Zurich’s Limmat River bisects the city. Explore both sides with a free bike rental or on public transit, which includes funiculars, boats on the river and on Lake Zurich.Christian Schnur/Supplied
Zurich may be one of the world’s most lovely cities to wander in any season – the global banking capital sits at the end of a 40 kilometre-long lake, with views of the Alps.
Zurich, however, is also the world’s most expensive city (technically, the Economist’s 2023 ranking tied it with Singapore). And yet it should still be on every travellers don’t miss list.
Visitors who walk along its canals, riverside pathways and cobblestone Old Town alleys will soon pick up Zurich’s young vibe, thanks to its two universities. Important galleries, museums and an extremely high concentration of chocolate shops should seal the deal. Come for a weekend or to pass a long layover (the airport is a quick and efficient train ride from downtown).
It’s the largest city in Switzerland (population just more than 420,000) and easily reached with daily direct flights on Air Canada, and more in the summer season when Swiss Air returns to Toronto, and Edelweiss Air returns to Vancouver and Calgary.
Even in its Old Town, visitors will pick up on Zurich’s youthful vibe, cultivated by the student population from its two universities.Catherine Dawson March/Globe and Mail
Friday
At the airport, look for signs to the Zurich Flughafen (airport station). On a layover? Store your bags in a locker. Buy a ticket to Zurich HB/main station. (If you’re not using a multiday Swiss Travel Pass, which has unlimited travel by train, bus and boat, consider a 24-hour or three-day Zurich city pass, which includes all transit, free bike rental and many museums). Find your platform, and in less than 15 minutes you’ll be at the HB, or Hauptbahnhof, right in the city centre.
Weekenders will need to drop off bags at a hotel. If you’re splurging – Baur au Lac is where you want to stay: This grand old dame on the waterfront has been home to the well-heeled since 1844. Its restaurants are recently revamped – lighter and brighter décor and new menus. And keep an eye on the hotel’s front courtyard: The variety of Lamborghinis, Porches, Bentleys and McLarens parked here daily never gets old.
If there’s time before dinner, head down to the Burkliplatz town square at the lake to walk under the plane trees and munch on local favourites such as a Stadtjager cured sausage or Tirggel honey cookies. See if you can catch a ride on one of the cruise boats that are part of Zurich’s public transit. Locals will hop on and off at small towns along the lake, visitors can admire the views on round-trip journeys for two to three hours (fee is included with an SBB or Zurich transit pass).
Alternatively, wander along the Limmat riverbank with a stop to admire the early 20th-century Swiss National Bank building. Here you’ll find Schweizer Heimatwerk, a one-stop shop for Swiss-made crafts and souvenirs of all sorts. Farther along the river, see if the Fraumunster church is open because no visitor should go home without gaping at the five colourful, almost surrealist stained-glass windows that Marc Chagall erected in 1970.
Dinner: Consider the world’s first vegetarian restaurant, which is a claim Haus Hiltl stands behind. The Sihlstrasse location has been open since 1898 and offers quiet table service (top floor) with a boisterous buffet and bistro on the main level. All of it is terribly yummy – a mix of Swiss and Indian-influenced dishes. Come for brunch or breakfast for all you can eat options.
Saturday
The Bahnhofstrasse, or main drag, is going to get really busy today – start early for a stroll past the glamorous shops. In the fall and winter, get in line for a bag of roasted chestnuts, called marroni, with all the locals. Once you’ve reached the HB/main station head underground for your free bike rental (e-bikes 30 Swiss francs to rent).
Before zipping out – take a minute to note just how large this bike parking lot is – more than 1,600 two-wheel slots and almost all of them full.
