Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Switzerland Lucerne Lion of Lucerne

Lion of Lucerne

This memorial commemorating fallen Swiss Guards of the French Revolution has been called the saddest stone in the world.

Lucerne, Switzerland

Added By
Kyle D.
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Sleepy Lion   gzhtub / Atlas Obscura User
Lion of Lucerne   Gürkan Sengün
  Dennis Jarvis / CC BY-SA 2.0
  Dennis Jarvis / CC BY-SA 2.0
  meganparmele / Atlas Obscura User
  irishrose79 / Atlas Obscura User
Exquisite lion   mikeslolady1 / Atlas Obscura User
  Antahny / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Created to remember the hundreds of Swiss Guards who were massacred during the French Revolution, the Lion of Lucerne was emotionally evocative enough to garner the attention of none other than Mark Twain.

Carved directly into the wall of a former sandstone quarry in Lucerne, the titular lion statue sees the regal beast dying from a spear wound which is marked by a shield bearing the mark of the French monarchy. The remarkably large monument was etched from the stone in 1820 and measures a remarkable ten meters in length and six meters in height. Above the mournful lion is the inscription, "HELVETIORUM FIDEI AC VIRTUTI," which is Latin for "To the loyalty and bravery of the Swiss," and below the lion's niche is a list of some of the deceased officers' names.

In his 1880 travelogue, A Tramp Abroad, American author and noted satirist Mark Twain described the monument as "the most mournful and moving piece of stone in the world." The lifeless eyes of the Lion of Lucerne may not be able to cry, but the endless tragedy in its gaze still inspires more than its share of tears.

Related Tags

Monuments Literature Statues Sculptures Military History Military

Community Contributors

Added By

ectoman3

Edited By

Martin, EricGrundhauser, mikeslolady1, gzhtub...

  • Martin
  • EricGrundhauser
  • mikeslolady1
  • gzhtub
  • Michelle Cassidy
  • Antahny
  • meganparmele
  • irishrose79

Published

December 5, 2013

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://twentytwowords.com/2013/01/30/the-saddest-rock-in-the-world-according-to-mark-twain-4-pictures/
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lion_Monument
  • http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g188064-d522810-Reviews-Dying_Lion_of_Lucerne_Monument-Lucerne.html
Lion of Lucerne
Denkmalstrasse 4
Lucerne, 6006
Switzerland
47.058516, 8.31093
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Barabas Hotel Luzern

Lucerne, Switzerland

miles away

Dance of Death Bridge

Lucerne, Switzerland

miles away

Hammetschwand Elevator

Ennetbürgen, Switzerland

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Lucerne

Lucerne

Switzerland

Places 4

Nearby Places

Barabas Hotel Luzern

Lucerne, Switzerland

miles away

Dance of Death Bridge

Lucerne, Switzerland

miles away

Hammetschwand Elevator

Ennetbürgen, Switzerland

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Lucerne

Lucerne

Switzerland

Places 4

Related Places

  • Wellington Monument (Statue of Achilles).

    London, England

    Wellington Monument

    This once-controversial and slightly confusing statue of Achilles was built out of captured cannons.

  • Angels around

    Paris, France

    Napoleon's Angels

    Twelve grave-faced marble angels guard the emperor's tomb at Les Invalides.

  • The statue.

    Washington, D.C.

    The Winfield Scott Memorial

    The sculptor was instructed to add “stallion attributes” to the general's bronze mare.

  • The Warsaw Uprising Monument.

    Warsaw, Poland

    Warsaw Uprising Monument

    A tribute to the Polish insurgents who fought in the failed attempt to end their city's Nazi occupation.

  • Tjeniste War Memorial

    Tjentište, Bosnia and Herzegovina

    Tjentiste War Memorial

    These warring psychedelic crags commemorate an unsuccessful military operation.

  • Defenders of Stara Zagora Memorial Complex

    Stara Zagora, Bulgaria

    Defenders of Stara Zagora Memorial Complex

    This massive stone and steel monument remembers a century-old battle that cost thousands of lives and nearly destroyed the city.

  • Fredericksburg, Virginia

    Monument to the Angel of Marye's Heights

    The Kirkland Monument remembers a selfless Civil War hero who braved the battlefield to give water to his dying enemies.

  • The Lion of Belfort

    Belfort, France

    The Lion of Belfort

    A colossal sculptural lion built by the same man who designed the Statue of Liberty.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.