|
Old World charm
calls in Zurich
Explore the affordable side
of the financial center by walking
through its aged lanes
While most people know of Zurich's reputation as a modern banking center, many are surprised to discover the charms of its extensive Old Town, among the largest in Switzerland. Zurich is the world's best city to live in because of its superb cultural, economic and environmental conditions, according to the Mercer Human Resource Foundation's annual study.
Visitors can take pleasure in its wonderful lifestyle, enjoying friendly, efficient services while exploring its sights. With fewer than 400,000 people, Zurich is an ideal place to stay for three days, especially when you consider its main visitor attraction: a beautiful Old Town of cobbled lanes filled with enchanting alleys dating to the Middle Ages. With the right strategies you can see this pricey city without spending a fortune.
Zurich is situated on picturesque Lake Zurich, with the Limmat River running through its center and the snow-capped Alps visible in the distance. The Old Town extends about five blocks in from both sides of the river and stretches about a mile. The river's right bank has the larger cluster of old buildings and is considered the prime tourism district.
On the left bank you will find Zurich's most famous street, the Bahnhofstrasse. This is shopping central for women's clothing, as well as a business center for major banks and offices.
The modern part of town extends beyond the historic center several miles and includes a greater metropolitan population of 1 million, but visitors need not venture into distant neighborhoods. Our suggestions will enable you to fully explore the Old Town and get the most out of your three days, including visits to nearby mountain towns.
|
Old Town
Disney could not have assembled a prettier collection of historic buildings, but Zurich's Old Town is the real thing. Leave it to the Swiss to preserve their past, maintaining these 500-year-old buildings in perfect condition.
Lindenhof: A good place to start is where the city began, at Lindenhof, a small, tree-covered park on a low hill overlooking the heart of town. Like many European towns, Zurich was founded by the Romans, who set up headquarters on this hill as an outpost for their expanding empire.
Lindenhof is easy to find: On the left bank, walk along Bahnhofstrasse to Rennweg, a main street since Roman times. Take the second left on Fortunagasse, leading up a gentle incline to the park.
From Lindenhof you gain a fine view across the river to the main section of the Old Town and the tall spires of the Grossmunster, Zurich's main church and signature sight, along with several other church steeples. Beyond the bridge to your right is the elegant City Hall.
Lindenhof is just a park with lime trees today, but in the past it was the site of important buildings, from a Roman fortress surrounded by a 12-tower wall to a medieval palace demolished during a 13th-century revolt.
Exit Lindenhof down the south steps along Platzgasse, which leads past one of the few Roman ruins visible in town, a simple marble column on your right with inscriptions containing the first known mention of the Latin name for Zurich.
At the foot of the Lindenhof hill is a maze of five lanes radiating outward, but don't worry about which way to go: You are going in every direction. This cluster of alleys is one of the nicest parts of the city, so walk a few short blocks along one route and circle back along a different lane, then pick another circuit.
|
In the midst of this network of alleys, you can't miss the towering St. Peter's Church steeple with Europe's largest clock: 28.5 feet across, 500 years old and still keeping accurate time. The quiet square next to the church is one of the town's most charming spots. St. Peter's is Zurich's oldest parish church, built in the seventh century with the Romanesque tower added during the 13th century. It's worth peeking inside at the Baroque stucco decorations.
When you finish exploring the lanes around St. Peter's, walk a few blocks south to Fraumunster, another major church dating to the late ninth century. It began as a flat-roofed Romanesque convent and was expanded into a gothic church around 1280. The striking pattern of pointed arches inside is overshadowed by the church's main treasure -- stained glass painted by Marc Chagall when he was in his 80s.
Next door is Stadthaus town hall, built in 1898-1900 in the Gothic style, with a lovely courtyard resembling a cloister, accompanied by old scenes painted on the walls.
Beyond this point, the buildings are large, 19th-century structures of minor importance. The lake shore -- the scene of a lively, morning market offering flowers, cheese, breads, fruits and vegetables -- is two blocks away.
