Must-SeeSight · MemorialFreeGood for Kids

Lion Monument

A dying lion carved into a sandstone cliff, in memory of the Swiss Guards killed in Paris in 1792.

Photo: Gürkan Sengün · Public domain
Open
Always
Price
Free
Time Needed
20 minutes
Address
Denkmalstrasse 4, 6006 LucerneDirections
Getting There
A 10-minute walk north of the old town.

Why Go

Designed by the Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen and carved in 1820 and 1821, the lion lies with a spear in its side, sheltering a shield with the lily of France. It honors the guards who died defending the Tuileries Palace during the French Revolution. Mark Twain called it the most mournful and moving piece of stone in the world.

Nearby in Lucerne

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