer brothers, and has sailed Lake Lucerne ever since as the oldest paddle steamer in Switzerland. Two paddle wheels and a two-cylinder steam engine drive her, and up to 800 guests find room. In the tour you go on board: into the first-class salon in Neo-Rococo style with wood panelling, carved figures and a painted ceiling, into the Uri Stübli, the wheelhouse and onto the upper deck.
FAQ
Click “Start tour” or the picture on the card you want. The tour opens in a new tab. Hold the mouse button to look around, swipe with your finger on a phone, and use the icons in the tour to navigate.
The tours run in the browser on computers, tablets and smartphones. They are shot in high image quality and are suitable for viewing with a VR headset.
No. The SGV operates 19 vessels, five historic paddle steamers and 14 motor vessels. Five are available as a tour: the paddle steamer Uri from 1901 and the motor vessels Brunnen, Cirrus, Europa and Saphir. Each has its own story.
The Chapel Bridge, city walks, a winter night, Lake Lucerne with its shores from Weggis to Vitznau and the SGV ships. Buildings and churches of the city are on a separate page.
The tours contain very little text and are operated with icons. They appear in the language in which they were created. This page is available in four languages.
Yes. Every card links to matching panoramas and photographs in our shop. You can get them as a digital download or as a fine-art print.
More tours
Like what you see?
Our shop offers high-resolution panoramas and photos of Central Switzerland, as a digital download or fine-art print.