Lucerne, Switzerland

How to describe Lucerne, certainly one of the great places on the planet to visit? Let's put it this way. Picture placing Beverly Hills, with all its affluence, at the edge of Glacier National Park, with all its natural beauty. Yeah, that will do it. 

This is located in the foothills of the Alps. Despite what you might be thinking about the weather, Lucerne doesn't receive a heck of a lot of snow. It's too low. The city receives 18 inches of snow per year, and some years hasn't seen more than a few flakes. But at least the snow isn't far away. 

There are a ton of attractions here despite its relatively small size (82,000 people or so). As this view from the hill shows, it's hard to imagine a better setting for anything. Surely you'll want to spend a few minutes looking around. (Note: the last two minutes of video show a blank screen, literally.)