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Zurich

Travoley
Zurich

Zürich

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Zurich Travel Guide

  • About Zurich
Zurich labours under the misconception that it is nothing more than a sterile banking city – don’t believe a word of it. It may be home to one of the world’s largest stock exchanges and Switzerland’s financial motor, but step back from the share prices and you’ll find a vibrant, trend-conscious city.Hang with the hip in Zurich West for a while. Its former warehouses and viaducts are now art centres, bars and quirky boutiques. Along Langstrasse, the city’s notorious red light district, you’re just as likely to take home a designer handbag as you are a piece of skirt.Zurich’s character booms from the speakers of the annual Street Parade, a mammoth techno festival that weaves through the city with DJs and dancers. There isn’t a banker’s tie in sight.If there are in the east bank quarter of Niederdorf, they’re loosened. These medieval streets are abuzz with cafés on corners, trendy taprooms and world-class restaurants. It’s easy to lose an afternoon absorbing its laidback atmosphere, especially in summer when the riverside adopts a beach vibe.Winter is special too. Under the spell of snow, the cobbled alleyways, fountains and stunning architecture of the Old Town were made for the stroke of an artist’s brush.Shoppers will love Zurich all year round, especially in the upmarket boutiques of Bahnhofstrasse, the city’s main shopping drag. But this is no longer a city for the smart set alone; there are plenty of unusual shops to be discovered down hidden streets.Sitting astride the River Limmat and the northern tip of Lake Zurich, Mother Nature smiles down on Switzerland’s biggest city. Architects were courteous in their additions too – just check out the Fraumünster and Grossmünster churches, which face each other across the river.Then, when you’ve had enough of the city’s diverse array of restaurants, first-rate museums and pulsing nightlife, there’s always the nearby Uetliberg mountain or a boat trip on Lake Zurich to enjoy – if only to catch your breath before diving back into the city’s delights again.
  • Zurich History
Zurich’s origins date back to 15BC, when the Roman town of Turicum was established to oversee trade passing through the Alps. Despite the settlement being continuously inhabited, it wasn’t until the 9th century that the first mention of the Teutonic town of Zurich appeared.Ruled by a grandson of Emperor Charlemagne (known as Louis the German), it swiftly expanded and gained a reputation for creating peerless ecclesiastical buildings in the process.By the 10th century, the town had acquired the status of a city, and went on to become part of the Holy Roman Empire in 1215. While an imperial city, it was turned into a Duchy, although, unusually, it was ruled by the local Fraumünster (an abbess) who assumed similar powers to a Duchess.But when the Swiss Protestant Reformation arrived in the 16th century, ecclesiastical rule came to an end – as did most Catholic worship. Instead, Catholicism was swapped for a new religion, trade, with the city becoming increasingly wealthy as part of the Swiss Confederacy. By the 18th century, Zurich became so devoted to trade that it was all but ruled by its guilds. They had the power to levy taxes, among other things.With the French invasion of 1798, the power of the Burghers came to an end, and power was first taken by Napoleon and then by citizens following the French withdrawal. Burghers or no burghers, the city flourished, expanding rapidly during the 19th and 20th centuries.Although both World Wars largely passed it by (in no small part due to Switzerland’s much vaunted neutrality), Zurich did change substantially during the first half of the 20th century.Much of this was due to further expansion to include many of its surrounding villages but also because of a boom in the banking industry. Today, Zurich remains a financial and banking hub as well as one of Europe’s wealthiest cities.
  • Did you know?
Influential German-language writer Gottfried Keller was a resident of Zurich. The Reformation in Zurich was inspired by the 1522 ‘Affair of the Sausages’ in which the pastor of Grossmünster argued in favour of meat consumption during Lent. Psychiatrist Carl Jung lived and died in Zurich.
  • Weather in Zurich
Zurich enjoys a relatively typical continental climate, with summers (June to August) seeing average temperatures knock the mercury higher than 21˚C (70˚F). Visiting during this period also gives tourists the chance to swim in Lake Zurich or the Limmat.Temperatures drop significantly over winter, but thanks to the city’s arts scene and slew of major visitor attractions, Zurich can be enjoyed year-round. The Christmas markets are always a big draw.

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