We can assure you: once you've arrived in Lucerne, you'll have no trouble finding the Wilden Mann. On foot - just five minutes' walk from the station, by car - not far from the motorway exit Lucerne Centre, or else by bus: we're very easy to get to by various different routes. And if you really can't find us right away, simply ask the first person you meet. People know us in Lucerne: after all, we've been established here for 500 years.

In 1517 when the Wilden Mann was first mentioned in records, it was certainly not a refined place. In fact it was a bar without a tavern licence. Later it became an inn. Those were stormy times, too. It was not until the 19th century that the Wilden Mann was transformed into a first-class address, with the rise of tourism. Countless conversions, expansions and renovations were carried out. And the Wilden Mann gradually became what it is today. After all, real character takes time to mature.

A landing here, some steps there, over here a niche – when you walk through the Wilden Mann for the first time there are lots of surprises. You barely know what awaits you round the next corner. This is because of how the hotel has developed over the years. It was expanded whenever the need arose - walls were simply torn down as necessary. Today the Wilden Mann consists of seven interconnected buildings. These are lovingly cared for with a distinct and subtle sense of aesthetic appeal. And that's what accounts for the hotel's incomparable charm.

If you look carefully as you stroll through the city, you will come across the Wild Man again and again: on Chapel Bridge, on Musegg Wall, in the form of a fountain figure. Being the guardian patron of the blue and white coat of arms, the bearded giant is omnipresent in Lucerne. It seems that he did not actually exist in real life. The skeleton of a giant man was found in Rieden in 1577. But the Wild Man is primarily a classic figure of legend dating back to medieval times. So perhaps we're just a little superstitious by continuing to claim his protection.

The recent history of the Wilden Mann is fascinating too, and we have had more than our fair share of celebrity guests. Not contemporary stars, but personalities who are a reminder of the good old days. Isn't it nice to be a guest at a hotel where Sophia Loren stayed the night, where Udo Jürgens played the grand piano and where Herbert von Karajan, Reinhard Mey and Gert Fröbe all dined? It means a lot to us. And it goes without saying that we treat all our guests as celebrities.