In the tourist and entertainment sense, Zurich is “universal”, the city will not let anyone get bored. Among its attractions are ancient cathedrals and modern art objects; silent museums rich in exhibits and avant-garde theatres; stiff organs and rampant street festivals.

The starting point should be the Old Town, the streets of which keep the memory of ancient events. Towering above the Lindenhof district is St. Peter’s Church, which impresses tourists with its grandiose clock tower.

A little further south is Fraumünster Cathedral, a former women’s abbey founded in the 9th century. Its pearl is the amazingly beautiful stained-glass windows by Marc Chagall. On the other side of the river, two centuries later, a male monastery was erected – the Grossmünster Cathedral. This is one of the most impressive skylines of old Zurich. Of the religious sights, it is also worth noting the Madonna Church in the city center, which is interesting for its elegant interior decoration.

According to simplyyellowpages, Zurich is rich in historical sights, but it would not be an exaggeration to say that the city would be beautiful without them – its natural beauties are so attractive. Lake Zurich and Mount Uetliberg compete for the attention of tourists with museums and architectural monuments, and the Rhine Falls are located not far from the city.

The main secular asset of the city is the Swiss National Museum, the exposition of which takes guests on a fascinating journey into the history of this people. Another museum of national importance in Zurich is the Kunsthaus, which contains masterpieces of Swiss painting. At exhibitions, you can often see the creations of Picasso, Rubens, Van Gogh, Dali. A visit to the Rietberg Museum (a website with an English version), dedicated to non-European art, will give a lot of aesthetic pleasure.

7 things to do in Zurich

1. Try to try as many Swiss desserts as possible.
2. Climb the observation tower on the Uetliberg mountain and take photos worthy of National Geographic.
3. Try on a Swiss watch in an expensive shop on Bahnhofstrasse and decide to get rich.
4. Rent a yacht and idly swing on the waves of Lake Zurich.
5. Look at st. Spiegelgasse and find the house of the famous compatriot – V. I. Lenin.
6. Visit Fraumünster on a sunny day when the famous stained glass windows are especially beautiful.
7. Join the local bohemia in Zurich-West and applaud avant-garde art.

Night life

They say that Zurich, all so sedate and cultured during the day, occupies the second line in the unspoken rating of “party” cities in Switzerland after Lausanne. At night, it turns into one big disco: nightclubs and bars open their doors, spontaneous open-air parties unfold by the water. The most incendiary rest is offered by institutions in Niederdorf, such as Bierhalle Wolf and Club Diagonal, and the western quarters (Nietturm). Tourists speak well of the Old Crow bar and its unique cocktails. Flattering recommendations are given to the Raygrodski Bar pub.

In Zurich, it can be noisy during the daytime, for example, during the famous Street Parade (website with English version). This is the world’s largest open-air club party, which takes place on the lake in mid-August.

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Zurich for children

To tear the child away from the windows with sweets, you will have to offer him a worthy alternative. For example, the Franz Karl Weber Toy Museum. Visitors are in for a fascinating journey into the past, when soldiers were carved from wood, and dolls were dressed up in bustles. A trip to the nearby collector’s store can also, in principle, become an excursion, but this is for very desperate parents.

For bigger toys, head to the Swiss Transport Museum in Lucerne, an hour’s drive from Zurich. The collection contains more than 3,000 exhibits: horse-drawn carriages, trains, funiculars, an airplane, a helicopter. For intrepid guests, there is a flight simulation camera.

Another way to spend educational time with children is to pay a visit to the zoo, where almost 400 species of animals have settled. The inhabitants of the park live in conditions as close to natural as possible. Children really like the farm, where they can touch and feed the animals.

An ideal place for an active holiday is the Alpamare Water Park (website with English version), located on the shores of Lake Zurich in Pfäffikon. In addition to rivers, slides and pools, it offers guests an unusual entertainment – the IceXpress ice tube. A “walk” on it will take only 30 seconds, but it will be remembered for a long time.

Half an hour from Zurich, in Dietikon, there is Bruno Weber Park – a very unusual place for walking. It is difficult to call it a family one, but the whimsical castle and fantastic sculptures will definitely capture the attention of older children.

Weather

It is not hot in Zurich in summer and not cold in winter. This ideal picture is complemented by the convenient location of the city and the small Swiss distances. Freezing, you can go south, and overheated – in the mountains.

So, the most pleasant thing here is in the summer, the warmest month for swimming is July. In spring and autumn, the weather is warm, but unpredictable – you need to bring an umbrella and a jacket with you. The most dreary of all is in November – cool and rainy, life seems to freeze on the eve of Christmas fun. But December is another month when crowds of tourists flock to the city. First, the ski slopes are open. Secondly, festive Zurich with its rhinestone-decorated Christmas tree is an unforgettable sight. And even with a dank north wind, daytime temperatures remain positive. Such moderate weather with almost no precipitation persists in January-February.