Baur’s Brasserie in the city’s famous Baur au Lac hotel, was revamped and refreshed but remains a place to see and be seen.James McDonald/Supplied
Bike trails cover this city – and drivers are used to watching for cyclists. You can book a guide, but following your own whim feels safe here, too. Try the city’s west end, famous for reviving what was once a dirty, industrial corner of Zurich. Park your bike to explore the shops and restaurants built under the stone arches of a 19th-century rail viaduct. Then cycle over the once reviled Hardbrucke bridge, the Brutalist architecture now appreciated as a cool backdrop to a hip neighbourhood. Nearby on Geroldstrasse you’ll find a skyscraper of stacked shipping containers housing Freitag and its much-loved assortment of bags made from recycled truck tarps. Right next door – ViCafe, an upmarket coffee roastery any local will tell you began when the owner revived an old Swiss cola recipe. Come back for a night of electronica at Zurich’s legendary nightclub Supermarket.
On the other side of the Limmat River, an e-bike makes it easier to explore the fine homes of residential neighbourhoods built on the slopes of the north east. Aim for Rigiblick, you’ll be looking down at the city and Lake Zurich with mountains in the distance. Or park your bike at the Seilbahn Rigiblick funicular terminal and ride this steep railway to the top instead.
Sunday
Start your morning at the Kunsthaus art museum where Chinese Canadian Matthew Wong’s work is highlighted. Painting as a Last Resort compares Wong’s colourful style and personal struggle with van Gogh, who was a big source of inspiration for the artist. Striking examples of both artists’ works – 40 of Wong’s colourful, intense oils and many van Gogh pieces are on display together until Jan. 26, 2025. Also a must see: the exhibit next door detailing the life and methods of art collector Emil Buhrle, whose collection of 200 masterworks is housed at the museum. A Future for the Past examines Buhrle’s war profiteering and Nazi looting, and the work being done to return many of these masterpieces to their original owners.
The west end of Zurich has been revived from what was once a dirty, industrial corner of the city.Elisabeth Real/Supplied
Lighten the mood before you go by wandering a room full of 3,000 LED lights glittering to music all designed by Swiss artist Pipilotti Rist.
Lunch: Follow your map into the nearby Old Town, just across the river. On the pedestrian-only Rennweg shopping street you’ll find AuGust – a restaurant with homemade charcuterie, pâtés, terrines and tartars. Interestingly, there are delectable vegetarian items too (warm lentil salad is a surprisingly excellent side to thin slices of air-dried beef, pork and veal sausage). Walls are decorated in ancient, scary looking tools of the butcher’s trade, but fear not, the ambience is warm and friendly. You can even buy the delightfully sweet and savoury house-made mustard (which graces every table in a ceramic pot) to bring home. Which I did, it was that good.
Since you’re already in the Old Town, take time to explore its alleys and squares. Most retail stores are closed on Sundays and in a city renowned for its high prices, not to mention a tough exchange rate for Canadian dollars against the Swiss franc, only being able to window shop was a blessing. Happily, restaurants and cafés are open to fuel your wandering and people watching.
At some point, walk up to peaceful Lindenhof park (once home to a Roman port office). Relax for a bit and take in the views of the Old Town and Zurich’s eastern bank. Chess players can try their luck with the locals playing oversized outdoor game boards. Across the river you’ll see the city’s two universities – Einstein attended and lectured at (what’s now called) ETH Zurich. You can find Einstein’s locker on display in the main building.
Dinner: If this is your last night in town, consider booking a table at the recently renovated restaurants within Baur au Lac. Marguita overlooks the hotel’s lush front garden – note the enormous 300-year-old cedar tree. Expect Mediterranean inspired fine dining with lighthearted appetizers such as caviar, crème fresh, vodka and waffles.
We slid into a booth amidst the art-deco glamour of Baur’s Brasserie, which was busy with see and be seen patrons. Swiss favourites are featured on the menu here and I lingered over an autumn meal of roasted chestnuts with red cabbage and savoury venison stew. The staff make you feel at home (even if you’re obviously not) and the restaurant is great for people watching. It’s said that Baur au Lac is Zurich’s living room – from Empress Sisi of Austria to Audrey Hepburn, from Franz Liszt to Alfred Nobel – just about everyone turns up here to celebrate something. Another glass of wine? Yes, please. There was nowhere else I wanted to be.
The writer was a guest of Zurich Tourism. It did not review or approve the story before publication.
