Altstadt, the old town of Zurich city
Zurich, one of the world's most expensive cities, has been an open city since the Reformation in the 16th century, and has long been a refuge for the persecuted and renegade of all kinds. And yes! Protestants, free thinkers of the Enlightenment, Jews, Casanova, Dadaists and even Lenin and Trotski settled in the Swiss metropolis.
Jung established his school of psychoanalysis and the world's first gay magazine was published there at the end of the 19th century. Money privilege? Zurich is now a cosmopolitan city, attracting people from all over the world. Enough to bury the cliché of a Swiss woman who is withdrawn...
Zurich is easy to visit on foot with a small city centre. From the railway station, go up the legendary Banhofstrasse with its luxury shops and banks (by the price of its m2) to the imposing Paradeplatz, where Credit Suisse's head office is located. Here, you just saw the Zurich of the rich and clichés. It is therefore time to take the In Gassen lane and drive through Lindenhof.
This pretty district takes its name from a square bordered by lime trees that dominates the old town and existed already in Roman times. From there, beautiful view of the old Zurich through the Limmat river. Then the medieval alleys of the Schipfe are open to you. Take the time to admire the facades of the adorable colourful houses of the district by going to Fraumünster church, whose stained-glass windows are signed by Giacometti Sr. and Chagall.
On the right bank of the Limmat, beautiful houses built by the corporations (Zunfthaüser) testify to the opulence of Zurich from the 14th century onwards. The Niederdorf district, largely pedestrian, abounds in shops, bars and restaurants, lively by day and night. It is dominated by Grossmünster Cathedral, one of the high places of Protestant reform.
A little further on, the Kunsthaus is home to one of Switzerland's most important art collections: Chagall, Edvard Munch, Man Ray, Dadaism, Impressionism and Ferdinand Hodler are particularly well represented.
Zurich:Lake, baths and mountains
Zurich, with only 370,000 inhabitants within the city walls, is a city on the verge of nature. The lake's shores offer pleasant walks, especially in summer, starting from Quaibrücke, which is animated on Sundays. Special mention at the Arboretum, near the mouth of the Limmat river, with its tropical trees and cactuses!
Boats leave from the Bürkliplatz pier to sail across the lake. Several excursion packages are available. You can also swim in the lake, notably in the Utoquai baths decorated in an oriental style.
If you prefer the banks of the Limmat, there are several swimming pools along the river in the centre. More off-centre, the island of Werdinsel, very pleasant and popular in summer, combines green spaces, playgrounds, swimming facilities and a naturist section.
It's not just the lake from Zurich. Do you want to get a little higher? Just hop on a train to Uetliberg from the main station (line S10). This mountain (900 m), which can be reached in less than half an hour, dominates the city and the lake. Superb panorama and hiking on the summits to Felsenegg.
Trendy Zurich
As a shopper, it is best to have a Gold credit card to venture into the luxury shops of the Banhofstrasse district, the antique dealers of Lindenhof or the trendy shops of Niederdorf.
To make good deals and discover Zurich on the move, there's only one watchword: Go West! In Aussersihl, a popular and cosmopolitan district, and in Zurich West, a former industrial area undergoing renovation. Numerous shops with friendly prices along Langstrasse, where young fashion and design designers from Zurich are concentrated. On Geroldstrasse 17, the Freitag store sells its famous bags made of recycled materials. It is installed in a tower made of containers stacked on top of each other.
Recently, along the Viaduktstrasse, under the arches of an ancient 19th century viaduct, the Marché im Viadukt was created. There are shops of food products, delicatessen, gallery, bookshop, restaurant... The project should be completed in the coming months with the opening of a covered market.
This location is emblematic of the Zurich West district, which is undergoing major revitalization work. Zurich West, a former warehouse and factory area that had fallen into disrepair with de-industrialisation, is now attracting creative and trendy designers. A kind of Swiss SoHo...
Finally, the clubbers already know that Zurich is one of the capital cities of European techno music. In August, his Street Parade brings together up to a million ravers who burst into the streets of the city.
Art in Zurich
Zurich, like New York and London, is one of the world's capital cities for the art trade.
Among the multitude of museums, 14 are devoted to plastic arts. The Zurich Museum of Art (Kunsthaus) houses prestigious paintings and Switzerland's largest collection of cultural history. As for the Rietberg Museum, its non-European art collection is one of the best known in the world.
An exceptional number of galleries: Zurich is one of the world's most important metropolises on the art market, and is ranked by experts as one of the top ten cities with the world's ten richest art galleries. A total of more than 100 galleries, plus the Christie's and Sotheby's auctioneers. The distribution of these galleries in the city, which are easily accessible by public transport, allows art lovers to plan several visits in a short period of time.
