Bourbaki Panorama

The Bourbaki Panorama at Löwenplatz 11 in Lucerne, Switzerland, houses a circular painting about 10 metres high and 112 metres long, created by Edouard Castres in 1881. The enormous canvas depicts the French Bourbaki army crossing the border into Switzerland in February 1871 during the Franco-Prussian War, when around 87,000 soldiers sought refuge. The work has been shown in Lucerne since 1889 and now stands beside a modern exhibition and cinema in a building next to the Lion Monument. Visitors enter the central platform and stand inside the circle, where the painted landscape merges with a foreground of props to create a three-dimensional impression of snow, exhausted soldiers, horses and Swiss villagers offering help. Audio commentary explains the scenes, and the exhibition around the panorama gives historical context on the event and on how panoramas were made and shown as a popular medium in the 19th century. A typical visit takes 45 to 75 minutes. The museum is open daily from 10:00AM to 6:00PM from April to October and from 10:00AM to 5:00PM from November to March. Adult admission is CHF 15, reduced tickets cost CHF 12, and children aged 6 to 16 pay CHF 7; Lucerne Visitor Card holders receive 20 percent off. Because the experience is indoors, it works well on rainy days and is generally calm at any time of year, with the busiest periods around midday in summer. Bus 1 or 19 reaches Löwenplatz from Bahnhof Luzern, and the museum stands on the square itself. Many visitors combine it with the Lion Monument and the Gletschergarten, which are both within a few minutes on foot.