Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and also an international financial hub and that is why a lot of people use Zurich as a one day layover en route to other cities. However, Zurich has a lot to offer as a city to be explored for its beauty and charm. So during our visit, we made Zurich our home for 2 days to enjoy all the sights and sounds this city has to offer.
We hopped on to a train after spending 3 nights in Paris and the journey through the beautiful countryside via Swiss rail on our way to Zurich is an unforgettable experience.This fairy tale city is set on the banks of both a river and a lake - River Limmat and lake Zurich with the snow capped Swiss Alps rising in the background.
Being a prime city Zurich provides easy passage to all the picturesque Swiss villages like Interlaken, Zermatt, Grindelwald and so many more.This will give you a taste of both the countryside and the cities in a short time.
And yes, the rumors are true, all of Switzerland is expensive and Zurich is no exception but that should not be a deterrent as we had the same inhibitions but the charm of this place totally outweighs the few extra bucks you spend.
Things to do in Zurich:
1. Walk around the Old historic town and explore the cathedrals, museums, quaint houses and its old bridges overcrossing the river Limmat.
2. A great way to witness the beauty of the town is to take a cruise on lake Zurich during the evening just before the sunset.
3. Another option to experience the Old town via waterways would be to take a boat trip on river Limmat which will take you past the most beautiful sights of the Old town until the view opens over to lake Zurich. This is a cheaper option compared to taking the lake Zurich cruise.
4. Admire the view atop the Grossmunster - a Romanesque Church, one of the iconic structures in the city, especially during the early mornings to enjoy a serene view of the city before it wakes up.
5. Walk along to the slender green spire Fraumunster on the banks of the river Limmat. This is one of the most famous landmarks in Zurich and attracts visitors from all over the world for a peek inside the church and its beautiful colored glass windows.
6. Visit to Switzerland without a trip to chocolate factory is incomplete, so do not miss out on a chocolate tour and the different varieties of Swiss chocolates and do grab some back home.
7. Another popular destination during the evening is the wide open area in front of the Zurich Opera house where people flock after work hanging around, meeting friends, dining and needless to say, to experience an opera.
8. Trams are the cutest things on the streets - hop on one and get down wherever you spot a gorgeous scenery.
9. Climb up the stairs to Grossmunster and there is small platform at an elevation with the city by the lake in the background. Make sure to click enough pictures there.
Where to stay
We would highly recommend you staying in the historical city center so that you could walk to all the major attractions. We stayed near the Lake Zurich with an amazing view from our balcony. The rooms were pretty comfortable with a full array of breakfast. Most of the hotels are precariously placed on slopes thus the access to the hotels are through pedestrian only areas so the only con is that you might have to drag your luggage up the slope on your way to the hotel.
Transport
We made full use of Swiss pass as we spent close to 5 days in Switzerland and that is by far the most effective way with which one could avail all the trams, buses, water taxis and local trains but it does not make sense to get it for anything less than 2 days as day passes will be cheaper. Swiss pass gives you unlimited travels on any of these modes of transport and there is no reservation required for regional travel within Switzerland which is an added benefit.Be aware though, that the pass does not include cable car tickets to the mountain tops.
Dining Options
There are countless gorgeous waterfront restaurants and cafes overlooking this glamorous city center where you could stop by for a quick bite or spend a relaxed few hours. Swiss Mochas are famous all over the world and trip to Switzerland would have been incomplete without taking a sip of the authentic Swiss chocolate mocha that is served across all the cafes around the Old town.
We tried quite a few different cafes during our stay but there was this particular meat steak with a side of potatoes that deserves a special mention.
We hope this has inspired you to plan a trip to Zurich and experience this beautiful city by the lake. We will follow up with a subsequent posts on some of the other major destinations in Switzerland that we have been to. Stay tuned.
