11 Rainy Day Activities in Lucerne

If you’re looking for things to do in Lucerne on a rainy day, you’re in just the right place. This lovely, historic Swiss city offers plenty of undercover attractions for when the weather’s not so kind. 

Lucerne is one of the best cities in Switzerland for museums, so there’s plenty to explore when it’s wet outside. Options include an art gallery and a music maestro’s former home, plus the most popular museum in the entire country. You can also discover a number of undercover attractions at the Glacier Garden. 

Other activities and attractions to keep everyone occupied during a rainy day in and around Lucerne include chocolate and cheese experiences, a watch store where you can learn all about timepiece manufacture, and a Swiss army knife shop offering you the chance to personalise your own product.

Alternatively, take a sightseeing cruise on Lake Lucerne when the day is wet but clear; find out about an apple’s journey from the tree to the bottle; or visit a swimming centre offering five pools, a thrilling water slide, diving boards, and magnificent mountain views while you unwind. 

If you’re wondering what to do on a rainy day in Lucerne, read on to explore all the top options! Also covered here are the four best wet weather attractions within easy reach of the city.

Best Rainy Day Activities in Lucerne

All of the following wet weather activities can be found in the centre of Lucerne. So there’s no need to travel when you want to stay dry, explore and be entertained. 

Swiss Museum of Transport (+ the Chocolate Adventure)

Address: Lidostrasse 5

Whatever the weather, the Swiss Museum of Transport is one of the top Lucerne attractions for adults and kids alike. Not only can you take a deep dive into all things transport here, but the museum is also home to the Swiss Chocolate Adventure. 

There’s also a 3D movie theatre and a planetarium on site. Buy tickets to the Swiss Museum of Transport in Lucerne, and you could keep everyone happily occupied all day long! In fact, it’s the most popular Swiss museum of all. 

Switzerland is renowned for its clean, efficient public transport system, including the country’s famous panoramic train routes. Visit this Lucerne museum and you can find out all about the history of transport in Switzerland. 

If it can get you from A to B, then you’ll find it in this lakeside museum. The exhibition offers simulators and rides in addition to static and interactive exhibits of trains, planes, cable cars and more. 

Then there’s the Chocolate Adventure, where you can find out how this delicious and famous Swiss treat is made. There are plenty of opportunities to sample it, as well!

The Swiss Transport Museum is open every day of the year. Get your tickets here.

Note: Discounted tickets are available for some rail pass holders. A 50% discount applies to Swiss Travel Pass holders, while Tell Pass holders get 20% off admission.

Glacier Garden

Address:  Denkmalstrasse 4

If you’re wondering why you might want to visit a garden on a rainy day, don’t despair! Not all areas are indoors at the Glacier Garden in Lucerne, so you can spend time undercover while sheltering from the rain.. 

The garden can be found by the famous Dying Lion monument. It was unearthed in 1872, and includes palm tree and shellfish fossils that date back around 20 million years. The area was formed about 20,000 years ago. 

Various parts of the Glacier Garden site have recently undergone complete renovation. Upgraded attractions include the Sandstone Pavilion, carved from a block of glacial sandstone. 

This houses pop-up exhibitions and shows a 13-minute film detailing central Switzerland’s climate and geology. 

The New Felsenwelt, meanwhile, tells the tale of the sandstone’s gradual transformation, from the seashore to the Alps and Ice Age glaciers. 

Other indoor attractions at the Glacier Garden include the mirror maze, the Swiss house, and a twisting underground passage leading to the Sommerau. There’s also a cafe and shop on site. 

More info >

Rosengart Museum

Address: Pilatusstrasse 10

An art dealer’s private collection formed the basis for the Museum Rosengart Collection in Lucerne. 

After a decade of work led by Angela Rosengart, her father Siegfried’s artworks were displayed for all to see, in a building that once housed the Swiss National Bank.

Pablo Picasso was a friend of Siegfried Rosengart, and the museum exhibits five of his portraits. You can also see a range of works by Paul Klee, plus Classic Modernist and Impressionist artists. 

Child-friendly activities and special guided tours for all ages are also available. 

More info >

Richard Wagner Museum

Address: Richard Wagner-Weg 27

The Museum Richard Wagner in Lucerne is all about the German-born classical composer and conductor. He lived at the villa in the Tribschen district with his wife and son, after being exiled by Ludwig II. 

The parkland home provided Wagner and his family with a safe haven, following the involvement in left wing politics that was so unpalatable to the King. He lived here, by Lake Lucerne, between 1866 and 1872.

You can find out all above Wagner’s exciting life and enduring works at the museum. The depository houses an Erard grand piano he used while composing, original music scores, photos, letters, and household goods such as paintings and furniture. 

During his residence in Lucerne, Wagner composed two of his most famous works, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg and Götterdämmerung. 

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House of ChronoSwiss

Address: Löwenstrasse 16 B

Swiss timepieces are famous the world over for their elegance, quality and precision. If you want to find out how they’re made, you can visit the House of ChronoSwiss on Löwenstrasse in central Lucerne. 

This family-owned watchmaking company allows you exclusive glimpses into the manufacturing process. If you’re lucky, you might even be able to buy one of the watches, though only limited numbers are available for sale. 

Hour-long guided tours are available for groups and those with a keen interest in watchmaking. The craftsmanship is impressive, involving precise assembly, 100-year-old machines, and the painstaking setting of the dials. 

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Lake Lucerne cruise

Address: Europaplatz 1

Assuming visibility is OK on the day, you might not want to let the rain stop you enjoying a sightseeing cruise on Lake Lucerne. Backed by snow-capped mountains, sailing across the crystal clear waters is an experience not to be missed. So why not don your waterproofs and hop on board? 

