Zurich - Downtown Switzerland

Lake Promenade: from Bellevue, just walk along the lake. There are always lots of people, artists, and musicians in the evening, especially during summer. Old Town: Lindenhof, Fraumünster (with beautiful Chagall windows) and Grossmünster are definitely worth a visit! Or just walk through the old town and have a look at all the beautiful old buildings. Bahnhofstrasse: this is where you find all the shops and banks (of course!)

Quick Tips:

Nightlife: There are a lot of bars and clubs in the centre of Zurich, but also check out "ZüriWest" (the area around the Escher-Wyss-Platz is full of cool places!) To go dancing, go the the Tony-Areal where you find several different clubs, to the "Kanzlei" (former gym-hall, close to Langstrasse), the "Palais X-Tra (free entry on Mondays, close to the Limmatplatz).

Best Way To Get Around:

By public transport: buses, trams or trains. Don't even try to go by car, you will end up spending all your time looking for a parking space! Zurich has got one of the world's best public transport systems: punctual, reliable and so extended that you get everywhere by bus.

As I live in Zurich, I didn't stay here myself. But from a friend, I heard that it's a great place to stay! Breakfast is included in the price (around 38 SFr. per night) Swiss youth hostels in general are very, very clean, so don't worry about that! This Youth Hostel is not directly in the centre of Zurich, but it doesn't take long to get to Bahnhofstrasse and the old town by tram.

If you want to have a very special dining experience in Zurich, go to the "Blinde Kuh" (Bus No. 33 takes you there) The whole restaurant is dark, and you really cannot see a single thing while you're eating. But don't worry: the food is delicious and blind waiters / waitresses lead you to your table, tell you where on your plate you find the food and help you in every way they can. I wouldn't recommend this restaurant to everybody, but if you're open for a very special experience and not afraid of the dark, the "Blinde Kuh" is perfect for you! Just don't wear anything too fancy - eating without seeing anything is quite difficult!

The "Lindenhof" is part of the old town of Zurich (if you're coming from the main station, it's on the left side of the Limmat). Situated on a small hill, you've got a beautiful view over the Limmat and the old town. It's one of the oldest places in Zurich (already the Romans used this place as the centre of their village) and definitely worth seeing.

The "Grossmünster" is a beautiful church and definitely worth a visit, but what's even better is that you can climb one of its towers. From up there, you've got a beautiful view of the city and the lake. Nothing for people that feel uncomfortable in narrow rooms: before you get to the top, you've got to climb some very narrow stairs.

If you come to Zurich during summer, make sure you don't miss the Streetparade! It's the biggest parade in the world, and even though the music (techno) is not something for everyone, there's much more to see! Thousands of people dressed up in the strangest costumes and dancing in the streets of Zurich, huge "love mobiles" (trucks with a special theme) and lots of (free) parties. People come from all over the world to see this!