Today, the University of Lucerne is a focused university in human sciences and it ideally complements the technical and full universities of Switzerland. In 2000, the university started with the two existing Faculties of Theology and Humanities. The Faculty of Law opened a year later, followed by the Faculty of Economics in 2016 and the Department of Health Sciences and Medicine in 2019. During this period, the number of students rose steadily from 250 to 3500 in the 2019/20 academic year. Despite its development, the University of Lucerne has remained a personal university. But how did it all begin?

The more than 400-year history of the university can be traced on the newly opened tour. It starts at the baroque Jesuit Church. This church still marks the central role of the Jesuit order, the ‘Societas Jesu’, in the first two centuries of higher education in Lucerne. The tour provides information on all the important chapters of this path at 20 listening points. There is an insight into the little-known history of the city – leading past tourist sights and up to the Hotel Montana, from which a panoramic view of the city can be enjoyed. From there it goes down to the shores of Lake Lucerne, around the lake basin and to the location of today’s University of Lucerne. Interesting historical insights are awaiting on the tour, which largely follows the events in chronological order.

The themed tour through the city of Lucerne with 20 stations is accompanied by a smartphone app. The full texts in the audio can be read or listened to at the respective station.