Glacier Garden Lucerne - everything you need to know for your visit

7 highlights in the Glacier Garden

• In the Glacier Garden you will find the Alpine Park, which was created in a former quarry. + The tour of the alpine park takes you to rocks, a ravine and green meadows. A narrow path takes you to a beautiful panoramic view and you can also climb a viewing tower.
• You can discover more than 4000 plant species in the Alpine Park. These include a sequoia tree and magnolias, which grew here around 20,000 years ago.
• 16 glacial potholes were formed here in Lucerne when the ice of the last ice age melted.
• More than 50 mirrors were put together in 1896 to form a labyrinth of mirrors modeled on the Alhambra in Granada in southern Spain.
• The Schweizerhaus is the former home of the founding family of the Glacier Garden (late 19th century).
• An underground world of rocks takes you on a journey through time, from a fossilized seashore to the present day.

When a wine cellar was to be built on this site in 1872, the workers found 16 glacial pots that had formed during the ice age 20,000 years ago. Without further ado, the planned wine cellar became a glacier garden.

What awaits you in the Glacier Garden Lucerne

A wide range of experiences and information await you in the Glacier Garden. You can hire an audio guide, which will take you through the glacier garden for about an hour.

You can discover the following in detail:

• underground rock world
• Alpine park
• 16 glacier pots
• sandstone pavilion
• mirror labyrinth
• Swiss House
• store and bistro

There is also a search game for families with children for CHF 2.

Underground rock world in the Lucerne Glacier Garden

This rock world was inaugurated in 2021. It takes you on a journey through time and shows you the history of Lucerne's sandstone. Elaborate animations and projections bring the fascinating moods of the different eras to life. From the fossilized seashores to the folding of the Alps to the present day. Each room tells a unique story.

In the rock chambers, the rock tells of the geological development of the sandstone, which before the Ice Age lay here on a subtropical seashore. The elaborate animation is accompanied by lighting, sound and haptics.

At the end of the adventure trail, you will find an elevator that takes you up to the Sommerau. From here you have an excellent view of the Alps. But you can also take the stairs 🙂

Alpine Park in the Lucerne Glacier Garden

The Alpine Park was created towards the end of the 19th century when the Glacier Garden was laid out. The Sommerau is the perfect complement to the historic park of the Alpenpark. There is an 11 m high wooden observation tower, the oldest in Switzerland. It is a listed building.

The Alpine Park itself can be accessed via a narrow path. It takes about 20-30 minutes to walk it completely. Along the way, you will find information boards that tell you more about the alpine plants and the ecological importance of this habitat. You will find many fern species in the Alpine Park. The fern is a plant that was already found here in Lucerne in prehistoric times.

There is also a reconstructed rock landscape that is typical of the Swiss Alps. Here you can admire the rock formations and plants found at higher altitudes. You will find a variety of alpine plants along the way. You will see edelweiss, gentian and many other flowers.

Built in 1896, the diorama was set up for tourists in the city to give them an ersatz mountain experience. In a "fake" SAC hut, you have a view of a "fake" glacier. Your gaze falls on a painting of the Breithorn and a model of the Gorner Glacier near Zermatt.

The 16 glacier pots in the Lucerne Glacier Garden

The glacier potholes were the reason for the creation of the Glacier Garden in the middle of Lucerne at the end of the 19th century. They are very impressive, as they bear witness to the immense power of the ice. In order to protect the natural monument from air pollution and weathering, it has been protected by a tent roof since 1980.

The whole of Lucerne lay under a thick layer of ice 20,000 years ago. It is generally assumed that the inland ice in this region was around 2000 to 3000 m thick.

But it's not just the glacier pots that are exciting, the fossilized shells and palm leaves also shed light on a bygone era when the Lucerne region was lined with subtropical seashores.

Sandstone pavilion in the glacier garden

The sandstone pavilion is not a building in the true sense of the word. It is an inverted rock and was built half from Lucerne sandstone. Most of the material was obtained as demolition material from the rock world.

Every 20 minutes, a 13-minute film about the history of Central Switzerland's climate, geology and tourism is shown in the pavilion. there are 20 seats available. An exhibition room shows changing special exhibitions.

The confusing mirror maze in the Glacier Garden

An absolute highlight of the Glacier Garden is the famous mirror labyrinth. With more than 50 mirrors, it causes absolute confusion and makes the paths seem endless. You slowly feel your way through the corridors and encounter your own reflection again and again.

The labyrinth was built in 1896 for the Swiss National Exhibition in Geneva and is a replica of the fabulous Alhambra Palace in Granada in southern Spain. You can play with mirror experiments and distorting mirrors and be amazed by the illusions.

Swiss House in the Glacier Garden

There are many interesting things to see and experience in the Swiss House in the Lucerne Glacier Garden. Everything was collected by the Amrein family. Most of the objects date from the 19th century, although some are older. The numerous historical landscape reliefs are a particular specialty.

Here are just some of the rooms and areas you can visit:

area or room	contents / places of interest
Entrance area	Information about the history of the Glacier Garden and the Schweizerhaus itself
Mineral room	impressive collection of minerals and rocks from the surrounding area
Crystal cellar	giant rock crystals and other crystal formations with special lighting
Fossil gallery	fossilized remains of creatures that existed in the region millions of years ago
Säntis Room	an impressive panoramic picture of the Säntis and the surrounding mountains
Glacier Salon	Glacier relief by the famous alpine geologist Albert Heim, a friend of the family

The Schweizerhaus also has a viewing terrace from which you can enjoy a spectacular view of the city of Lucerne and the surrounding mountains.

Bistro and store in the Glacier Garden Lucerne

Regional snacks are available in the Bistro Salwideli. It was rebuilt in 2020. The overall architectural concept of the listed building was respected.

In the museum's souvenir store, you will find a variety of memorabilia and gifts to take home with you.

How to get to the Glacier Garden

The Glacier Garden is located in the center of Lucerne, near the famous Lion Monument.

Train

From Zurich it takes between 40 and 50 minutes by train to Lucerne station. From there, take bus line 1 to Wesemlinrain (4 stops). Alternatively, you can walk over the Chapel Bridge. This will take you about 20 minutes.

Car

By car it takes about 40 minutes from Zurich. You can park in one of the surrounding parking garages City-Parking or Löwen Center, just a 3-5 minute walk away.

Opening hours Gletschergarten Lucerne

The Glacier Garden in Lucerne is open daily all year round. The Alpine Park in the Lucerne Glacier Garden is both very educational and a place to relax. You can enjoy the alpine nature in the middle of the city and learn more about the formation and changes in the Alps.