The last stop on the trip through Austria, Germany and Switzerland was Zurich!

It all began with a scenic train ride, which provided some gorgeous sites and views in itself.  Once I arrived, I started a walk around the center city to explore Zurich’s most notable sites. Like all of the cities we visited, Zurich’s historic downtown is very compact making it easy to explore on a short timeline. The city of Zurich,  known as a global center for banking and finance, lies at the north end of Lake Zurich in northern Switzerland. The Altstadt (Old Town), on either side of the Limmat River, reflects ts pre-medieval history. with walk-able waterfront promenades, beautiful churches and remnants of fortifications that once surrounded the city as military barriers.

The first stop on my self-guided walking tour was the Rathaus, which by this time is a word I am well aquainted with – Town Hall. Built in 1694, it houses both legislative chambers, the cantonal parliament, and the City Parliament. Continuing the walk down the riverside, we come across the four main churches that are the key landmarks of Zurich.

First, the Grossmunster. The Grossmünster church is a landmark of Zurich. According to legend, Charlemagne discovered the graves of the city’s patron saints Felix and Regula and had a church built as a monastery on the spot, around 1200AD. Later, in 1519, the Grossmünster church was the starting point of the Swiss-German Reformation led by Huldrych Zwingli and Heinrich Bullinger.

Just across a short bridge is the second major church, the Fraumünster. This Church was a former abbey for aristocratical women from southern Germany which was founded in 853 by Louis the German for his daughter Hildegard.

The third of the four churches is St. Peter’s romanesque-gothic-baroque. This church has the largest church clock face in Europe built 1538. The last of the four churches is the Predigerkirche is one of the four main churches of the old town, first built in 1231 AD. Its claim to fame is the unusually high bell tower,  regarded as most high Gothic edifice in the city.

In addition to the famous churches, Zurich is also famous for shopping. Bahnhofstrasse is Zurich’s main downtown street and one of the world’s most expensive and exclusive shopping avenues. Bahnhofstrasse has been named the most expensive street for retail property in Europe, and the 6th most expensive worldwide. Needless to say, I did a significant amount of WINDOW shopping and did pop into Breguet to see their historic watch and clock collection (including one specially made for Sir Winston Churchill).

The best view of Zurich can been seen from the Lindenhof Hill. The Lindenhof is the historical site of the Roman castle, and the later Carolingian Kaiserpfalz. It is now a recreational park and common area, with the best views!

I had dinner at a famous place near the Altstadt called Kronenhalle. The restaurant was just across the street from the Zurich Opera House. The Opera house has been the home of the Zurich Opera since 1891, and also houses the Zurich Ballet.

I can hardly believe I tackled 5 new cities, 3 new countries, 5 trains, 3 Christkindlmarkts, 2 flights, 5 museums, and countless steps walked but it was an absolutely magical and wonderful “Tripmas” this year!

I’m already looking forward to our next adventure to Copenhagen and Stockholm in February, but more to come from London in the meantime!

Hotel:

• Adler Hotel Zurich– very spacious and great location. 15 minute walk to train station and 10-15 minutes to city center, 10 to the Opera House

Restaurants:

• Kronenhalle – amazing food for a special night! Make a reservation.
• Goethe Bar – near the opera house

Sites:

• The Watch Museum (also the Breguet Museum)
• Rathaus
• Old Town (Altstadt)
• Grossmunster Church
• Fraumünster Church
• St. Peters Church
• Predigerkirche Church
• Bahnhofstrasse Shopping
• Lindenhof Hill
• Zurich Opera House