Those taking an extended walk along the lake can enjoy a scenic stroll from the lively Burkliplatz, where excursion boats dock, to the more tranquil, tree-lined Arboretum gardens, six blocks west.
Bahnhofstrasse: This completes your look at the Old Town's left bank. You could continue across the Limmat River to visit the larger section of old Zurich on the right bank, but save that for the afternoon. Instead, walk along the elegant Bahnhofstrasse, lined with modern retail outlets from end to end. No cars or trucks disrupt this pleasant shopping area; only pedestrians and quiet electric trams glide by.
By now you should be ready for lunch, and this city is loaded with wonderful choices. If you'd rather have a snack, visit the famous SprŸngli, open since 1836 at Paradeplatz, a busy plaza three blocks from Bahnhofstrasse's lake end. SprŸngli has a restaurant upstairs and a big chocolate counter -- oh yes, Swiss chocolate is one of life's great rewards, which you can order from home through the Web site, www.spruengli.ch.
|
A favorite near Bahnhofstrasse is Europe's oldest vegetarian restaurant, Hiltl, in business at this location under the same name for 106 years. Its staff must be doing something right. Dig into its enormous buffet loaded with delicious, healthy choices, weigh your plate at the cashier's and sit where you like: ground floor, upstairs or at the sidewalk tables. You surely will return for more.
Niederdorfstrasse: This is one of Europe's great historic streets. It has been Zurich's main lane since the Middle Ages and now stretches nearly a mile -- limited to pedestrian traffic -- from the train station area to beyond the cathedral. Typical of European streets, it changes names a few times, becoming Munstergasse, Hirschenplatz and Oberdorfstrasse, but is basically the same road.
Paved with cobblestones and lined with historic buildings hosting modern shops, cafes and restaurants, Niederdorfstrasse is a place to linger. Sometimes it widens to form small plazas as it intersects with other lanes, curves, rises and drops, but mostly it is just 20 feet across.
Small lanes branch off both sides leading into the magic of Old Town, where you can easily fill an afternoon exploring shops and enjoying the traditional Swiss architecture.
There are several lanes you don't want to miss, especially around the midsection where the street widens to form the plazas of Hirschenplatz and Stussihofstatt. Walk the broad, tree-lined block of Spitalgasse to the gothic Prediger Church (dating from 1230) with its mix of baroque decor and the town's tallest tower, reaching 300 feet.
After exploring these lanes, walk along Rindermarkt to Neumarkt, one of the town's finest junctions, which dates to 1145 and still has some original buildings, especially the famous Grimmenturm, a 12th-century gothic tower with a restaurant in front. Duck inside No. 4, the city archives of Zum Rech across from the fountain, to view a free display of Zurich's history, including a scale model of Old Town.
Restaurants abound along Niederdorfstrasse, such as at the Hotel Adler's Swiss Chuchi on Rosengasse, but you might find lower prices and more relaxed dining on side lanes. Any time you get away from other tourists, food quality usually goes up and prices go down, no matter the city. If you want to splurge, try one of the upstairs guild house restaurants along the river near the City Hall, such as Zunfthaus zur Zimmerleuten or Haus zum Ruden.
After dinner, explore Niederdorfstrasse by night, when the lights come on and twilight lingers.
|
Museums, shopping and rides
Begin the second day strolling along the Niederdorfstrasse to its end at Ramistrasse. This busy pedestrian path exudes serenity in the morning, before shops open at 10 a.m. This special street is worthy of repeat visits, rain or shine. It's easy to explore on your own, but there is an organized two-hour walking tour leaving the tourist information office in the main train station at 3 p.m. daily, or 11 a.m. Thursdays to Sundays in the summer.
Grossmunster: Continuing along the main pedestrian lane of the right bank, you will reach the Great Cathedral, or Grossmunster, a huge Romanesque church dating to 1106. This is where the Protestant Reformation began in Switzerland with the fiery sermons of Huldrych Zwingli in 1519, two years after Martin Luther began his crusade in Germany.
