Luzern, Railway station in Luzern, Switzerland
Luzern railway station is a major transport hub with seven island platforms and fourteen tracks serving trains across Switzerland and to neighboring countries. The building contains an underground shopping arcade, ticket counters, and passages leading directly to boat docks on the lake.
The first station opened as a wooden building in 1856, before architect Hans Wilhelm Auer designed a new structure with a distinctive cupola in 1896. After a fire in 1971, the site was rebuilt with a contemporary design reflecting modern architectural approaches.
The station acts as a meeting point where travelers from around the world mix with local residents moving through the city daily. This role makes it a place where you naturally encounter the diversity and rhythm of Luzern.
The station is well-signed and easy to navigate, even if you are arriving for the first time. The boat access areas are clearly marked, and the shopping arcade offers places to spend time between trains.
The building includes design elements by Santiago Calatrava, the renowned architect who reshaped the structure after the fire with contemporary forms and flowing lines. This collaboration turned a transport hub into an example of modern architecture.
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