Bourbaki Panorama, Lucerne (must see)

The Bourbaki Panorama is a giant, panoramic painting that pays homage to the internment of the 87,000 French Bourbaki soldiers who made their way from Prussia to Switzerland during the winter of 1871. The artist, Edouard Castres, had a first-hand account of this occurrence. He created the painting after seeing the horrors of war as a Red Cross worker.

The incident happened during the Franco-Prussian War. General Charles Bourbaki's French forces fled to Switzerland. They were starving and facing disease, but the Swiss army found homes for them where they could rest during the harsh winter.

The Bourbaki Panorama is on a 112x10 meter canvas. It is thought to be the inspiration for 360 degree filming and virtual reality due to its size and shape. Visitors can go to the museum to see this important painting any day of the week. It opens at 10 am throughout the year. The museum closes at 5 pm from November to March and at 6 pm from April through October.

Tip:
The Bourbaki Panorama is actually comprised of two levels; the first is a video/slide presentation (plus several artifacts), while the upper level is a spectacular 3D presentation with life-size figures in front of the actual painting. Be sure to study the story in order to understand the situation depicted.