Discover Emmenbrücke

Emmenbrücke lies at the confluence of the Kleine Emme and the Reuss, on the border between the Swiss Plateau and the Lucerne Pre-Alps. Its riverside landscape, nature and industrial heritage offer different ways to shape your stay. If you are looking for a hotel in Emmenbrücke, you can plan your trip around what appeals to you most: a walk by the water, the Riffig-Listrig nature experience area, or art and industrial history. The destinations below show the different ways these themes are reflected in the town.

Rivers and trails

The “Where the Emme and Reuss Meet” hike offers access to the water and plenty of stones at the confluence. You can do it independently as a family hike from Allmendli to Emmenbrücke railway station. Seasonal conditions may affect access.

The Emmenuferweg offers a different route: its fourth and final stage runs from Wolhusen to Emmenbrücke, following the shady banks of the Kleine Emme via Schachen, Malters and Littau. There are many swimming spots along the way; swimming opportunities depend on the weather. You can choose between an independent family hike that starts and ends in Emmenbrücke and a stage that is part of a longer route.

Nature at Riffig-Listrig

The Riffig-Listrig nature experience area has nature trails. Riffigweiher is a natural pond with plant and animal life worthy of protection. The amphibian populations at the pond are considered nationally significant. Nature lovers can explore both the trails and the pond’s distinctive habitat.

Industrial heritage and art

Rainmühle combines a long history of use with a cultural role today. Grain was processed there from 1495 to 1982; today, Rainmühle is an industrial heritage museum as well as an art and cultural centre. It is considered the largest historic industrial complex in the Canton of Lucerne and has the oldest machinery. Its story spans everything from its former use for processing grain to its present-day cultural role.

Since 2010, the akku Kunstplattform has presented and promoted contemporary art, providing a platform for artists of local and national standing. Its exhibition programme is accompanied by concerts, performances and readings. At the heart of the platform is a 500 m² hall in a former Viscose factory shipping building.

The Viscosistadt site also bears the history of its factories. It provides students at Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts – Design Film Art with a place to work; the site is shaped by high ceilings and the working and production atmosphere of former factories. A VR tour of the premises is available.

Architecture and former transport routes

Tramhüsli was built by the Viscose factory in 1920 as a tram station and served as the terminus of the Lucerne–Emmenbrücke tram line. Countless workers boarded and alighted there, and it is one of the last surviving witnesses to Lucerne’s discontinued tramway. This single building offers a glimpse of both the former transport connection and Emmenbrücke’s industrial history.

The Reformed Church of Gerliswil was built in 1934 to plans by Albert Zeyer. As an example of the functional architecture of the New Objectivity movement, it is a listed building and is easily reached by public transport. Together with the art and industrial heritage sites, it offers another perspective on the town’s architectural history.

For the wider travel overview: Emmen.