Leaving the Grossmunster, proceed a few blocks along the last stretch of this lane, now called Oberdorfstrasse, then turn left on Ramistrasse to the Kunsthaus art museum five minutes away.
Kunsthaus: Zurich's main art museum not only showcases a variety of Swiss work, but has a fine collection of paintings by Europe's great masters. The penetrating blue eyes in Van Gogh's self-portrait, painted in his final year, could make your visit worthwhile, but there are dozens of Impressionist works and other pieces. Modern artists represented include Picasso, Matisse, Klee, Munch, Leger, Miro, Magritte, Kandinsky and Mondrian.
The Kunsthaus is small enough to breeze through in an hour, but art lovers will want to stay twice as long.
University District: Walk behind the Kunsthaus to the busy Heimstrasse, then turn right on Kunstlergasse. This leads to the University of Zurich, Switzerland's largest, with a campus that includes the Zurich Polytechnic and University Hospital. Together, these academic institutions have produced more Nobel Prize winners than any other city. The campus, located on a hill several hundred feet above town, offers good views of the city and the Alps. The Polybahn, an antique funicular, can take you downhill to the town center, or you could walk the short distance in 10 minutes.
|
Swiss National Museum: Behind the train station, the country's largest museum occupies a Neogothic castle built a century ago and houses a display illustrating the breadth of human culture in Switzerland, from the Stone Age through the 1940s. Two floors with lofty ceilings take up most of a city block and offer 80 galleries full of art and artifacts.
Most spectacular are the period rooms brought here from various castles, palaces and mansions, and reassembled with their beautiful windows, furniture, chandeliers and accessories. Walking through these ancient rooms is like traveling back five centuries to the Renaissance, for you are totally immersed in the displays rather than looking at objects sealed behind glass cases.
Short trips: After the museum tour, head to the dock next door for a one-hour cruise along the Limmat River through the town's center for a swan's-eye view of the neighborhoods. The ride in a glass-topped boat continues into the lake and along the shore to Zurichorn Park and Enge Hafen before returning to the museum dock. Alternate itineraries are available.
Or, borrow a free bicycle from the train station to pedal around town. Put down a refundable deposit for this short break from walking. It's an effective way to expand your range beyond the city center with minimal effort. Alternatively, you could round out the day with a shopping expedition along the Bahnhofstrasse, followed by a meal. Afterward, take in one of the music events at the Opera or other theaters.
Visit the mountains and nearby towns
Day-trip options include boat trips on the lake, rail journeys to nearby towns or a short jaunt up to nearby mountains for a peek.
Boat trips: The main boat operator, ZŸrichsee Schifffahrt (www.zsg.ch), has 17 motor boats for one- to seven-hour tours with meal and snack service. Several boat tours leave from the docks at Burkliplatz, with itineraries to the end of the 25-mile-long Lake Zurich or to points in between.
A popular route is the two-hour cruise to Rapperswil, set on a peninsula, with a 13th-century castle, fortified wall, pedestrian town center, children's zoo, lakeside promenade and museum.
The boat passes many lakeshore homes, stopping at a half-dozen quaint villages en route. Travel to Rapperswil by train in just 15 minutes, or combine a boat trip there with a rail return. Another lovely boat option is the 90-minute nonstop circle cruise from Zurich to take in the lake ambience and views.
Train trips: Switzerland's rail service is the world's best. About 1,900 trains pass through the main station daily, serving suburban commuters, but they offer visitors a wide range of towns and mountains to visit.
Lucerne, 50 minutes away, is the most popular option. It deserves several days of exploration rather than a quick trip from Zurich. The town, surrounded by majestic Alpine peaks, is the most popular town in Switzerland because of its charming Old Town and scenic location on the water. (More on Lucerne can be found online at starbulletin.com/2002/05/05/travel/story1.html, or the articles section of www.tourvideos.com.)
