Experience More

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Migros Museum für Gegenwartskunst

B1 Limmatstrasse 270 # 11am–6pm Tue–Fri (to 8pm Thu), 10am–5pm Sat & Sun migrosmuseum.ch

Several galleries with dynamic programming have made Zürich a leading international centre of contemporary art. One such gallery is the Migros Museum für Gegenwartskunst, which is located in the former Löwenbräu brewery. It specializes in organizing exhibitions of current art by Swiss and foreign artists. The museum provides an inter- active space for reflection and viewing the works on display.

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Hauptbahnhof

B1 Bahnhofplatz

Zürich’s monumental Neo-Renaissance train station is one of the city’s greatest icons. Completed in 1871, it is well preserved and the original structure of the main hall remains unaltered. The clean, well-kept concourse is filled with stalls throughout the year, and it is also used for seasonal fairs and markets. Beneath the concourse is a modern shopping centre.

From the concourse ceiling hangs an eye-catching statue, its vibrant, almost garish colours contrasting with the sobriety of the surroundings. This is Guardian Angel by the French sculptor Niki de Saint Phalle (1930–2002).

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Bahnhofstrasse

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t Trams plying along the Bahnhofstrasse, Zürich’s main shopping street

Running north to south from Bahnhofplatz to the edge of the Zürichsee, Bahnhofstrasse is a long avenue that lies on the course of the medieval city’s moat. Mostly pedestrianized, with tramlines run- ning along it, this the centre of Zürich’s commercial activity. It is lined with chic restaurants and upmarket shops, as well as the headquarters of several major Swiss banks.

Between Bahnhofstrasse (east) and Löwenstrasse (west) and Schweizergasse and Sihlstrasse (to the north and south) are Zürich’s main department stores, Globus and Jelmoli, offering exclusive brands and upmarket cafeteria-style dining. Beneath Beyer, a watch and jewellery shop, is the Uhrenmuseum Beyer, a clock museum containing a collection of timepieces ranging from simple sundials, to elegant modern watches.

At Fraumünster, the street opens onto Paradeplatz on its western side. Once a military parade ground, the square is now lined with large buildings, including the headquarters of Sprüngli, the Swiss chocolatier. Bahnhofstrasse ends at Bürkliplatz. Facing onto the Zürichsee, this square is the departure point for boat trips on the lake.

Did You Know?

Singer-songwriter Tina Turner lives in Zürich and became a Swiss citizen in 2013.

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Langstrasse

Once a seedy red light district, “Long Street” is today a trendy, if not chic, area that features mostly inexpensive boutiques and Zürich’s best selection of ethnic food stands. It is the most vibrant area of town at night. In July the four-day Latin music festival Caliente, Europe’s biggest Latin festival, takes over the street.

Parallel to the main railway line, and intersected by Langstrasse, is Europaallee, a new district of Zürich currently under construction. The name has changed three times and completion by 2020 is not guaranteed. It promises a heady mix of culture, cutting-edge technology and the kind of modish shops and eateries already found on Langstrasse.

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Lindenhof

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t Panoramic views from the Lindenhof over the River Limmat and the Old Town

This tree-covered hill rises on the west bank of the Limmat. Its strategic position made it an ideal location for a Celtic settlement and later for a Roman fort. In the 10th century, an imperial palace stood here. No buildings remain, but an observation platform offers a view of the surrounding rooftops and the university buildings. There is also a giant chessboard for open-air games.

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Augustinerkirche

C2 Augustinerhof 8 § 044 211 12 75 # 10am–5pm Mon–Fri, noon–5pm Sat

This beautiful, unpretentious early Gothic church was built in the late 13th century for a community of Augustinian monks. When the monastery was dissolved during the Reformation, the church was deconsecrated and stood unused for almost 300 years. The interior was restored in the 1840s, and in 1847 the church was reconsecrated as a Roman Catholic church.

