There’s something quietly astonishing about standing in the middle of a painting a hundred metres around, and that’s exactly the experience waiting at the Bourbaki Panorama in Lucerne’s old town. The giant circular canvas depicts the internment of the French Bourbaki army in Switzerland in 1871, wrapped fully around the viewing platform so the scene surrounds you rather than sitting on a wall in front of you. It’s a compact visit — an hour is plenty — which makes it an easy, weatherproof addition to a boat trip across the lake from Vitznau, tucked right next to the Lion Monument and just a short walk from Lucerne’s railway station. It suits older children with a curiosity for history as much as it does adults, and it’s a nice change of pace from the more hands-on museums in the city. Combine it with a wander through the covered bridges or a stop at the deer park nearby, and you’ve got a full, satisfying day in Lucerne that barely notices the rain. Opening hours shift slightly by season, so it’s worth a quick check before you set off.
