Spreuerbrücke (Mill Bridge) and Dance of Death Paintings

The Spreuerbrücke, or Mill Bridge, is the quieter of the two covered wooden bridges across the Reuss in Luzern, in the canton of Lucerne, central Switzerland. Dated to 1408, it spans the river at the western edge of the Old Town and takes its name from the mill chaff (Spreu) that was once tipped into the water from the span. Unlike the Kapellbrücke, it is a working pedestrian crossing rather than a postcard stop, and that gives it a calmer atmosphere. The main draw is the cycle of roughly 45 surviving triangular panels under the roof, painted in the 17th century by Kaspar Meglinger. Known as the Totentanz, or Dance of Death, the paintings show Death leading people of every rank, from emperors and clergy to merchants and children, away from daily life. Each panel carries a short verse, and the sequence was meant as a reminder that mortality spares no one. Because the panels hang in a row at eye level above the walkway, visitors can read them in order while crossing. Roughly midway along the bridge sits a small chapel, Maria auf der Reuss, built into the span. A weir just upstream, the Reusswehr, controls the level of Lake Lucerne and the flow of the river, and its wooden needle dam is visible from the bridge. The structure is low and dim inside, so photographers working with the panels do best with a steady hand or a fast lens. Views from the deck look toward the Museggmauer towers on the hill to the north and along the Reuss toward the Kapellbrücke. A typical visit lasts 15 to 30 minutes, although reading every panel takes longer. The bridge is open at all hours and free of charge. Mornings are nearly empty, which suits slow reading; midday brings tour groups heading to and from the Old Town, and evenings are quiet again. The walk from Bahnhof Luzern takes about seven minutes through the Altstadt and Weinmarkt.