Church
Grossmünster
The Romanesque church with its twin towers on the Limmat's right bank is the landmark of Zurich's Old Town. Huldrych Zwingli preached here from 1519; the Zurich Reformation began here.
Switzerland
Zurich
City
Zürich, Switzerland's largest city, lies at the northern end of Lake Zurich, where the Limmat flows from the lake.
Zürich, Switzerland's largest city, lies at the northern end of Lake Zurich, where the Limmat flows from the lake. Its medieval Old Town on both sides of the river, lakeside promenades, and a wide array of museums make it a great starting point for any Swiss journey.On the right bank, you'll find the Grossmünster and the Rathaus; on the left, the Fraumünster with Marc Chagall's stained-glass windows, and St. Peter's Church with Europe's largest clock face. Bahnhofstrasse leads from the Hauptbahnhof, the country's largest railway station, to the lake. For a panorama of the city, lake, and, on clear days, the Alps, take the train from Hauptbahnhof up the 870-meter-high Uetliberg.
With around 434,000 inhabitants, Zurich is Switzerland's largest city, its agglomeration numbering about 1.45 million people. Most attractions are located in and around the Old Town on both sides of the Limmat and can be reached on foot or by short tram rides. You can use public transport, including 15 tram lines, buses, S-Bahn, and lake boats, with a single ticket from the Zürcher Verkehrsverbund. To the left of the Limmat are Bahnhofstrasse, Lindenhof, and Fraumünster; to the right are Niederdorf with Grossmünster, and above it, the University Quarter with ETH and University. For nightlife, head mainly around Langstrasse and to Zurich-West.
Sights in Zurich
Discover the most important sights and attractions
Church
Fraumünster
The church on the left Limmat bank, with its slender spire, is best known for Marc Chagall's stained-glass windows. The cloister displays murals by Paul Bodmer.
Church
Church St. Peter
The parish church stands on the site of a Roman temple in the left-bank old town. Its tower boasts Europe's largest clock face, 8.7 meters in diameter.
Historic Landmark
Lindenhof
The tree-lined square on a moraine hill above the Limmat was the site of the Roman fort. Today, it is a quiet viewpoint with views of the Old Town, Grossmünster, and the University.
Museum
Kunsthaus Zürich
The Art Museum on Heimplatz features a collection of European art, with highlights including Picasso, Munch, Monet, Giacometti, and Chagall, and changing exhibitions.
Museum
National Museum Zurich
The castle-like building directly behind the main station houses the Swiss National Museum. Its exhibitions showcase Swiss history, crafts, and domestic culture.
Restaurants in Zurich
Swiss cuisine and fondue in Niederdorf on Stüssihofstatt, in the heart of the right-bank Old Town.
Hearty Swiss dishes and draft beer under oak beams in a 15th-century building near Paradeplatz.
Traditional restaurant offering upscale regional cuisine, with art adorning its wood-paneled walls. It's near Bellevue on the right lakeshore.
Vegetarian and vegan eatery near Bahnhofstrasse with a large buffet of salads, soups, and hot dishes, also for takeaway.
Eating & Drinking in Zurich
Zurich-style sliced veal
The city's most famous dish: thinly sliced veal in a cream sauce with mushrooms, traditionally served with Rösti.
Luxemburgerli
Small, airy macarons from Confiserie Sprüngli, a typical souvenir from Zurich.
Tirggel
Wafer-thin honey pastry with embossed motifs, primarily sold during the Christmas season.
Culture in Zurich
Zurich is not just a city of banks, but also boasts a vibrant and distinctive cultural history.Guilds and SechseläutenThe city's guilds date back to the 14th century and remain active today. Every April, they celebrate Sechseläuten, a spring festival featuring a parade in historical costumes. The highlight is the burning of the Böögg, a snowman filled with firecrackers: the faster its head explodes, the more beautiful the summer is said to be.Birthplace of DadaIn February 1916, Hugo Ball and Emmy Hennings opened Cabaret Voltaire at Spiegelgasse 1. It was here, amidst World War I, that the Dada art movement was born. Today, the Cabaret is once again a venue for exhibitions, readings, and a bar.Year-Round FestivalsIn August, the Street Parade attracts hundreds of thousands of electronic music fans to the lakefront. Also featured are the Zurich Film Festival and a dense museum landscape, from the Kunsthaus to the Landesmuseum.
Nightlife
Urban garden in Zürich-West with a bar and homestyle cuisine; in winter, you sit in heated tents. A popular after-work meeting point.
Event hall on Hardstrasse in Zürich-West for concerts, theatre, shows, and club nights.
Cultural center in Zurich West with a bar, vegetarian-vegan bistro, concerts, and parties.
Exploring Zurich
The Zurich Transport Network (ZVV) unifies trams, buses, S-Bahn trains, and lake boats under one fare; a single ticket is valid for all transport in the selected zones. Its 15-tram-line network densely covers the city center, with the Main Station as the starting point for most routes.The Old Town, on both sides of the Limmat, is best explored on foot. The S10 of the Sihltal Zürich Uetliberg Bahn goes to Uetliberg from the underground Zürich HB SZU station in just over 20 minutes; from Uetliberg station, you walk about ten to twenty minutes to the summit. With a Swiss Travel Pass, trams, buses, S-Bahn, and boats in the city area are included, as is the S10.
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