Another rail trip brings you northeast from Zurich to Winterthur and St. Gallen, with return via Rapperswil. Art lovers will want to spend a few hours in Winterthur, just 45 minutes from Zurich, to visit the famous Oskar Reinhart collection, housed in a suburban mansion, Am Romerholz. This private mansion holds one of the great small art collections in all of Europe with a diverse assortment of Old Masters and Impressionists. An hourly shuttle coordinated by the Tourist Information Office in the Winterthur train station takes 15 minutes to reach the museum.
A much easier visit from Zurich is to the nearby mountaintop at Uetliberg, a 2,858-foot elevation, with a fine view of Zurich, the lake and the Alps. It takes 40 minutes to reach it from Bahnhofstrasse by walking to the Selnau train station and taking a short ride up the hill. From here, hike through the woods, including a two-hour stroll along the ridge to Felsenegg, where you can take a cable car down to the S-Bahn for the short ride back to Zurich.
Zug and Chur are two other major towns within a reasonable distance from Zurich. The former takes 25 minutes to reach by rail and offers one of the country's prettiest and largest pedestrian Old Town zones, with cobblestone lanes, hundreds of medieval buildings, a castle, museum and plenty of restaurants.
Chur, which claims to be Switzerland's oldest city, is 90 minutes southeast of Zurich by train and also has a lovely medieval town center for pedestrians. Follow the red footsteps on the pavement from the station, and you'll be in the old center in 10 minutes. Worthy of special attention are the Cathedral and Bishop's Palace, but the main appeal is the extensive jumble of old lanes lined with historic homes, charming town squares, fountains and flower boxes.
Day-trip possibilities from Zurich are endless in this transportation hub. Of course, another option for this day is simply to stay put in Zurich and continue your explorations on foot, discovering more hidden corners of this incredible city.
If you go ...
Here are some places to stay, dine and visit while in Zurich. Add prefix 011-41-01 when calling from the United States:
Hotels
Right Bank>> Adler: 10 Rosengasse; call 266-9696; www.hotel-adler.ch
>> Alexander: My favorite, at 40 Niededorfstrasse; 251-8203; www.hotel-alexander.ch
>> Altstadt: 4 Kirchgasse; 250-5353; www.hotel-altstadt.ch
>> Wellenberg: 10 Niederdorfstrasse; 262-4300; www.hotel-wellenberg.ch
Left Bank
>> Baur Au Lac: 5-star property at 1 Talstrasse; 220-5020; www.bauraulac.ch
>> Zum Storchen: 2 Am Weinplatz; 227-2727; www.storchen.ch
>> Zurich Marriott: 42 Neumuhlequai; 360-7101; www.marriotthotels.com
>> Swissotel: Am Marktplatz Oerlikon; 317-3111; www.swissotel.com
Restaurants
Left Bank>> Sprungli: Am Paradeplatz; 224-4731.
>> Zeughauskeller: Beer hall, also serving hearty traditional fare. Bahnhofstrasse 28a at Paradeplatz; 211-2690.
>> Hiltl: Sihlstrasse 28; 227-7000.
>> Hummerbar: Pricey rooms in Hotel St. Gotthard, Bahnhofstrasse 87; 227-7621.
>> Zunfthaus zur Schmiden: Expensive, at Marktgasse 20; 251-5287.
>> Kropf: Expensive, in Gassen 16; 221-1805.
Right Bank
>> Adler's Swiss Chuchi: Rosengasse 10; 266-9666.
>> Bodega Espa–ola: MŸnstergasse 15; 251-2310.
>> Haus zum Ruden: Limmatquai 42; 261-9566.
>> Kantorei: Neumarkt 2; 252-2727.
>> Pinte Vaudoise: In Hotel Villette, Kruggasse 4; 251-2335.
>> Swiss Chuchi: Rosengasse 10; 266-9666.
Web sites
>> www.zuerich.com>> www.zsg.ch
>> www.switzerland.isyours.com
>> www.swisstownguide.ch (select Zurich town walk option)