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Kirche St Peter

C2 St-Peter-Hofstatt 6 § 044 211 25 88 # 8am–6pm Mon–Fri, 10am–4pm Sat, 11am–5pm Sun

The most distinctive feature of the Church of St Peter is its clockface. With a diameter of 8.7 m (28 ft), it is the largest church clockface in Europe. The oldest surviving vestiges are those of a handsome late Romanesque church erected in the early 13th century. They include the simple rectangular presbytery, which is lit by a semicircular window with an intricate frame. The presbytery is crowned by a mid-15th-century tower.

The main body of the church dates from 1705 to 1716. It takes the form of a galleried basilica with a striking Baroque interior. The dark panelling contrasts with the red columns of the nave and the brilliant white stucco decoration.

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Zunfthaus zur Meisen

C3 Münsterhof 20 # 11am–2pm Thu–Sun zunfthaus-zur-meisen.ch

This elegant late Baroque house contains a collection of 18th-century faïence and porcelain, including pieces by Meissen and Sèvres. There are also locally made items produced by Schooren and other Swiss manufacturers.

Experience Zürich

eat

Haus Hiltl

Try the saffron gnocchi at this pioneering vegetarian buffet.

B2 Sihlstrasse 28 hiltl.ch

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Conditorei Schober

Impossible-to-resist hand-made chocolates tempt at this lavish cakebox of a café.

C2 Napfgasse 4 peclard-zurich.ch



experience Zürich

drink

Old Crow

Expertly mixed cocktails in an elegantly intimate setting.

C2 Schwanengasse 4 ¢ Sun oldcrow.ch


Widder

An extensive wine list served with an innovative menu.

C2 Widdergasse 6 widderhotel.com


Tales Bar

Creative and bespoke cocktails, plus live music.

C2 Selnaustrassse 29 ¢ Sun tales-bar.ch


Raygrodski Bar

Buzzy with a hipsterish vibe, this laid-back spot is named after the Swiss sexual reformer.

A2 Sihlfeldstrasse 49 ¢ Sun raygrodski.ch

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Fraumünster

C3 Am Münsterhofplatz § 044 211 41 00 # Nov–Mar: 10am–4pm daily; Apr–Oct: 10am–6pm daily

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t The Fraumünster church

The history of the Women’s Minster goes back to 853, when King Ludwig the German made his daughter Hildegard the abbess of a convent here. The convent was dissolved during the Reformation, and the site is occupied by the Stadthaus, a Neo-Gothic building that is now used for exhibitions.

The church, however, survives. It has a mid-13th-century presbytery in the late Romanesque style, an early Gothic transept and a nave that has been remodelled several times. The Neo-Gothic façade was added in 1911.

The presbytery is lit by five stained-glass windows designed by Marc Chagall (1887–1985) and made in 1970. They depict biblical themes, and a different colour predominates in each. The central window, where green is the prevailing colour, depicts scenes from the life of Christ. It is flanked by a blue window with a design inspired by the visions of Jacob, and a yellow window known as the Zion Window, which features King David and the New Jerusalem. The rosette in the south transept, illustrating the Creation, was also designed by Chagall. The north transept has a window with a giant vision of Paradise created by Augusto Giacometti and installed in 1940.

The Romanesque cloisters on the south side of the church are decorated with frescoes executed by Paul Bodmer in 1923–32. They tell the story of the convent’s foundation and illustrate the lives of Felix and Regula, the patron saints of Zürich, and of the city’s legendary links with Emperor Charlemagne. The emperor is said to have founded Zürich when he discovered the graves of Felix and Regula, who deserted a Roman legion in the Valais and who were martyred for their Christian faith.

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t Bodmer frescoes in the cloisters

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Grossmünster

C3 Grossmünsterplatz # Cloister and church: Mar–Oct: 10am–6pm daily; Nov–Feb: 10am–5pm Mon–Sat, noon–5pm Sun; tower: Mar–Oct: 10am–5pm Mon–Sat, 12:30–5:30pm Sun; Nov–Feb: 10am–4:30pm Mon–Sat, 12:30–4:30pm Sun grossmuenster.ch

The tall twin towers of the Grossmünster, or Great Minster, dominate Zürich’s skyline from the east bank of the Limmat. According to legend, Charlemagne founded a church here in the late 8th to early 9th century, on the graves of Felix and Regula. After they were killed at the site of the Wasserkirche, these martyrs are said to have carried their heads up the hill to the spot now marked by the Grossmünster. Construction of the present basilica began in about 1100, and the west towers were eventually completed in the late 15th century.

