Löwendenkmal

We only had time to visit this monument at night, but I’m glad we did, it almost gives it more atmosphere the way it’s lit up. It’s so sad to see the lion dying and a little bit funny to see the pig… a little dig at the enemy. It’s quite powerful to see.

Took us a lot of walking trying to find this place. The lion monument is pretty impressive but there is nothing else around the area. Not a must see but nice to see, especially if you don’t have time.

Very convenient to walk to from anywhere in Lucerne. I’m here in Dec 2014. The water in front of the lion has frozen over. It is so beautiful. Very cool monument carved out of the wall. The lion is actually pretty large and if you look carefully it has something stabbed into the tummy and other cool details.
The lion symbolizes the Swiss soldiers that died trying to protect Marie Antoinette.
Happy Siteseeing!

The Lion Monument in Luzern, Lion Square of the English Garden, depicts a mourning, perhaps dying, yet majestic lion carved into a sandstone wall overlooking a peaceful pond. It is not as peaceful here as it could be, sadly, due to the rush of tourists. The monument, free to the public, is a memorial to the Swiss mercenaries who died while protecting Louis XVI and his family during the French Revolution. I’m not sure how I feel that Swiss troops sacrificed their lives to help the King and his family flee the angry revolutionaries attacking the palace in Tuileries in 1792, but Swiss mercenaries were the very best, and this was the major source of income for many Swiss at the time. Apparently, there were some Swiss liberals who opposed the building of this memorial, the idea of a surviving mercenary who came from a wealthy family and deeply missed his fellow servicemen who died in Paris. The Monument was designed by the great Danish Neoclassical sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen in 1819. If you like the Lion, head to Copenhagen to see the best of Thorvaldsen’s work.

Melancholy and mesmerizing, I found this tribute to the the Swiss fallen soldiers both sad and hopeful. The lion’s reflection in the waters magnified the effect.
When I visited in the early hours of a blustery winter evening, it was all tour groups and visitors. The only sign of a local was the lady walking her dog whom we passed at the entrance, and she walked right by this place.
It’s truly magnificent, and yet in a very unexpected location, set back two streets from Lowencenter mall and just back from a square which house either a glorious library or an amazing bookstore. I liked the small church set right beside the entrance but the whole effect is really spoiled by this huge fake golden lion placed katty-​corner to the monument, at the entrance to a tourist shop.
Final verdict? Go see it and sit on the convenient benches and mediate on lost lives, national pride, and the futility of war (something even our current generation hasn’t learned from) and just ignore the weird location and tourist traps.

Meh it was literally a two second visit. It’s a statue in front of a pond. You go, you take a few pics and you head out. The free bathroom on the right is actually pretty interesting, very high tech.

The monument is 5 star– the small area, and crowds are awful. They’ll walk in front of you, shove you, and they’re noisy. It’s too bad this isn’t in a greener more peaceful area, because the monument is lovely– but it’s as if it was dropped in the middle of a bad day at Disneyland. You’ve been warned. Go early in the morning, before the hordes arrive.

En un pequeño parque, sobre un estanque precioso, se alza una gran pared de roca y en el, esculpida el monumento del León. Es una estatua dedicada a los soldados suizos de la familia real de Francia muertos en 1792 víctimas de la Revolución Francesa. Se pueden ver dos escudos sobre el que yace el León, uno es el escudo de Suiza y en el otro está la flor de lis, utilizados antiguamente en los blasones de la familia real francesa.
Es una preciosidad y muy visitado por los turistas, casi siempre hay alguien haciéndose una foto con el león. Es muy recomendable verlo y gratuito.

Löwendenkmal is German for the Lion Monument, more commonly known as the Lion of Lucerne.
I was interested in the sight but I was not prepared for my fascination. Mark Twain called it «the most mournful and moving piece of stone in the world.»
This monument was carved into sandstone and is very close to the center of Lucerne. It is carved into the face of a cliff and is dedicated «To the loyalty and bravery of the Swiss.» The monument of dying lion, impaled by a spear, covering a shield bearing the fleur-​de-​lis of the French monarchy, with another shield beside him bearing the coat of arms of Switzerland is full of sorrow.
It honors the Swiss soldiers who died defending King Louis XVI in 1792 during the French revolution (FYI — «Les Miserables» begins more than two decades after the start of the French Revolution).
It is a tradition to toss a coin over your shoulder into the pond for good luck, although I am not sure how such a sombre memorial would offer good fortune.
The lion commemorates the Swiss Guards who were massacred in 1792 when revolutionaries stormed the Tuileries Palace in Paris, where Napoleon once lived.
In present day, the Swiss Guard refers to the Pontifical Swiss Guard, who are responsible for the safety of the Pope, and the security of the Apostolic Palace. The Swiss Guard also serves as the de facto military of Vatican City.

