ZURICH
Postcode: 8030
Area Code: 01
Not so long ago, Zurich was famed for being the most icily calm, cleanest city in Europe. This most beautiful
of cities, astride a river and turned
towards a crystal-clear lake and distant snowy peaks, has plenty to recommend it.
In a place where chocolate is just as important as money, the city of Zurich sits 1342 ft (409 m) above sea level, at the north end of Lake Zurich with
stunning views of the Swiss Alps. Though the city center is split by the Limmat River, it covers an area of 1729 sq. km and has 348,000 inhabitants,
which makes it Switzerland's largest city - though they like to refer to themselves as the "little big city."
Zurich is a great city in the summer when the weather makes it quite enjoyable
to be outside. The average
temperature in January is between 14°F (-10°C) and 41°F (+5°C) and up to 61°F (+16°C) just 86°F (+30°C)
in July. Summer lasts roughly from June to September and thus attracts the most tourists; prices can
be high and accommodation hard to find. You'll find much better deals and fewer crowds if you wait
until from April to May and late-September to October. In the winter months, Zürich receives little
snow and few tourists making it a great time to visit if you can handle the cold.
Zurich is quickly becoming the new cultural hotspot in Europe. While it has always been world renowned as the
center of all world banking, the culture of the city is quickly catching up. Over the past 10 years
numerous trendy restaurants, bars and clubs have opened. This growth in the city has led to a state-of-the-art urban rail system,
theatres, sculptures in the streets, and galleries and museums - all the things you'd
expect from a state of the art cosmopolitan city.
All the same, Zurich has a particularly large number of historic buildings and monuments, testimonies to bygone centuries.
From Central, the narrow pedestrian-only streets of the medieval
Niederdorf district stretch south along the east bank of the River
Limmat, tranquil during the day and bustling after dark. The waterfront
is lined with fine Baroque Zunfthäuser (guildhalls), arcaded lower
stories fronting the quay side, their extravagantly decorated dining-rooms
now mostly upmarket restaurants. One block in is Niederdorfstrasse
, initially tacky, but offering plenty of opportunities to explore
atmospheric cobbled side-alleys and secluded courtyards: Spiegelgasse
14 was Lenin's digs in 1917 (pre-Revolution), and a pub at Spiegelgasse
1 - long since renovated - housed the original Cabaret Voltaire
, birthplace of the Dada art movement. Just south is Zürich's trademark
Grossmünster (Mon-Sat 9/10am-4/6pm), where Huldrych Zwingli, father
of Swiss Protestantism, began preaching in 1519. Its exterior is
largely fifteenth-century, while its twin towers were topped with
distinctive octagonal domes three hundred years later. The interior
is austere but for the intensely coloured choir windows by Augusto
Giacometti and the Romanesque crypt which contains an oversized
fifteenth-century statue of Charlemagne, popularly associated with
the foundation of the church in the ninth century. As you leave,
a door on the right gives into the atmospheric cloister . Alleys
behind the church lead up the hill to Switzerland's best gallery,
the Kunsthaus (Tues-Thurs 10am-9pm, Fri-Sun 10am-5pm; Sfr6, free
on Sun; www.kunsthaus.ch ). Some fascinating late-Gothic paintings,
a roomful of Venetian masters and fine Flemish work are fleshed
out by Swiss artists, among them Füssli, whose macabre fantasies
contrast with the restrained classicism of his compatriot Angelika
Kauffmann. The collection of twentieth-century art is stunning:
works by Miró, Dalí and De Chirico head a wonderful Surrealist overview;
Picasso, Chagall, Klee and Kandinsky all have rooms to themselves;
there are two of Monet's most beautiful waterlily canvases, plenty
of Warhols, an array of Giacometti's sculpture, and the largest
Munch collection outside Scandinavia.
The west bank is the site of most business and commercial activity. Leading south from the station, Bahnhofstrasse
is one of the most prestigious shopping streets in Europe, an enduring symbol of Zürich's wealth and a stark
counterpoint to the quaintness of the Niederdorf alleys. This is the gateway into the modern city, and is where all of
Zürich strolls, whether to browse at the inexpensive department stores that crowd the first third of the street, or to
sign away Sfr25,000 on a Rolex watch or a Vuitton bag at the understated super-chic boutiques further south. Two-thirds
of the way down is Paradeplatz , a tram-packed little square offering some of the best people-watching in the city, and
where most of Switzerland's banks are headquartered: Bahnhofstrasse, if not paved with gold, is at least founded on the
stuff, with ingots piled high in well-protected vaults beneath the pavement. The narrow lanes between Bahnhofstrasse and
the river lead up to the Lindenhof courtyard, site of a Roman fortress and customs post. James Joyce wrote Ulysses in
Zürich (1915-19), and the Joyce Foundation, nearby at Augustinergasse 9, can point you to his various hangouts, and his
grave. Steps away is the Peterskirche (Mon-Fri 8am-6pm, Sat 8am-4pm), renowned for the enormous sixteenth-century clock
face - the largest in Europe - adorning its medieval tower and a simple interior that's more like a ballroom than a
church. Immediately south rises the slender-spired Gothic Fraumünster (Mon-Sat 9/10am-4/6pm), which began life as a
convent in 853; its spectacular stained glass by Marc Chagall is unmissable.
Quick tips/suggestions
The steep, cobbled alleys of the Old Town
are perfect for exploratory wanderings, and with an engaging café culture and a wealth of nightlife, you could easily
spend days here.
The main train station (Hauptbahnhof) is on the west bank of the river, close to the old center.
Make sure to check out the Hauptbahnhof as it is an amazing piece of architecture and crossroads to
the rest or Switzerland... If you're there on a sunny day make sure to go down by the lake and watch the street performers... it's well worth it. Also, take a boat tour to get a quick feel of the area.
Best Way to Get Around
Taxis in Zürich are expensive even by Swiss standards, at $4.00 plus $2.50 per km, this does include a tip. Just go ahead and walk... you can use the exercise after sitting on the train...
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Culture