It was from the pulpit of the Grossmünster that the humanist Ulrich Zwingli preached the Reformation. In line with reformist ideals, the minster was stripped of its furnishings and decoration, so that the interior is now almost completely bare. However, vestiges of Gothic frescoes as well as the fine Romanesque capitals of the nave survive.

The Grossmünster’s large crypt contains a 15th-century statue of Charlemagne, which originally graced the south tower. (The present statue on the tower is a replica.) Other notable features are its Romanesque portal, with a bronze door (1935), and stained-glass windows by Augusto Giacometti (1932).

Dada

The avant-garde artistic movement Dada came to prominence in Zürich in around 1916, as an anarchic reaction to the senseless carnage of World War I. The focus of the movement was the Cabaret Voltaire in Zürich and among its main exponents were Tristan Tzara, Hans Arp and Francis Picabia. Dada’s aim was to flout convention and the traditions of the artistic establishment through irony.

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Rathaus

C2 Limmatquai 55 # Only via guided tours: 10–11:30am Tue & Thu (book one month in advance) kantonsrat.zh.ch

Zürich’s town hall was built on piles driven into the riverbed, and the waters of the Limmat flow beneath the platform on which it stands. The two-storey building dates from 1694–8.

The façade is ornamented with friezes featuring masks, the windows crowned with broken pediments filled with busts. The marble doorway has gilt decoration. One of its most impressive rooms is the Baroque council chamber.

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Limmatquai

This riverside boulevard follows the east bank of the Limmat, running between the Bellevueplatz in the south and the Bahnhofbrücke in the north. The most interesting stretch of Limmatquai is its southern section, lined with guild houses, which have been converted into shops or restaurants.

Among the finest of these houses are Haus zur Saffran at No 54, dating from around 1720; Haus zur Rüden at No 42, dating from the 17th century; and the adjoining Haus zur Zimmerleuten, an 18th-century building with a colourful oriel window.

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Niederdorf

Consisting of a dense network of cobbled alleys leading towards Limmatquai, this small district constitutes the heart of the Old Town’s eastern section. The main artery through this historic district is Niederdorfstrasse, a pedestrianized thoroughfare that turns into Münstergasse to the south. Niederdorf’s narrow alleys are lined with antiques shops and art galleries, as well as small hotels, cafés, restaurants, beer halls and fast-food outlets.

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t A narrow cobbled street in the picturesque old quarter of Niederdorf

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Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule

D2 Rämistrasse 101 ethz.ch

The Federal Institute of Technology, or ETH, was founded in 1855, and today it is one of the most highly regarded universities in the world. It occupies a Neo-Renaissance building designed by Gottfried Semper, a prominent German architect who was also the institute’s first professor of architecture.

The architecture of the building is of interest in its own right, as is the displays from the eclectic Graphische Sammlung (Graphic Collection) of drawings and graphic art, and the temporary exhibitions that often fill its corridors. The ETH also owns the Thomas-Mann-Archiv, in a building nearby. The archive is the entire literary legacy of this great German writer, who died in Zürich in August 1955.

The terrace of the ETH building commands a magnificent view of the city. Located just to the north of the ETH is the upper station of the Polybahn, a funicular that runs down to Central, a large square on the east side of the Bahnhofbrücke.

Thomas-Mann-Archiv

Schönberggasse 15 # 10am–5pm Mon–Fri tma.ethz.ch

Experience Zürich

Street Parade

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The city’s single biggest event, drawing over a million fans, the Street Parade (www.streetparade.com) is the biggest techno music festival in the world. It takes place every second Sunday in August. The theme is “culture of tolerance”. There are 30 mobile stages and 8 concert platforms. There is even an “Antiparade” for techno fans who think the main festival has sold-out of the music’s core values.

