Lucerne Webcam – Chapel Bridge and the Water Tower

The Lucerne Webcam sits on the tower of the main post office in Lucerne, Switzerland, a short way from the southern end of the Chapel Bridge, and looks north across the Reuss at the Old Town. The camera moves between several set views. One is tight on the octagonal Water Tower and the covered bridge, with the hotels and cafe terraces of the Rathausquai behind them and the towers of the Musegg Wall along the hill. Others swing east to the Seebrucke road bridge, the lake ships at their piers and the twin spires of the Hofkirche across the lake basin, or west along the river toward the white towers of the Jesuit Church. The regional TV station Tele1 streams it around the clock.

About Lucerne and the Chapel Bridge

Lucerne stands where Lake Lucerne drains into the river Reuss, with its lake shore at 435 meters (1,427 feet) above sea level, and about 86,700 people lived in the city in 2025. The Old Town grew up on the north bank, which is the side the camera faces: tall townhouses along the Rathausquai, a red-capped clock tower above the roofs, and the Musegg Wall on the ridge behind. The wall went up around 1400, runs for about 800 meters (2,625 feet) and keeps nine towers, which are floodlit at night. Four of them are open to visitors. The Zyt Tower, built in 1442, carries the clock that has had the right to chime first since the late Middle Ages, so it strikes one minute before every other public clock in the city.

The Chapel Bridge, or Kapellbrucke, dates from around 1360 and takes its name from the nearby St. Peter’s Chapel. It was once more than 270 meters (890 feet) long; today it measures 204.7 meters (672 feet). It is often called the oldest covered wooden bridge in Europe and the oldest surviving truss bridge in the world. Under its roof hang triangular panels painted in the 17th century by Hans Heinrich Wagmann, showing events from Lucerne’s history and the city’s patron saints, St. Leger and St. Maurice.

On 18 August 1993 a fire swept through the bridge and destroyed two thirds of its paintings. Of the 147 panels hanging before the fire, the remains of 47 were recovered and 30 were fully restored, and the rebuilt bridge reopened on 14 April 1994. The Water Tower beside it is about 30 years older than the bridge. The stone tower stands 34.5 meters (113 feet) tall and has served as a prison, a torture chamber, a municipal archive and the city treasury.

Weather and Climate in Lucerne

Lucerne has an oceanic climate with rain in every month, measured at a station 454 meters (1,490 feet) up over 1991 to 2020. January is the coldest month, with average highs of 4 C (39 F) and lows of -2 C (28 F). About 47 centimeters (18.5 inches) of snow falls in a typical year, most of it from December to February. December is the dullest month, with only 39 hours of sunshine against 209 in July. The Fasnacht carnival starts at 5 am on the Thursday before Ash Wednesday every year.

Spring warms quickly, and April averages 15 C (59 F) by day and 5 C (41 F) at night. July brings highs of 25 C (77 F) and lows of 15 C (59 F), with the camera’s views lit well into the evening. Summer is also the wet season, and August is the wettest month at 170 millimeters (6.7 inches) of rain. By October, highs fall to 14 C (57 F) and lows to 7 C (45 F), and the trees on the slopes above the Old Town start to turn.

Things to Do Near the Chapel Bridge in Lucerne

Walk the Chapel Bridge itself, then follow the Reuss downstream past the Jesuit Church to the Spreuer Bridge, built in 1408 and hung with 17th-century plague paintings known as the Dance of Death. Above the Old Town, a path follows the Musegg Wall, and the open towers, among them the Zyt Tower and the 33 meter (108 foot) Mannli Tower, look out over the roofs you see from the camera.

North of the Old Town, the Lion Monument, designed by Bertel Thorvaldsen, honors the Swiss Guards killed in 1792. Beside the station, the KKL culture and convention center was designed by Jean Nouvel, and the Swiss Museum of Transport lies on the lake shore east of the center. For a mountain day, Pilatus rises southwest of the city. The Pilatus Railway climbs from Alpnachstad to Pilatus Kulm on gradients of up to 48 percent, which makes it the steepest cogwheel railway in the world.

Similar Webcams You Might Like

Three more Swiss cameras, from other historic river towns to the Rhine Falls.

• Basel Webcam
• Fribourg Webcam
• Rhine Falls Webcam

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the Lucerne Webcam located?

The camera is on the tower of the main post office in Lucerne, central Switzerland, on the south bank of the Reuss close to the Chapel Bridge. It looks north across the river at the Old Town and turns east toward the basin where Lake Lucerne drains into the Reuss.

What can you see on the Lucerne Webcam?

The camera moves between set views rather than holding one shot. The best known is the Chapel Bridge and the Water Tower, with the Old Town and the Musegg Wall behind. Other views take in the Seebrucke with its traffic and flags, lake ships at the piers, the Hofkirche across the lake basin, and the river running west toward the Jesuit Church.

Can you see Mount Pilatus on the Lucerne Webcam?

Usually not. The camera’s views face north, east and west over the river, the Old Town and the lake basin, while Pilatus rises southwest of the city, behind the post office.

What is the weather like in Lucerne?

Lucerne has an oceanic climate with rain in every month. Average highs run from 4 C (39 F) in January to 25 C (77 F) in July, and winter lows dip just below freezing. August is the wettest month, and about 47 centimeters (18.5 inches) of snow falls in a typical year.

Can you watch the Chapel Bridge at night on the webcam?

Yes, the stream runs around the clock. After dark the streetlights on the Seebrucke and the lit facades of the Old Town reflect in the Reuss, and the towers of the Musegg Wall are floodlit on the hill. For a clear look at the bridge’s timber and the Water Tower, come back in daylight.

When was the Chapel Bridge built, and what happened in the fire?

The bridge dates from around 1360. A fire on 18 August 1993 destroyed much of it and two thirds of its paintings, and the rebuilt bridge reopened on 14 April 1994.

Is this webcam in Lucerne, Switzerland or Lucerne Valley, California?

This is Lucerne in Switzerland, the city on Lake Lucerne. The camera has no connection with Lucerne Valley in California.

Source: Tele1