Tourist Information about Zurich
The city of Zürich lies at the heart of Europe and the center of Switzerland, on the northern shores of Lake Zürich. The international airport is 11 km or 6.8 miles from downtown. Trains to the city center from the airport’s own train station run several times an hour and take 10 – 15 minutes. Zürich’s Central Train Station handles more than 1,900 trains a day and is one of the central railway hubs in Europe. Comfortable Intercity (IC) trains depart Zürich for other domestic and foreign cities as often as every half-hour.
The ZürichCARD, one of the most attractive city cards in Europe, provides free travel on the easily accessible public transportation network operated by Zürich city transport as well as free entry to 46 museums. Included is a 50% price reduction for a guided walk through the Old Town with Zürich Tourism. The city card also offers restaurant and nightlife attractions in Zürich. The ZürichCARD costs CHF 15 for 24 hours and CHF 30 for 72 hours.
A quality-of-life study by William M. Mercer (published in April 2006) for the fifth consecutive year recognized Zürich as the city with the highest quality of life worldwide. The study was based on an evaluation of 39 criteria in 215 major urban centers. Zürich’s guests give the city high marks for safety and cleanliness as well as the wide-ranging cultural and culinary offerings and nearby recreational areas. Moreover, in an evaluation testing politeness and couteousness conducted by Reader's Digest in June 2006, Zürich topped the list of friendliest cities in Europe.
Zürich and surrounding region have 222 hotels, offering approximately 20,000 beds. In 2005, Zürich’s hotels registered over 3.5 million overnight stays. While the demand for accommodation in the Swiss tourism sector between 2003 and 2005 rose 2.7%, at 9.5% the growth in Zürich was more than three times as high. In addition, state-of-the-art infrastructure and arenas with capacities for up to 1,750 people support national and international trade-fair and conference tourism. Zürich has a lot to offer in terms of cuisine as well. From world-class dining, to good down-home cooking and national and international specialties, right up to fast-food restaurants – Zürich has it all. All in all, about 2,000 dining locations serve culinary delights from around the world. Among other things, the city on the Limmat River boasts Europe’s first vegetarian restaurant, dining experiences tucked away inside of old factory walls and the first location to be managed by blind people, which functions in total darkness. From spring to fall, the offer additionally includes 480 open-air restaurants.
Almost 500 bars, clubs and discos in the Old Town, on the lake and in various trendy districts offer entertainment to suit everyone until the small hours of the morning. Just outside of the city of Zürich, the Grand Casino Baden provides gambling pleasure with distinction: Europe’s highest jackpots can be picked up here. This diverse offering is enhanced in summer with the addition of outdoor bars, many of them in the numerous public swimming pools.
Zürich’s cultural offering is very diverse. Its Opera House has an international reputation as one of Europe’s leading theaters for both opera and ballet. The Tonhalle ranks among the best concert halls in the world when it comes to acoustics. The Schauspielhaus, Switzerland’s largest theater, offers world-class performances under the direction of Matthias Hartmann. In a sophisticated blend of old and new, the historic shipyards in the trendy Zürich West district gave way to a cultural center with theater halls, a restaurant and a jazz club. Numerous smaller theaters also entice the city’s enthusiastic public.
Changing artistic and cultural exhibits are offered by more than 50 museums and more than 100 galleries. The Kunsthaus, Museum of Fine Arts, contains a significant collection of paintings, sculptures, photographs and videos. In addition, the building holds an extensive collection of works by Alberto Giacometti. Opened in 1898, the Schweizerisches Landesmuseum, or Swiss National Museum, exhibits objects that are known to have been manufactured or used in the region today known as Switzerland. The numerous other museums allow visitors to marvel at dolls, clocks, domestic objects and much more.
As Switzerland’s largest city, Zürich also offers a wide range of events to suit every taste. Events of every type imaginable attract visitors from far beyond the country’s borders, whether it’s traditional events such as the Sechseläuten in April, featuring a parade of the guilds and the burning of the Bööggs (an effigy stuffed with fireworks), or cultural highlights like June’s Züricher Festspiele. Also on the calendar are major sports events such as the Zürich marathon in April and the international track and field meet in August. Famous the world over are the techno Street Parade, which attracts a million partygoers, and the Weihnachtszauber in December, with Europe’s largest covered Christmas market.
Zürich’s reputation as a shopper’s paradise and its respected auction houses that have made it a hub of the art-dealing world have also contributed to the city’s international renown. The Zürcher Bahnhofstrasse is known the world over for its elegant boutiques and legendary designers. It stretches 1.4 km or almost a mile from the Central Train Station all the way to Lake Zürich. The wide selection of shops and stores in the medieval town center offers something for every purse. Not to be overlooked are the original shopping possibilities in the Aussersihl and Zürich-West district, with its young designers and numerous street markets.
A good place to start is the Lindenhof, which offers a splendid view of the Old Town. In 15 BC, the Romans constructed a customs outpost on this site, thereby founding Turicum, which is now Zürich. The city walls encircled the city’s actual center, which you can experience today as a well-preserved Old Town, until well into the 19th century. The striking towers of three churches dominate the city’s skyline: the Grossmünster, commissioned by Charlemagne, St. Peter’s Kirche with the largest churchface in Europe (8.7 m, or 28.5 feet), and the Fraumünster, much admired for its glass windows by Marc Chagall. Located directly on the lake, Zürich’s China Garden is one of the most important Chinese gardens outside of China. These attractions can best be discovered by strolling around the Old Town or taking a bus tour of the city.
The Zoo Zürich features the unique ecosystem project Masoala Rainforest, while the observation tower atop the Uetliberg offers a panoramic view of the city and the surrounding mountains provide ideal recreational destinations for the entire family. Also popular are the numerous boat tours, which take place the whole year round.
