The historic city centre is small and well-kept, and can easily be explored during a short walk. The advice is to walk slowly, carefully observing the alleys, squares and facades of the historic buildings and enjoying the peace and beauty of its streets, perhaps not during rush hour. After visiting the Kapellbrücke, we suggest you start your city tour at Kapellplatz, near the St. Peterskapelle. The square is small and elegant and the small church is certainly worth a visit. Leaving the church and keeping the front door behind you, turn right into the small Hans-Holbein-Gasse, where you will find a perennial taste of the city’s famous carnival: Restaurant Fritschi and the picturesque façade of the building that houses it. Immediately after the restaurant, turn right again to reach Weggisgasse, one of the city’s main shopping streets. Follow the street to Hirschenplatz, a small square in the heart of the old town surrounded by medieval buildings with painted facades and a small fountain. Just behind Hirschenplatz, in the direction of the river, you will find the Town Hall Square, Kornmarkt, where you can admire the town hall building and the 17th-century town tower. From here, at the top of the steps leading down from the square to the riverbank below, you can also enjoy a beautiful view of one of the city’s most charming bridges and the small theatre on the opposite bank. But don’t go down the stairs now! Instead, continue along the Kornmarktgasse and in a few steps you will reach the Weinmarkt (wine market). The square is home to the Weinmarktbrunnen, an old fountain from 1481 that is considered the most beautiful fountain in the city. From the fountain, continue along Weinmarktgasse and turn right to reach another of the city’s most beautiful squares, Mühlenplatz, in just a few steps. This square is one of the city’s living rooms and, especially in summer, is full of life and outdoor tables where you can have a drink, an ice cream or dinner. The square is enhanced by the presence of the Spreuerbrücke, the city’s second wooden bridge. Smaller but no less interesting, the bridge takes its name from the “Spreu”, the grain waste from the threshing process that was thrown over the edge of the bridge into the Reuss. Like its big brother, this bridge is adorned with painted triangular wooden panels made by the painter Caspar Meglinger in 1600. The works illustrate ‘the dance of death’, not the most cheerful of themes. With a touch of optimism, we like to interpret it as a permanent invitation to enjoy life in every moment!
Walk across the bridge, look at the small, characteristic votive chapel on your left and you are on the opposite bank of the river. From here continue along the narrow river walkway just behind the historical museum building to the Reusssteg fountain and then on to the Nadelwehr, the needle dam, a historical dam built between 1859 and 1861. The level of water flowing out of the lake is still regulated manually by removing or inserting so-called needles, wooden boards attached to a metal structure. From the dam, walk up Burgerstrasse, a quaint little street full of restaurants and outdoor cafes. At the junction with Bahnofstrasse, take a look at the old building of the Alte Apotheke, the town’s former pharmacy, and its unique shop windows. From here, follow Bahnhofstrasse for a few steps to Franziskanerplatz, where you will find the Franziskanerkirche, a Catholic church in the heart of the city. If you wish, visit the church inside as well: it is well worth a visit. Once outside, return to Bahnhofstrasse and continue on to the Jesuitenkirche. With its Baroque façade and two bell towers, it’s a permanent feature of every photo of the city. From the Jesuitenkirche, end your walk by returning to the opposite bank through the Rathausteg and having an aperitif or a bite to eat in one of the many bars along the river.