The old town

There is something for everyone; Medieval houses, unique architecture, narrow streets with tranquil and secluded corners, boutique stores, snack bars, and a large number of restaurants with local or international cuisine.

Visit the Grossmünster (Great Minster), with its double towers, the Landmark of Zurich.

The Niederdorf section of the old town is one of the main nightlife areas of Zurich. Especially on weekend nights, this place comes to life after the sun sets down, with locals and partygoers from other cities or rural areas coming to celebrate in Zurich.

Shopping in Zurich - Bahnhofstrasse

Translated to English it means train station street. The Bahnhofstrasse connects the Zurich central station with the Lake of Zürich on a length of 1.4 kilometers (0.87 miles). Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Gucci, Prada, and most other renowned luxury brands have here a store. Here you can find everything for your high-end shopping needs, including seven-figure watches.

If you have no desire to buy luxury items or have maxed out your credit card purchasing a Swiss luxury watch, you can head to the Shopville at the basement level of the Zurich central train station. There you can find many shops with items for everyday use, such as cosmetics, electronics, and clothing.

If you are looking for vintage souvenirs, you can find on Saturdays between May and October a flea market on Bürkliplatz at the lake end of the Bahnhofstrasse. The flea market is open between 7 AM to 5 PM.

Sunday shopping & late-night food

The stores in Zurich close fairly early. On a weekday, most smaller stores close at 6.30 or 7 PM, and on Saturdays between 4 and 5 PM. Department stores and malls are usually open until 8 PM Monday through Saturday. On Sundays and holidays, all stores, with only a few exemptions, are closed.

In this case, the ShopVille at the Zurich central train station (Zurich HB) is a good alternative. Located on the basement level, the ShopVille is half a shopping mall and stores here are open longer.

Regular stores are open at least until 9 PM and are also open on all Sundays and holidays.

ShopVille has numerous supermarkets, including Coop and Migros (open until 10 PM), where you can get drinks and snacks at fair prices.

24-hour pharmacy

The Bellevue Apotheke (Address: Theaterstrasse 14, 8001 Zürich) is open 24/7.

Lindenhof - Above the roofs of Zurich

Translated to English, the name of this place would be the Lime tree courtyard. It's a green oasis in the middle of the city.

The Lindenhof is a moraine hill and a public square.

Walk 10-minutes up the narrow old-town paths, and get rewarded with fabulous views of the old town and the Grossmünster church from up here.

The closest tram stations to the Lindenhof hill are Rennweg and Rudolf-Brun-Brücke.

Churches popular with visitors

Fraumünster

This church was founded in the year 853 by King Louis the German. Here you can find the stained glass windows by Augusto Giacometti and Marc Chagall. A place that is on the must-do list of many who visit Zurich.

Grossmünster (Great minster)

The Grossmünster is the birthplace of the Swiss-German reformation, and its double towers, are a landmark of Zurich. According to a legend, it's built on the graves of the city's patron saints, Regula and Felix.

Church of St. Peter

This church has the largest church clock face in Europe. It's also the oldest parish church in Zurich - the original foundation walls from the 9th century can still be seen beneath the chancel. Until the year 1911, the church tower also had a function as a fire watch post.

Top rated museums:

• Landesmuseum Zürich

• FIFA World football museum

• Tram museum

• Museum für Gestalltung

• Haus Konstruktiv

• Museum Rietberg

• Helmhaus

• Migros Museum für Gegenwartskunst

• Kunsthaus

• Watch Museum Bayer

Visit the Zoo

A great activity, especially for families, is a visit to the Zurich Zoo, which is considered to be one of the best in Europe. It establishes itself as a conservation center and hosts more than 4000 animals from over 380 different species.

Visit there the Masoala hall, which is a miniature version of the rainforest ecosystem. The walkway which takes you around the treetops offers a unique experience. With a temperature of over 30° C (86° F), the Masoala hall is also a great escape on a cold winter day.

The easiest way to get there is by tram No. 6 (with direction: Zoo). The Zoo stop will be the final stop of the tram, and from there, it's just a short walk to the entrance.

Tram No. 6 calls at many city center stations such as the Zurich central train station (stop Bahnhofquai/HB), and Central, Escher-Wyss-Platz, and Limmatplatz.

The local train S10 leaves from Zurich main station track 21/22 and departs every 30 minutes to the Uetliberg. In between, there are also S10 trains, which go not all the way to the peak, so make sure to check the departure board mentions Uetliberg. The journey takes 42 minutes.

An easy 10-minute walk will bring you up to Uto Kulm.

From there you have a magnificent view of the whole city of Zurich. You will find there further a Restaurant and a 30-meter viewing platform (access costs CHF 2 per Person) from where you have even better views of the city. Enjoy the panorama, and take great pictures.

On Uto Kulm, there is as well a 4 Star hotel located where you could stay overnight. Start your day the best way by watching the sunrise over Zurich. The prices are lower than in the city center, so if you travel on a budget and you don't mind the walk and the train ride this is, in my opinion, a better alternative to an Airport hotel, for example.
Luggage service from the train station can be arranged and is included.

If you want to take a longer hike, I recommend taking a hike to the aerial cable car Felsenegg. The hike takes about one and a half hours. There are plenty of signposts helping you to find the right way. The aerial cableway will take you down to Adliswil, where you can take the S4 local train, which runs every 10 or 20 minutes and will take you back to Zurich's central station.

You only need the Zurich card for this trip.

Fountain paradise

Go on a fountain hunt!

Over 1200 fountains are located in Zurich and can be found on average every few meters, making Zurich one of the cities with the most fountains in the world!

The fountains dispense top-quality water. Just carry an empty bottle with you, and you will not have to buy any water.

Consider buying a ZurichCARD

It provides an excellent value and makes it much easier for you to get around as you don't have to worry about tickets.

You can buy the ZurichCARD at the following locations:

• Zurich airport: at the counters of switzerlandinfo+ in the arrival halls of Terminal 1 and 2

• at any railways station with a tickets office, and at the ticket machines of the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) and the Zurich Transport Network (ZVV)

• online

Prices (in Swiss Francs):

• 24 hours: Adults CHF 29 / Children CHF 19

• 72 hours: Adults CHF 56 / Children CHF 37

The ZurichCARD is available for a period of either 24 or 72 hours, which begins from the validation of the card. You can validate (stamp) your ZurichCard at the orange stamping machines, located at train stations, or at the blue ZVV (local transportation) ticket vending machines.

Inclusions and benefits:

• Unlimited 2nd class travel by bus, train, and aerial cable car in the city of Zurich and the surrounding region
  (Zurich city center, Airport-Zurich-Airport, Zurich-Uetliberg)

• Including Short round trips on Lake Zurich, and the Limmat river cruise

• Free or reduced admission to the majority of Zurich's museums

• Many further discounts on a variety of cultural and leisure activities