Travel Eye on Zurich (Switzerland)

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Overview:

Zurich is the world's banking capital, but as well as being a city of fat cats parading in pin-stripes, glued to their mobile phones and swinging patent leather briefcases, you'll also discover that this is the city that gave birth to the avant-garde Dadaist movement, and where James Joyce wrote Ulysses. The city's Museum of Fine Arts houses one of Europe's most extensive collections from 15th century religious iconography to the modern art works of Dali, Arp, Hockney, Cezanne, Monet, Gaugin, Munch and Picasso. Most notable sights are Grossmunster cathedral, a 12th-century Romanesque church; the Wasserkirche (water church) on the Limmat river; the Kunsthaus (Museum of Fine Arts), which contains paintings, sculptures and graphic arts, mainly from the 19th and 20th centuries. On the other side of the river, at Munsterhof, lies the Fraumunster, a cathedral dating back to the 9th?11th centuries, with stained-glass windows by Chagall. St. Peter's cathedral is famous for its clock tower (1534). Up the river just past the main station is the Swiss National Museum, a castle-like structure built 100 years ago; treasures include intact interiors from as early as the 1500s (admission free). A walk through the cobblestone streets of Old Town has appeal, though crowded and noisy on Friday and Saturday nights.

Locality:

Switzerland's largest city is situated on the Limmat river at the north west end of Lake Zurich, at 1,342 feet above sea level. Excellent motorways connect it with the cities of Lucerne, Geneva, Basle and Berne. Zurich is positioned in the north central part of the country, 7 mls south west of Kloten airport.

Entertainment/Facilities/Attractions/Things to do:

Visitors can spend days exploring Zurich's cobbled streets, browsing through elegant boutiques, wandering through its museums, exploring its flea markets or walking away with free gifts from its chocolate factories. The quays, with their promenades, are made for walking, especially along the shores of the lake. With an active cafe culture, it's ideal for people-watching, and Zurich has a lively, multi-ethnic population to rival any other major European city. The exacting order of the Swiss, with their passion for neatness and precision may create an impression of rather a prim and staid society, but visitors will discover quite the opposite when exploring Zurich's nightlife. With more bars, clubs and restaurants than you can shake a stick at, as well as a calendar packed full of street parades and festivals, Zurich can exhaust even the most energetic party animal.

Popular sights and entertainments include: visiting historic buildings, numerous museums and galleries, a fine Opera House, several theatres and cinemas. From Burkliplatz at the Lake are organised boat/river trips. Music festivals, parades, wine-tasting shows, trade shows, outdoor movies on the lake (summer), carnivals and more.

Excursions from Zurich include: Grand Alpine Tour (full day), Lucerne (half day), St. Moritz, Davos (full day), Mt. Santis, Appenzell (half day), Interlaken, Grindelwald, Berne (full day), Liechtenstein (full day), Black Forest and Rhine Falls (half-day).