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Zürichsee

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t The beautiful blue waters of the serene Zürichsee

This beautiful glacial lake stretches in a 40-km (25-mile) arc from Zürich to the foot of the Glarner Alps, at its eastern tip. Many boat trips, run by such companies as ZSG, depart from the city. Ranging from short trips to half- and full-day cruises, they take in several lakeshore towns and villages. Zürichsee’s clear blue waters are unpolluted and there are numerous beaches and swimming areas along the shoreline.

ZSG

Mythenquai 333 § 044 487 13 33

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Opernhaus

C3 Falkenstrasse 1 opernhaus.ch

Zürich’s Neo-Baroque opera house stages a world-class programme of operas and ballets. It was designed by the Viennese architects Hermann Helmer and Ferdinand Fellner and completed in 1891. The elegant façade is fronted by two tiers of columns and a balcony framed by porticoes.

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Zürichhorn Park

This pleasant park contains sculptures by well-known modern artists. At the southern end is a large kinetic sculpture that Jean Tinguely created for Expo 64 in Lausanne; entitled Heureka, it is set in motion from April to October at 11.15am and 5.15pm daily.

In the eastern part of the park high walls enclose the Chinagarten. This Chinese garden, laid out in 1994, was a gift from the city of Kunming, and is filled with plants, buildings and objects typical of a Chinese formal garden.

Bordering the park, on Höschgasse, is the Atelier Hermann Haller, the studio of this Swiss sculptor. Designed by Haller (1880–1950), it is a rare example of wooden Bauhaus architecture. Next to it is the Pavillon Le Corbusier, closed for restoration until summer 2019.

Chinagarten

# Mid-Mar–mid-Oct: 11am–7pm daily.

Atelier Hermann Haller

Höschgasse 6 § 044 383 42 47 # Jul–Sep: 1–6pm Fri–Sun.

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Museum Rietberg

B4 Gablerstrasse 15 # 10am–5pm Tue–Sun (to 8pm Wed) rietberg.ch

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t Exhibits on display at the Villa Wesendonck, Museum Rietberg

The vast assemblage of ethnographic pieces and artifacts that make up the collections of this museum is displayed in two villas (covered by a single entry ticket) linked by extensive underground exhibition areas. Villa Wesendonck, a Neo-Classical mansion in which the composer Richard Wagner once stayed, houses the main collection. This consists of wooden, bronze and ceramic objects from Africa, India, Tibet, China, Japan, and other Southeast Asian countries. The neighbouring Park-Villa Rieter is devoted to Asian art. Two floors of the house are filled with changing selections of Indian, Chinese and Japanese prints and paintings.

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Sammlung E G Bührle

E5 Zollikerstrasse 172 buehrle.ch

A small but well-curated collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings, including works by Delacroix, Courbet, Corot, Monet, Degas and Van Gogh, is housed in a mansion south of Zürichhorn Park. The collection was formed by the Swiss industrialist Emil G Bührle between 1934 and 1956 and was opened to the public after his death in 1965. Pending an as-yet-undetermined move to the Kunsthaus Zürich, the collection is open to the public by appointment only on the first Sunday of the month.

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Städtische Sukkulenten-Sammlung

B5 Mythenquai 88 # 9am–4:30pm daily stadt-zuerich.ch/sukkulenten

Comprising more than 8,000 species of cactuses, spurges, agaves, aloes and other succulents, this collection, founded in 1931, is one of the largest of its kind in Europe. Amazing succulents from every arid region of the world, from giant agaves to the tiniest cactuses, are found here in a fascinating display.

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Insider Tip

Thermalbad and Spa Zurich

Bathe in wooden vats in this former brewery, turned spa, not far from Museum Rietberg (www.thermalbad-zuerich.ch). The water is drawn from the legendary “Aqui” springs.

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