Tucked away in a hidden nook of the city, this is a powerful and moving monument to the Swiss Guards who lost their lives trying to protect Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette during the French Revolution.
There are no grand vistas or wide open grassy lawns. Walk along a sidewalk, past some stores and businesses. Turn a corner and walk up a slight incline on a nondescript back street. The back of some buildings is on the left and a grove of trees is on the right. The trees open up to reveal the grey stone cliff and the reflecting pool.
Even though I was one of them, beware the tourists. The peaceful solemnity of the area was marred by the crowds trying to get that perfect photo op. Best time to go is early in the morning or late in the afternoon.

Its free and amazing to know the lion sculpture was carved out of the stone. This is great to see but even better to hear the story behind it.
The Lion Monument (German: Löwendenkmal), otherswise known as the Lion of Lucerne, is a sculpture designed by Bertel Thorvaldsen and hewn in 1820 – 21 by Lukas Ahorn. It is a commemoration of the Swiss Guards who were massacred in 1792 during the French Revolution, when revolutionaries stormed the Tuileries Palace in Paris, France
The monument is dedicated «To the loyalty and bravery of the Swiss». The dying lion is portrayed impaled by a spear, covering a shield bearing the fleur-​de-​lis of the French monarchy; beside him is another shield bearing the coat of arms of Switzerland. The inscription below the sculpture lists the names of the officers and gives the approximate numbers of soldiers who died (DCCLX = 760), and survived (CCCL = 350)

Our first stop in Luzern was a visit to this sleeping (dying, I later earned) lion monument where our guide gave us a brief history lesson on Switzerland. How it tied to the lion, I sort of faded in and out as the dappled sunlight across the monument made me dizzy. You do feel the solemnity of the area as there is a sense of time stopping. Perhaps — like me – you were actually in sad need of a nap and wishing the lion had some space in his niche for you to lie next to him.

Created in 1821, Löwendenkmal is a stunningly solemn landmark commemorating the Swiss Guards who were massacred while serving King Louis XVI in 1792 during the French Revolution. When the revolutionary masses attacked the royal Tuileries castle in Paris, the Swiss troops tried to defend the royal family and assisted the monarchs’ escape. Out of the 1,110 Swiss soldiers, 760 were killed.
The monument features a giant dying lion carved out of a wall of sandstone rock above a quarry, measuring 20×33 feet. The lion is portrayed impaled by a spear, covering a shield bearing the fleur-​de-​lis of the French monarchy; beside him is another shield bearing the coat of arms of Switzerland. An inscription reads, «Helvetiorum Fidei ac Virtuti» («To the loyalty and bravery of the Swiss») and also lists the names of the officers, and numbers of the soldiers who died.
Löwendenkmal is one of the most moving war monuments that I’ve visited, and tops the list as my favorite. I could sit in front of the lion and his reflecting pool all day.
Viewing Time: 30 minutes

Ein sehr schönes und zugleich trauriges Denkmal des Löwen in seinem «Grab». Er ist sehr groß, seine Körperhaltung majestätisch. Ein muss für alle Besucher von Luzern! Bloß die Touristen überfüllen meistens den Platz so dass es wieder keine Lust mehr macht.

Schön anzuschauen, doch für den ausländischen unbedarften Menschen nur nett.

The Lion monument of Lucerne, the Löwendenkmal, a magnificent sculpture of a dying lion, is a must visit here. It commemorates the mercenary Swiss guard of Marie Antoinette who were decimated in the overthrow of the Royal family in France.
Then lighten up by taking a cruiser for a trip of the lake. There are great views (including villas of the rich and famous) on both banks and a glass of the local beer (Eichhof) will go down nicely as you listen to the commentary.