Zurich

Bahnhofstrasse

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

China Garden

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. It can be very well combined with a stroll along the lake or a visit to the Pavillon Le Corbusier.

Apr-Oct daily 11:00–19:00

Fraumünster

Old Gothic church (former convent) with window paintings made by Marc Chagall. No photos or videos allowed inside.

November-February 10:00-17:00, March-October 10:00-18:00·Fr. 5

Friedhof Fluntern

cemetery with lots of famous people most notably James Joyce who lived in Zurich for quite some time, the writer Elias Canetti and a few nobel prize winners are also buried there

Grossmünster

Old Romanesque church, symbol of reformed Zurich, where reformer Huldrych Zwingli was appointed the people's priest in 1519. Go up the tower for a great view of Zurich, though the stairs can be quite small and steep.

Closed · opens 10 am tomorrow·Tower Fr. 4, Fr. 2 for students

Johann Jacobs Museum

A museum that describes the complex history of global trade routes and goods and the culture around them.

Tue 16ː00-20ː00, Sat Sun 11ː00-17ː00·Fr. 7

Kunsthaus

Zurich's most famous art museum. The collection includes works from many Swiss artists, such as the sculptures of Alberto Giacometti or the paintings of Ferdinand Hodler. There are also major works from international artists on display. The museum is building a new extension, scheduled to open in 2020 and thus parts of the museum might be closed at any given time.

Tue, Fri-Sun 10ː00-18ː00, Wed-Thu 10ː00-18ː00·Fr. 16/11 for the permanent collection. Free on Wednesdays

Lake Promenade

Utoquai, Seefeldquai

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.

Landesmuseum

Swiss National Museum

This is the place to go if you want to learn more about the history of Switzerland. There are permanent exhibitions on history, archaeology and art. Changing temporary exhibitions usually revolve around Swiss topics.

Tue-Sun 10:00–17:00 and most public holidays including Mon, Thu until 19ː00·Fr. 13/10 (free with Zürich Card)

Langstrasse

Red light district of Zurich, 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. Ateliers and stylish bars sit side by side the strip clubs.

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.

Pavillon Le Corbusier

This is the last building designed by the Swiss architect le Corbusier. The Pavillon was built after his death as a museum dedicated to his work. Access to the building has long been difficult and expensive, also due to a legal fight between the former patron and initiator of the building and the city of Zurich. Now it is however managed by the city and open to the public. The highlight of the museum is of course the building itself, but there are also yearly changing exhibitions on architecture.

Wed, Fri-Sun 12:00-18:00, Thu 12:00-20:00·Fr. 12/8 (free with Zürich Card)

Rietberg Museum

This is one of the largest art museums in Switzerland, administered by the City of Zurich. Its focus lies on the traditional and contemporary arts and cultures of Asia, Africa, the Americas, and Oceania. The complex consists of three nineteenth-century villas and a coach house, as well as a twenty-first century underground extension crowned by the Emerald, a glass pavilion that opened in 2007, designed by architects Alfred Grazioli and Adolf Krischanitz.

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.

Villa Patumbah

Heimatschutzzentrum

Stunning 19th century villa, which houses an architectural history museum (Heimatschutzzentrum).

Wed Fri Sat 14:00-17:00; Thu Sun 12:00-17:00·Fr. 10

Zoo

With the new Masoala Rainforest Hall, the Zoo is really worth a visit!

Mar-Oct 09:00–18:00, Nov-Feb 09:00–17:00·Fr. 26 for adults (Fr. 19 for those under 25)

Zoological Museum

Showcases the zoological collection of the university of Zurich. The first floor has local fauna whereas the lower floor has animals from all over the world.

Tue-Fri 09ː00-17ː00, Sat-Sun 10ː00-17ː00·Free

Zurich West

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

FIFA World Football Museum

Explores the world of football and the FIFA.

Tue-Sat 10:00-19:00, Sun 09:00-18:00·Fr. 24/14 (free with Zürich Card)