Zurich Sights

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Central Zurich and the St. Peter Church

Grossmünster in Zurich

Fraumunster windows by Chagal

Most of the interesting sights are in the old town around the river and lakefront.

• Grossmünster, Zwingliplatz, www.kirche-zh.ch. Old Romanesque church, symbol of reformed Zurich, where reformer Huldrych Zwingli was appointed the people's priest in 1519. Tower 2CHF.

• Fraumünster, Kämbelgasse 2, www.kirche-zh.ch. Old Gothic church (former convent) with window paintings made by Marc Chagall.

• Landesmuseum, Museumstrasse 2, ☎ +41 44 218 65 11, www.musee-suisse.ch. Tu-Su 10AM-5PM and most public holidays including M. The biggest Swiss history museum. You can also learn about the various traditions of the cantons comprising Switzerland. It's currently undergoing major refurbishment works until 2009 though many exhibitions are still open.

• Kunsthaus, ☎ +41 44 253 84 84, www.kunsthaus.ch. One of the major Swiss art museums. Its specialities are modern sculpturer Giacometti and the surrealist 18th Century painter Fuseli, both Swiss. Entry is free to the main collection Wednesdays.

• Schanzengraben. A small canal that used to be part of the city fortifications between Limmat and Sihl. From the main station, go to Gessnerallee, find the stairways down to the tiny creek, and walk all the way to the lake.

• Rietberg Museum, Gablerstrasse 15, ☎ +41 (0)44 206 31 31, [20]. One of Europe's best collections of Asian art (mainly Indian drawings).

• Langstrasse. Red light district of Zürich, with more drug dealers and police than usual, but interesting because even this most notorious spot in Switzerland is so clean and safe. The area is the most overtly multicultural spot of the town. In recent years, ateliers and stylish bars start to coexist side by side to the about 15 strip clubs.

• Zoo, Zürichbergstrasse 221, ☎ +41 44 254 25 05, www.zoo.ch. With the new Masoala Rainforest Hall, the Zoo is really worth a visit!

• Lake Promenade. Especially during summer, the lake is a beautiful place to spend the evening or the weekend. Starting from Bellevue, the boardwalk goes for about three kilometers along the lake towards Tiefenbrunnen. About halfway from Bellevue there is a meadow where you will find thousands of people on a sunny day.

• Chinese Garden, ☎ +41 44 435 21 11, www.stadt-zuerich.ch/internet/chg/home.html. This small but beautiful Chinese garden was offered to the city of Zurich by the Chinese city of Kunming as symbol of gratitude after Zurich helped Kunming with technical knowledge.

• Le Corbusier House, (near Chinese Garden), www.lecorbusier-center.com. A beautiful, modern villa planned by the famous Swiss architect. The visiting hours are very limited (i.e. one day / week only in the summer) and entry is expensive. Additionally, there is a legal battle between the city (owner) and the long time tenant.

• Lindenhof. The hill in the heart of the old town. A beautiful view of the city and one time location of a Roman fort.

• Niederdorf. The old town offers beautiful alleys, restaurants and shopping mainly aimed at younger consumers. In the evenings, people visit the Niederdorf's many bars.

• Bahnhofstrasse. One of the busiest and best known shopping streets in the world. Highly refined. Certainly a must-see for every tourist in Zurich! (see below).

• Museum Buehrle, Zollikerstrasse 172, ☎ +41 44 422 00 86, www.buehrle.ch. A rich private art collection worth visiting - although a little less rich after a recent brazen robbery in broad daylight. Call ahead, as it's currently not open during regular hours.

• Jacob Coffee Museum, Seefeldquai 17, ☎ +41 44 388 61 51, www.johann-jacobs-museum.ch/index.php?id=146&L=3. An original museum which describes the evolution of coffee and different aspects of the culture that has developed around it.

• Zurich West. This modern quarter used to be an industrial one, but modern urban developments made it into a center of vibrant night life.

Buildings on Lake Zurich