Painted facades, fountain squares, and bread shops that haven't changed in decades.
Lucerne's Altstadt sits on the north bank of the Reuss, between the river and the old city wall. The Museggmauer, nine towers with most of the original wall intact after seven centuries, runs along the ridge above the rooftops. You can walk its top section for free, above the chimneys, with the lake below.
The streets inside the wall narrow into alleys painted with murals: guild emblems, painted saints, scenes from local legend retouched over the centuries without quite losing their strangeness. The Weinmarkt, the Kornmarkt, the Hirschenplatz: small squares connected by passages that change character with every turn.
On Tuesday and Saturday mornings, a market fills the Weinmarkt with vegetables, cheese, and bread baked before dawn. This is the best reason to be in the old town early, but not the only one.