Zurich

Two churches across the river

On the east bank, the Grossmünster's twin towers are Zurich's best-known landmark. The church was a key stage of the Swiss Reformation, which is why its address is Zwingliplatz. The Karlsturm, named after Charlemagne, is a climb of 187 steps (adults CHF 5). At the top, six large windows look out over the old town and the lake, though the outside terraces are closed for safety reasons. From 3 August 2026, the tower opens Friday to Sunday only. Renovation work runs until 2029, but the church stays open. Across the bridge, the Fraumünster began as a convent founded in 853 by King Louis the German (Ludwig der Deutsche), home to noblewomen from across Europe. The five-part stained glass in the choir and the rose window in the south transept are by Marc Chagall; the north transept windows are by Augusto Giacometti. A few steps away, the tower clock face of St. Peter measures 8.7 m across, the largest church clock face in Europe.

Up the hill, into the lanes

On the west bank, the Lindenhof is where a Roman fort stood in the 4th century. Today it's a shady park where chess players gather, with the old town laid out across the river. On the way up, a tombstone from AD 180 still survives. Across the river, Niederdorf is a car-free pedestrian zone that locals call the Dörfli. By day, restaurants and shops fill its lanes; by evening, bars and street performers take over. From Central, the Polybahn funicular climbs in three minutes to the Polyterrasse outside ETH Zurich, with views all the way to the lake.

The river and lake are the pool

Summer life in Zurich plays out at the Badi, the nickname for the open-air public baths along the lake and river. The Frauenbad on Stadthausquai, an art nouveau wooden bathhouse, is women-only by day, but from May to September, on Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday nights from 8 pm to midnight, it turns into the Barfussbar, the barefoot bar. There's also Seebad Utoquai, an age-old wooden lake bath, and Flussbad Oberer Letten, one of the most popular river baths. If you'd rather stay dry, take a lake cruise from Bürkliplatz: the short one takes 1.5 hours, the long one 4.5. On walks, an empty bottle is all you need, since most of the city's 1,200-plus fountains run with good drinking water.

Art, architecture and Zurich West

Kunsthaus Zürich is Switzerland's largest art museum. It holds the largest collection of Munch paintings outside Norway, and its David Chipperfield extension, opened in 2021, is full of light. Next to the main station, the Swiss National Museum (Landesmuseum Zürich) tells Swiss history inside a building that looks like a fairytale castle. Both close on Mondays. By the lake, Pavillon Le Corbusier is the architect's last building and his only one in steel and glass (closed Mondays and in winter). In Zurich West, walk through Im Viadukt, where 36 arches beneath an 1894 railway viaduct hold shops and a market hall. Freitag, known for bags made from truck tarps, has a store that's a tower of 19 rusty shipping containers. During opening hours, you can go up to the terrace on top.

At the Zurich table

Zürcher Geschnetzeltes is thinly sliced veal, pan-fried and served in a cream sauce, usually with rösti, a pan-fried cake of shredded potato. Kronenhalle, open since 1924, is known for it, and genuine Picassos and van Goghs hang on its walls. Haus Hiltl, opened in 1898, is listed by Guinness World Records as the world's oldest vegetarian restaurant, and its buffet of more than 100 dishes is the draw. For dessert, it's Luxemburgerli from Sprüngli, in business since 1836: small macarons that began with a recipe a young confectioner brought back from Luxembourg in the 1950s.

Uetliberg and the festival calendar

Uetliberg, 871 m above sea level, is Zurich's own mountain, reached by train from the city. The lookout is about a 10-minute walk from the station, and the lookout tower takes you 72 m higher, with views over the city and lake to the Alps beyond. Until 12 December 2026, though, construction has cut the S10's main station–Selnau section, so walk about 12 minutes to Selnau station and board there. On a Monday in mid-April (19 April in 2027), Zurich marks the start of spring with Sechseläuten. The guilds' 3,500 members march through the old town in traditional dress, and at 6 pm the pyre beneath the Böögg, a 3.4 m figure resembling a snowman, is set alight. The faster its firework-filled head explodes, the better the summer is said to be. In 2026, Christmas markets run at the main station and in the old town from 19 November to 23–24 December.

What to eat

• Zürcher Geschnetzeltes (veal in cream sauce, with rösti)
• Luxemburgerli (Sprüngli's mini macarons)
• Cheese fondue and raclette (best shared around a table)
• Haus Hiltl buffet (vegetarian since 1898)

Handy tips

• The Zürich Card costs adults CHF 29 for 24 hours or CHF 56 for 72 hours (new prices from 13 December 2026). It covers trams, buses and trains, including the airport run, plus short lake cruises and Limmat river cruises, with free entry to many museums.
• Most shops close on Sundays and public holidays; only those at Zurich main station, the airport and petrol stations open. Many also shut at 4 pm on Saturdays, so get groceries and souvenirs done by early Saturday afternoon.
• Swiss sockets are Type J. Slim two-pin Europlugs fit, but the chunky-pinned Type F plugs used in Korea and Germany won't go into recessed Type J sockets, so you'll need a Swiss adapter.