A landmark of Lucerne

The Gütsch is a hill in the west of the city of Lucerne. Long ago, a watch fire burned here to warn the city of attacks or other dangers in times of war.

In 1590, the Gütsch tower was built as the end point of the town’s fortifications and remained in place until a fire in 1888. In 1859 Burkhard Pfyffer bought the land from the town and was granted the right to run an inn on the Gütsch. The inn was bought by Ignaz Businger in 1879 and expanded into a hotel. With the construction of the Gütsch railroad in 1884, it became easier for guests to reach the hotel.

In 1888, a large part of the hotel was completely destroyed by fire. In 1901, the Lucerne architect Emil Vogt gave the house its current appearance, modeled on Neuschwanstein Castle. During the First World War and until 1921, the Hotel Gütsch remained closed. During the Second World War, the castle hotel alternately housed refugees, returning emigrants and prisoners of war.

After this period, Château Gütsch was again a popular hotel for guests from all over the world and important place for festive life moments of the local population. In 2014 and 2021, the hotel underwent extensive renovations.

Over the years, famous guests have stayed at the Gütsch time and again. There were kings and queens among them, diplomats, world stars and artists.

To this day, however, many well-known Lucerne residents also appreciate the Hotel Gütsch for business and family events, the accommodation of guests or a romantic dinner for two.

As early as 1841, the English painter William Turner painted the city of Lucerne from the Gütsch. This painting is now in the collection of the London Tate Gallery.

In 1868, the legendary English Queen Victoria spent five weeks on the Gütsch. Also among the guests of the Gütsch was the legendary conductor Arturo Toscanini, who regularly stayed here during the Lucerne Festival.

Among the famous guests of the house in the 20th century were Henry Kissinger, Madeleine Albright, Henry Moore, Shirley Bassey Tom Jones or the world-famous conductors Herbert von Karajan, Claudio Abbado and Ricardo Chailly.

In 2014 and 2021, the hotel underwent extensive renovations. These renovations placed particular focus on preserving historic details such as ceiling stucco, wood carvings, parquet floors and hand-painted wood paneling. The work has restored the hotel’s historical charm and at the same time enriched it with contemporary comfort and lifestyle.

In 2021, a new chapter in the history of Château Gütsch begins: The lobby, reception and ballroom, redesigned by Lucerne-based Sigrist Schweizer Architekten AG in collaboration with Zurich-based interior design firm Grego, combine classic elegance with contemporary relaxation – the tradition-rich rooms with antique interior elements have been restaged with new lighting and modern artworks, heralding a new era for Château Gütsch.