Photography Lucerne and Lake Lucerne from Mount Pilatus, Central Switzerland – Lucerne, Switzerland

The artwork story

Just before sunrise on Mount Pilatus, some 1,700 metres above Lake Lucerne. Down below, the street lamps are still on. Up above, the sky over the Central Swiss Alps is already turning orange. For a few minutes you get both at once: the warm sea of city lights and the cool blue of dawn. Then the sun wins, as it does every day. The panorama stretches from Lake Sempach on the far left across Emmen, Kriens and Lucerne all the way to Stans. In the centre, the Horw peninsula pushes out into the lake. Behind it, the Bürgenstock lies in the water like a sleeping animal, with the Rigi towering above. On the right, the A2 motorway draws a glowing line through Stansstad on its way to the Gotthard. The limestone crags in the foreground are a reminder of where you are standing. I took this image from Mount Pilatus in September 2026. It is stitched from 10 individual frames and comes in at 322 megapixels, so it stays sharp down to the last detail even at four metres wide. If you live in Lucerne, a little patience will lead you to your own street. A picture for everyone who loves Lucerne but would rather stay in bed at this hour.