History

The Hotel des Balances is steeped in history that reaches back to 1199. More than 100 years ago the nobility met for tea in the art nouveau lounges. Princess Luise of Baden and the Dutch queen Wilhelmine honoured the establishment with their presence. Celebrities from across Europe, such as the Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw, also stayed here on their visits to Central Switzerland. In the 1960s the well-known cabaret artist Emil Steinberger began his stage career at the Hotel des Balances.

Between then and now

An inn by the meat and fish market stood here as early as the 12th century. From town hall to guild house to inn (the zur Waage, 1807) – the past was eventful until things settled down with the opening of the Hotel des Balances in 1836. Successful hoteliers such as Jean Haecky and Fritz Rindlisbacher celebrated high-class hospitality and the Epicurean arts here. Peter E. Büsser has managed the hotel since 1988 – with style, charisma and a pronounced flair for detail and service quality, and a nose for exquisite wines, in keeping with today's address "Am Weinmarkt" (in the Wine Market).


Inside and out, the historical hotel reveals itself in all its splendour. The famous facade murals are among the most photographed motifs in Lucerne. Viewed from the Reuss, the hotel calls to mind a Venetian palace. Today, the Hotel des Balances offers a balance of historical fabric and contemporary design.