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Lucerne (German: Luzern) is a city in Central Switzerland with a population of 60,274 (31 December 2003), capital of the canton of Lucerne. The city is located on the borders of Lake Lucerne (Vierwaldstättersee) with a famous wooden bridge and within sight of Mount Pilatus and the Rigi .
There is apparently no record of the city's founding, but it is mentioned in 840 named "Luciaria", the name originating from a monastery of St Leodegar founded around 730. The opening of the St Gotthard Pass route in the 13th century made Lucerne into an important trading town. Acquired by the Hapsburgs in 1291, it joined the Swiss Confederation in 1332. Lucerne was capital of the Helvetian Republic in 1798.
Since the city straddles the Reuss River where it drains the lake, it has a number of bridges. The most famous is the Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrücke), a 204 m (670 ft) long wooden bridge originally built in 1333Events End of the Kamakura period and beginning of the Kemmu restoration in Japan. End of the reign of Emperor Kogon of Japan, first of the Northern Ashikaga Pretenders July 19 Battle of Halidon Hill, last of the wars of Scottish Independence Cornwall gai, although much of it had to be replaced after a 19931993 is a common year starting on Friday and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003 Events January January 1 Czechoslovakia divides. Establishment of independent Slovakia and Czech Republic. fire. Partway across, the bridge runs by the octagonal Water Tower (Wasserturm), a fortification from the 13th century. The Bridge with its Tower is the city's most famous landmark.
The Swiss Transport MuseumThe Swiss Transport Museum in Lucerne is a museum, exhibiting all forms of transportation, including locomotives, automobiles, ships, and aircraft and communication There are several other attractions in the museum besides the collection: Planetarium IMAX is an impressively large and comprehensive museumA museum is a non-profit making, permanent institution in the service of society and of its development, and open to the public, which acquires, conserves, researches, communicates and exhibits, for purposes of study, education and enjoyment, material evi exhibiting all forms of transportationFor the movement of people or objects, see transport. For the shipping of convicted criminals to penal colonies, see penal transportation., including locomotiveA locomotive is a vehicle that provides the motive power for a railway train. Traditionally, the locomotive or locomotives are positioned at the front of a train, pulling passenger carriages and/or freight vehicles. This requires the locomotive to be moves, automobileAn automobile usually called a car (an old word for carriage) or a truck is a wheeled vehicle that carries its own engine. Older terms include horseless carriage and motor car with "motor" referring to what is now usually called the engine. The act of opes, shipA ship like a boat, is a vehicle designed for passage or transportation by water. A ship usually has sufficient size to carry its own boats, such as lifeboats, dinghies, or runabouts. A rule of thumb saying (though it doesn't always apply) goes: "a boat cs, and aircraft.
The Culture and Convention Center Lucerne besides the lake in the center of the city was built by Jean Nouvel. The center has one of the worlds leading concert halls (Accustic: Russel Johnson). Every year in late summertime the very famous Lucerne Festival (classic music) takes place.
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