Zürich

Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland, with a population of some 364,500 in the city proper and close to 1 million in the agglomeration area. Zurich is on Lake Zurich, where the lake meets the Limmat River, in the north of Switzerland.

Zurich is the largest city of the Swiss Confederation (Switzerland) by land area and population. It is the financial center of Switzerland and houses the stock exchange and the headquarters of a large number of national and international companies. National and international media agencies as well as most of the national TV channel companies are also located here.

Because Zurich is the central node of the Swiss-wide train network and also runs the biggest and busiest international airport in the country, it generally is the first place where tourists arrive. Because of the city's close distance to tourist resorts in the Swiss Alps and its mountainous scenery, it is often referred to as the "portal to the Alps".

Contrary to what some believe, Zurich is not the capital of Switzerland-- that honor falls to Berne. Zurich has long been known for being clean and efficient. Due to this, it has been continuously ranked as the city with the highest living standard world-wide for many years. However, only for the last ten years has it truly become a fascinating and worthwhile travel destination. This is mostly thanks to the liberalization of the cultural, party and gastronomy sectors. An increasingly cosmopolitan population has helped, as well, though more button-down Geneva remains Switzerland's most culturally heterogeneous city.

The official language is German, used in all official publications and announcements, and practically everyone can speak it, but the native language of the masses is Swiss German. The most common dialect is called Züritüütsch. English and French are also widely spoken and often used in official publications and announcements alongside German. Any of these languages will do easily. Note that it's often wise to speak German rather than attempting to speak Swiss German; some people may think you're trying to make fun of their language.

Places of interest

Most of the interesting sights are in the old town around the river and lakefront.

  • Grossmünster. Old Romanesque church, symbol of reformed Zurich, where reformer Huldrych Zwingli was appointed the people's priest in 1519.
  • Landesmuseum. The biggest Swiss history museum. You can also learn about the various traditions of the cantons comprising Switzerland.
  • Kunsthaus. One of the major Swiss art museums.
  • Schanzengraben. A small canal that used to be part of the city fortifications between Limmat and Sihl.
  • Rietberg Museum. One of Europe's best collections of Asian art (mainly Indian drawings).
  • Langstrasse. The area is the most overtly multicultural spot of the town.
  • Zoo. With the new Masoala Rainforest Hall, the Zoo is really worth a visit!
  • Lake Promenade. Especially during summer, the lake is a beautiful place to spend the evening or the weekend. Starting from Bellevue, the boardwalk goes for about three kilometers along the lake towards Tiefenbrunnen. About halfway from Bellevue there is a meadow where you will find thousands of people on a sunny day.
  • Chinese Garden. This small but beautiful Chinese garden was offered to the city of Zurich by the Chinese city of Kunming as symbol of gratitude after Zurich helped Kunming with technical knowledge.
  • Le Corbusier House, (near Chinese Garden). A beautiful, modern villa planned by the famous Swiss architect.
  • Lindenhof. The hill in the heart of the old town. A beautiful view of the city and one time location of a Roman fort.
  • Niederdorf. The old town offers beautiful alleys, restaurants and shopping mainly aimed at younger consumers. In the evenings, people visit the Niederdorf's many bars.
  • Bahnhofstrasse. One of the busiest and best known shopping streets in the world. Highly refined.
  • Museum Buehrle. A rich private art collection worth visiting.
  • Jacob Coffee Museum. An original museum which describes the evolution of coffee and different aspects of the culture that has developed around it.
  • Zurich West. This modern quarter used to be an industrial one, but modern urban developments made it into a centre of vibrant night life.