I never expected a stone monument to move me to tears, but the Gletschergarten Löwendenkmal brought a tear to my eye. It's an incredibly sad and moving rock relief carving that commemorates the Swiss Guards who were massacred in 1792 during the French Revolution. There's a reason author Mark Twain called this sculpture "the most mournful and moving piece of stone in the world." Animal lovers, get ready for the waterworks.
The lion is carved into a stone cliff face over a reflecting pool in a quiet and peaceful park. I visited on an overcast day during the early spring at dusk, which really added to the moodiness of the place. The monument is big (33 feet wide by 20 feet tall) and there's a nice area for viewing it. You can't get super close to it, though. The museum has odd hours and was closed when I visited.
The sculpture is of a gorgeous lion who himself is in tears, crying because there's a broken spear in his side as he lay slowly dying. It's heartbreaking (the only other sculpture that's ever gotten such a reaction from me is Michaelangeo's The Pietà located in St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City), and there's an inscription that reads "Helvetiorum fidei ac virtuti," which is translated as "To the loyalty and bravery of the Swiss."
It's free to view the monument outside 24 hours a day. A must-see when visiting Luzern. read more