Chapel Bridge.

As Lucerne’s defining landmark, the 14th-century Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrücke) is one of Europe’s oldest covered wooden footbridges. Spanning the Reuss River diagonally, it originally served as a medieval fortification. Today, its most distinctive feature is the series of 17th-century triangular paintings tucked into the roof trusses, which depict scenes of local and national history—effectively turning a daily commute into an open-air gallery. Though a devastating fire in 1993 destroyed significant portions of the structure and many of its original panels, the bridge was meticulously restored to its historic appearance. Standing alongside is the octagonal, 34-meter-tall Water Tower, a former prison and treasury that, while closed to the public, completes Switzerland's most famous postcard view.