Locally, 38-kilometre long Lake Lucerne is known by its German name of Vierwaldstattersee. This means four forest sites. The waters are surrounded by four Swiss cantons – Schwyz, Unterwalden, Uri, and of course Lucerne. 

The cost of various Lake Lucerne cruises is covered by the Swiss Travel Pass. A number of different options are available for discovering the lake and its surroundings. These include historic paddle steamers, a panoramic yacht, and modern motorboats.

You can even dine on board by booking one of the Lake Lucerne cruises that serves lunch or morning tea on board.

Hallenbad Allmend 

Address: Zihlmattweg 46

While we appreciate that a dip in the lake might not appeal on a rainy day, you can still go swimming in Lucerne. And with stunning Alpine views, too. 

The Allmend indoor pool offers 1,000 square metres of water in total. There’s a range of pools, and the temperature of each is carefully tailored to suit the users. Choose between the children’s paddling pool, the swimmers’ pool, the learners’ pool, the diving pool and the relaxation pool.

The facilities are excellent, surpassing the average swimming pool by a country mile. Expect 1, 3 and 5 metre boards at the diving pool; a water mushroom, water hedgehog, wide slide and spray jets at the kids’ pool; and massage and floor jets, water spouts, neck showers and bubble loungers at the relaxation pool.

To cap it all, there’s the Black Hole slide offering 55 metres of fun, plus a shop and bistro. 

More info >

Best Rainy Day Activities near Lucerne

Whether you’ve ticked off the attractions above, or want to see somewhere beyond the city, the following rainy day activities close to Lucerne are all easy to access. 

The closest involves a train trip of just over 10 minutes, or you can take a leisurely boat ride of around two hours and 10 minutes, thereby proving that getting there is all part of the fun. 

Aeschbach Chocolatier at Root

Address: ChocoDromo 1, Root

How to get there from Lucerne: Take an 11-minute train ride from Lucerne to Root D4, where the station is right beside the chocolate factory.

If you want to delve deeper into the wonderful world of Swiss chocolate, why not hop on a train to Root? Aeschbach Chocolatier is located here, and offers visitors the chance to get up close to the history and manufacture of chocolate. 

Things to experience include a gallery with works of art made solely from chocolate, exhibits about the countries cocoa beans come from, and watching the skilled chocolatiers at work. Chocolate fans will also love the fact that you can try as many types as you like.

You can also get a freshly-minted chocolate coin featuring your preferred motif, or tailor make your own colourful, fruity, nutty, or even spicy or salty 200 gram bar.  

More info >

RAMSEIER World of Experience 

Address: Schellenrain 2a, Sursee

How to get there from Lucerne: Take a 20-minute train ride to Sursee, followed by a five minute walk to the World of Experience.

RAMSEIER World of Experience in Sursee, near Lucerne, is all about the humble apple. RAMSEIER is a popular Swiss beverage brand, and its products include apple juice and cider. 

This popular attraction shares the apple’s journey from orchard to bottle with kids and adults. It’s beautifully done, with sets that are works of art, a multimedia show, and a self-guided tour.  There’s also a bistro and a shop on site. 

By the end of the day, you should know all about choosing fruits for juicing, as well as what goes into the sweetest apple juice and sharp, tangy cider. 

More info >

Victorinox shop at Brunnen

Address: Bahnhofstrasse 3, Brunnen

How to get there from Lucerne: Take a boat trip of two hours and 10 minutes or a 45-minute train ride to Brunnen. The shop is right in the centre of town, close to the boat pier.

You can make your own Swiss Army knife by visiting the Victorinox Store in Brunnen. The original manufacturer of the famous knives also sells luggage, cutlery, watches, and even fragrance. 

The shop’s unique selling point is the sizable personalisation station, where you can create unique household and pocket knives, or personalise a watch or item of luggage. Experienced staff will guide you through the process. Each knife is engraved to state it was handmade, and you can even add a personal message. 

Personalised goods from the Victorinox Store make great gifts, or one-off souvenirs of your trip to Switzerland. 

More info >

Marbach Cheese Dairy 

Address: Dorfstrasse 16, Marbach

How to get there from Lucerne: Take a 39-minute train journey to Escholzmatt, followed by an 11-minute bus ride to Marbach. 

While it’s all about cheese at Marbach Mountain Dairy, your visit can also involve an adventure trail and meeting water buffalo. The working farm introduces visitors to everything there is to know about buffalo mozzarella.

You can come face-to-horn with the cows and buffalo that produce the rich milk, and learn about how this is transformed into the solid, savoury dairy product at the cheese experience. You can also attend a cheese workshop to get stuck into some hands-on cheesemaking. 

Marbach Mountain Dairy offers a chance to see how one of Switzerland’s most famous food products is made. You’ll also get to sample some of the delicious, creamy cheese produced on site – or even during your workshop. 

More info >

A Rainy Day in Lucerne | Final Thoughts

From art, music and transport museums to Swiss army knife, watch, cheese, chocolate and apple juice makers, there’s plenty to do during wet weather in Lucerne. You can also take a lake cruise, go for a swim with a view and a relaxation pool, or discover the brand new indoor spaces at the Glacier Garden. 

If there’s nothing in this guide that appeals – or the weather is still wet after discovering all of the attractions listed above – you could also take one of the many popular day trips from Lucerne. 

These day trips are a great option when the weather forecast might be better elsewhere in Switzerland.

🇨🇭 Are you ready to start planning your visit to Lucerne? Find the perfect place to stay in our Lucerne hotels guide.  Get more helpful tips in our Lucerne Travel Guide. 🇨🇭

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