Lion Monument

The Lion Monument in Lucerne is a rock relief carved 1820–1821 in a former sandstone quarry by the Glacier Garden. It commemorates the Swiss Guards who died defending the Tuileries on 10 August 1792.

• Concept by Bertel Thorvaldsen; carving executed by Swiss sculptor Lukas Ahorn in 1820–1821.
• Approx. 10 m long and 6 m high – among Europe’s largest commemorative rock reliefs.
• The mortally wounded lion shields the coats of arms of France and Switzerland – a symbol of the Guards’ loyalty.
• Latin dedication “Helvetiorum Fidei ac Virtuti” with officers’ names.
• Initiated by officer Karl Pfyffer von Altishofen, funded by veterans and families.

• The “dying lion” above a pond, with tooling traces and weathered stone patina.
• Inscriptions and heraldry on the niche wall.
• Viewing terraces and the adjacent Glacier Garden museum park.

To honour the Swiss Guards killed in 1792 at the Tuileries, officer Karl Pfyffer spearheaded a memorial and engaged Bertel Thorvaldsen, whose model set the design.

Lukas Ahorn carved the relief in 1820–1821 directly into the quarry face; it was unveiled on 10 August 1821. The site soon became a hallmark of Lucerne and a key 19th-century memorial destination.

Location: Denkmalstrasse 4, 6002 Lucerne – beside the Glacier Garden on the right bank of the Reuss.

Getting there: 15–20 minutes on foot from Luzern Bahnhof via Seebrücke and Löwenstrasse; buses 1, 19, 22 to Löwenplatz or Weserstrasse, then 3–5 minutes.

Access: Open-air site with free entry; paths are mostly level with gentle slopes.

Visiting hours: 24/7 year-round.

Visit duration: 15–30 minutes; 1–1.5 hours if combined with the Glacier Garden.

Best time: Early morning or golden hour for softer light; in peak season come on weekday mornings.

Notes: Stone and pond edges are slippery when wet; do not lean over the barriers by the water.