The Kapellbrücke Bridge was named after the Chapel of St Peter, which, according to legend, is where the city of Lucerne began. The Chapel is located in the Old Town on the square by the Kapellbrücke Bridge, which is considered to be the oldest wooden bridge not only in Switzerland but also in Europe.
The bridge was built in 1365. It was once part of the city's fortifications and is now one of Lucerne's calling cards. The bridge is 202.9 metres long and crosses the river Reuss diagonally. It was originally longer, but in 1835 about 75 metres of the bridge was dismantled due to the shallowing of the river and the development of its banks.
Under the roof of the bridge along its entire length are 111 triangular panels with colourful frescoes depicting the most important events in the life of the city. They are all numbered, and many bear lines of poetry written by R. Cusat and Rudolf von Sonnenberg. Particularly interesting are paintings No. 3, where you can see images of the first town buildings, and No. 4, which reflects the construction of the local monastery. Part of the frescoes tells about the lives of St Leodegar and St Mauritius.
All the murals were created in the early 17th century and were gradually restored after a fire that occurred in 1993.
The triangular paintings that decorate Lucerne's Kapellbrücke and Sproerbrücke bridges are unique. Such decoration was not used anywhere else in Europe. Colourful frescoes were also under the roof of another local bridge, the Hofbrücke, which was dismantled in the 19th century.
Near the southern end of the Kapellbrücke Bridge is the Water Tower, which used to serve as a dungeon and then as the town treasury. It now houses a nice souvenir shop.
