145 matching hotels found in Zurich (Switzerland) - Page 1

Zurich is located in the North East of Switzerland. The city, which is situated in a canton with the same name, is the largest city in the entire country. It is equally deemed as the economic, scientific and socially most important city in Switzerland. The city is located on the Limmat which then flows into Lake Zürich and this is particularly important for tourism in the city. Many companies have established themselves in Zurich and they give the inhabitants ample opportunities to generate an income. Zurich is considered to be the most expensive city in the world.

Journey to Zurich

Zurich is an important transport hub in Switzerland. Federal motorways lead past the city from all directions. The main railway station in Zurich is the largest in Switzerland. There are also many international lines that operate here.

Zurich airport is located only 13 km away from the city-centre and it is also the largest in Switzerland. You can reach the city-centre without any problems and within no time at all by train, bus or by taxi.

The City Structure of Zurich

The city of Zurich is divided up into 12 districts. All of these districts are divided up once again in one to four urban quarters.

Since the end of the 19th Century, Aussersihl has belonged to the city of Zurich. Previously district 4 was independent but the difficult economic situation at the time meant that its incorporation into the city was inevitable. Today, it is mainly workers that live in this district, the railway is an important employer and it attracts many foreign people. Thus, Aussersihl was a district that was popular above all as a result of its low rental prices. For that reason, many young people and students move to this district in the city. Nowadays, the percentage of foreigners has fallen sharply and the district increased in value.

District 11 is made up of the quarters Oerlikon, Seebach and Affoltern. The district itself does not have its own name. It is the most northern district which is why it is often described as Zürich Nord and it is also the most densely populated part of Zurich. Many business parks in the city can be found here. There is also plenty of residential space and above all it is prefabricated buildings that are located here. It is only in Affoltern where there are many detached houses and also semidetached houses because the living space has not been attractive for long.

Tourist Sites in Zurich

You will find numerous tourist attractions in the old town of Zurich. On the road Limmatquai, which leads from the central square Bellevue to another important central square, you can walk along and at the same time you can cast your eyes on a view of the city landmark.

The Grossmünster „Great Minster“, or better still “the towers of the evangelical church”, are a landmark of Zurich. The Gothic church dates back to the 8th Century and the name was changed in the 14th Century. Therefore, the appearance of the church today, the current building was constructed between 1100 and 1220. You can climb a tower of the great minster and thus get a view that stretches over the city. The church is considered to be the origin of the reformation movement by Ulrich Zwingli.

Not far from the church you will find the Alte Rathaus “Old Town Hall”. It was constructed as a free standing building in Limmat between 1694 and 1698 in the Baroque style. The Eastern side of the building is formed out of black marble and it bears the heraldic animal of Zurich. Furthermore, the busts of hero’s from the history of Zurich are incorporated on the windows.

You should also take a look at the Fraumünsterkirche. It is also located in the old town and on the left-hand side of the Limmar. The church was constructed approx. 900 years after the birth of Christ and it served as a monastery. In the middle of the 13th Century, the whole church was reconstructed in the Gothic style and it was also extended. The church is particularly worth seeing as a result of the five windows which Marc Chagall designed for the choir room.

Museum City of Zurich

As the cultural centre of Switzerland, Zurich is rich in museums. In the city-centre there are 14 museums alone plus a substantial number of more than 100 galleries. If you go to the Rämistraße, you can see inside all of the galleries that are next to one another.

The Landesmuseum Zürich “Zurich State Museum” is located only a few steps away from the main railway station. It was opened in 1898 and the very building itself will impress you. It resembles a castle. The collection of the state museum comprises more than one million exhibits from Swiss cultural history. All epochs are covered here. Temporary exhibitions with interesting cultural-historical themes round off the exhibition.

The Kunsthaus Zürich houses an almost equally important art collection for Switzerland. The museum for fine art provides a space for exhibits on the areas of painting, sculptures, photography and video art from the 15th Century to our present day.

Eating and Drinking in Zürich

You have many possibilities for eating and drinking in Zurich. Everywhere you go, you will be served the classic Zurich „Geschnetzeltes“ which means meat cut into small thin slices with a fried grated potatoes. You will be served typical Swiss specialties in the restaurant Altes Klösterli which is situated in the Zurich zoo. The restaurant is open daily for you. The menu offers you various possibilities to satisfy your hunger. You will pay around 50 euros for a beef filet steak with side orders.

The gourmet restaurant Au Premier is located directly by the main railway station. It was awarded as excellent by Gault Millau and alongside the food, you can also feast your eyes on a temporary art exhibition. Haute cuisine comes at a price. Thus you will pay around 50 euros here for the Zurich Geschnetzelte.