Description of the attraction
On the banks of the Reuss River, near the Rathausbrücke, stands the Old Town Hall with its characteristic clock tower. In 1370, a covered market was built here, from the windows of which the best view of Lucerne opened. At the beginning of the 16th century, part of the market was demolished, and in its place a powerful square tower was built, which is now decorated with two clocks: an ordinary one and an astronomical one.
In 1602, the city municipality commissioned the architect and bricklayer Anton Isemann to rebuild the old marketplace into a convenient city hall. Craftsmen who came from Northern Italy worked on the reconstruction of the mansion. The building was erected in the style of Milanese residential buildings, only the roof structure was borrowed from the traditional farm buildings of the Emmental region. This mixture of styles was due to local weather conditions: a large roof visor protected from wind and slanting rain. Four years later, on June 24, the Lucerne City Council held its first meeting in the new town hall.
We can say that the original purpose of the building, which was located on the site of the current town hall, was remembered in our time. In the open arcade of the building on the side of the river, there is a farmers' market several times a week, where organic products are sold. All Lucerne housewives come here to shop. The Kornshütte building adjacent to the town hall, which used to be a shop, has now been converted into an exhibition center.
Lucerne's Old Town Hall is easy to get to as part of a guided tour. The building has preserved original furnishings, valuable works of art, wooden parquet flooring from past centuries and carved wall panels.
