Zurich is known as a sterile banking city – don’t believe a word of it. True, Zurich plays home to one of the largest stock exchanges in the world and is the financial motor of Switzerland itself, but step back from the markets and share prices and you’ll find an arty and surprisingly vibrant city. It is very expensive however. Especially food and drink.

Zurich’s setting on the northern tip of Lake Zurich helps lend it an air of affluence and good living, while the Fraumünster and Grossmünster churches, which face each other across the River Limmat, hint at the rich heritage of the Old Town. In addition, Zurich offers smart shops, upmarket clubs and good restaurants. I was told by a local that there were two sides. The golden side and the sneezy side. The Old Town is on the golden side – where the affluent people live. The weather is usually good on this side. The sneezy side is so called because it rarely gets any sun. This is where the ‘poor’ people live. Although, one feels, to be poor in Zurich is to well-off anywhere else!

We got a tram into the the old town. (8 Ch, all day on all types of transport) and walked around. Zurich’s Old Town. It is a beautiful and cobbled. Full of cafes and restaurants. Perfect for people watching.
The next day we made a picnic and went swimming in Lake Zurich. Picturesque, although I found the current very strong. Yes, I know it’s a lake!

While browsing in the elegant boutiques along Zurich’s Bahnhofstrasse, one of the most beautiful shopping areas in Europe you can work out your credit card. Jimmy Choo , Louis Vuttion are just some of the designer stores there. And this being a financial city with negotiable tax, you can be certain that a couple of metres below, unimaginable treasures are lying in underground vaults.

There are over 50 museums and over 100 art galleries. The National Museum is worth the price of admission alone for a table-top mock-up of the Battle of Morat in 1476 using 6000 tin soldiers.

All in all, Zurich is a beautiful city. It is very small. It would be very easy to cover all of it in less than a week. I made a friend chuckle by saying it reminded me of Glasgow; Small, cultural, near water.

Transport is easy to figure out. Get a tram/ train map. It is usually very prompt, but there was one day I waited for hours because of a tram crash. The locals don’t all speak English, but they were quite helpful. Other helpful hints are; Switzerland’s currency is still the Franc. And spend coins in Switzerland. Banks won’t change them.

I recommend Zurich. It is a lovely city to spend a weekend.

Main information:
Zürich Tourismus
Zurich Main Railway Station, 8021 Zurich
Tel: (044) 215 4000.
www.zuerich.com
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 0800-2030, Sun 0830-1830 (May-Oct); Mon-Sat 0830-1900, Sun 0900-1800 (Nov-Apr)
information@zuerich.com

Hotel reservations
044 215 40 40
hotel@zuerich.com

Passes:
The ZürichCARD, available for 24 or 72 hours,offers unlimited travel within the Zurich canton, free admission to over 40 museums, reduced admission to the zoo and a complimentary welcome drink at over 20 restaurants. You can buy the cards at the train stations, many hotels and some of the main VBZ ticket offices around town. There is a full downloadable guide to the ZürichCARD at

Transport times: Regular services from 5am until 00:30am
Friday and Saturday 1am until 4am.

Facts and figures:
Inhabitants city 383,565
Inhabitants canton 1.30m
Proportion of foreigners 31%
Currency Swiss Francs (CHF)
Colloquial language German ( Swiss German)
Other languages English, Italian, French

By Catherine Balavage