Attraction
Grossmünster
Zurich's twin-towered Romanesque church, where Zwingli launched the Swiss Reformation, with Giacometti and Polke windows, a crypt and a 187-step tower climb.
There are plenty of things to do in Zurich, Switzerland's largest city, and most of them are within walking distance of each other. The Old Town lines both banks of the Limmat river, with the twin towers of the Grossmünster and the Niederdorf lanes on one side and the Fraumünster, St. Peter and the Lindenhof on the other. Bahnhofstrasse runs from the main station to Lake Zurich, where boats leave Bürkliplatz for round trips on the water, and museums such as the Kunsthaus, the Landesmuseum and Museum Rietberg cover art and history from the Middle Ages to today.
Zurich's food scene ranges from guild-house dining rooms, fondue parlours and sausage grills to Haus Hiltl, the world's oldest vegetarian restaurant, and two-Michelin-star cooking. Confectioners such as Sprüngli and historic cafés like the Odeon are part of daily life, while Zurich West, Langstrasse and the Niederdorf supply the nightlife. Two or three days cover the main sights, and a fourth day leaves time for the Uetliberg, a lake cruise or a day trip to the Rhine Falls or Lucerne.
Attraction
Zurich's twin-towered Romanesque church, where Zwingli launched the Swiss Reformation, with Giacometti and Polke windows, a crypt and a 187-step tower climb.
Attraction
Switzerland's largest art museum by area, with Swiss and European art from the Middle Ages to today in Karl Moser's building and David Chipperfield's extension.
Attraction
Switzerland's most visited cultural history museum, set in Gustav Gull's historicist 1898 building beside the main station, with a modern extension by Christ & Gantenbein.
Attraction
A former royal abbey church founded in 853 on the Münsterhof, best known for Marc Chagall's five choir windows and Augusto Giacometti's tall north transept window.
Attraction
A lime-shaded hilltop square on the site of a Roman fort, with free views across the Limmat to the Grossmünster, university and ETH.
Attraction
Zurich's oldest parish church, on a small square below the Lindenhof, known for the 8.7-metre clock faces on its 64-metre tower and its links to Zwingli's…
Café
Zurich's best-known confectioner, at Paradeplatz since 1859, with a ground-floor shop for Luxemburgerli and chocolates and one of the city's best-known café-salons.
Café
A historic Old Town confectioner near the Grossmünster, founded in 1842 and formerly known as Schober, famous for its hot chocolate and cakes.
Café
An Art Nouveau grand café at Bellevue, open since 1 July 1911, once frequented by Einstein, Lenin, James Joyce and the Dada founders.
Café
A modern coffee house at the southern end of the Niederdorf since 2009, inspired by San Francisco coffee culture, with all-day food, brunch and a sunny…
Café
A neighbourhood café-bar in a former butcher's shop between Wipkingen and Unterstrass, serving breakfast until 16:00 and traditional Swiss food.
Café
An artisan bakery and café in Zurich West, known for sourdough, double-baked croissants, home-roasted coffee and a brunch with organic eggs and shakshuka.
Hotel
A family-owned five-star hotel founded in 1844, set in its own park beside Lake Zurich at the end of Bahnhofstrasse.
Hotel
A five-star hotel opened in 1899 on the Zürichberg, renovated by Norman Foster, with a 4,000 m2 spa, a two-Michelin-star restaurant and over 100 artworks.
Hotel
A five-star boutique hotel spread across nine historic buildings in the Old Town off Bahnhofstrasse, with 49 individually designed rooms and an award-winning bar.
Hotel
A five-star hotel welcoming guests for over 660 years, set directly on the Limmat in the Old Town, with 64 rooms, a riverside terrace and rooftop…
Hotel
A four-star boutique hotel in a restored 15th-century inn in the Old Town, with 39 individually furnished rooms and Andreas Caminada's IGNIV restaurant.
Hotel
A 170-room design hotel where Langstrasse meets Europaallee, next to the main station, with the NENI restaurant and the Cinchona Bar.
Bar
A classic cocktail bar opened in 1965 beside the Kronenhalle restaurant, designed by Robert Haussmann with Diego Giacometti lamps and art by Miró, Picasso and Klee.
Bar
A candlelit spirits bar in the city centre with around 1,600 spirits, about 500 of them whiskies, stacked behind the bar, plus original cocktail creations.
Bar
A cocktail and wine bar high in the tower-style Urania building, reached by lift from Brasserie Lipp, with views over Zurich's rooftops, the lake and the…
Bar
Zurich's leading jazz club, in the former Escher Wyss boiler workshop at the Schiffbau, with concerts almost every night across jazz, funk, soul, blues and world…
Bar
An urban beer garden at the foot of the Prime Tower in Zurich West, with a sunny terrace, shops and art in summer and a fondue…
Bar
A century-old club, bar and event venue at Pelikanplatz, billed as Switzerland's oldest club, where Prince and Amy Winehouse performed and Dada held its last soirée.
Restaurant
A Zurich institution at Bellevue since 1924, serving traditional Swiss cooking beneath original works by Chagall, Bonnard, Léger, Hodler and Giacometti.
Restaurant
A traditional Swiss restaurant in a former armoury of 1487 beside Paradeplatz, known for its sausage dishes, schnitzel, cordon bleu and veal Geschnetzeltes.
Restaurant
Founded in 1898 and listed by Guinness World Records as the world's oldest vegetarian restaurant, with a buffet and an à la carte restaurant near Bahnhofstrasse.
Restaurant
The Hotel Adler's Swiss restaurant in the Niederdorf, serving cheese fondue, raclette, rösti and other Swiss classics on a terrace in the pedestrian zone.
Restaurant
A guild house restaurant opposite the Fraumünster, serving Zurich classics and seasonal dishes in a first-floor dining room overlooking the Münsterhof.
Restaurant
A Bellevue institution since 1963, selling St. Gallen bratwurst with crispy Bürli bread and fiery house mustard, with a sit-down Swiss restaurant upstairs.
Thing to do
Zurich's own 870-metre hill, reached by S10 train from the main station, with an observation tower, views over city, lake and Alps and the Planet Trail…
Thing to do
The car-free lanes of Zurich's Old Town on the right bank of the Limmat, between Central and the Grossmünster, full of small shops, restaurants and bars.
Thing to do
Zurich's 1.4-kilometre main shopping street, running from the main station past Paradeplatz to Lake Zurich, with department stores, luxury boutiques and the Sprüngli confectioner at Paradeplatz.
Thing to do
Zurich's 1891 opera house on Sechseläutenplatz, home to the opera company, Ballett Zürich and the Philharmonia orchestra, with around 1,100 seats.
Thing to do
Shops, a covered market hall and restaurants set under the 1894 stone railway arches of Zurich West, between Löwenbräu and Hardbrücke.
Tour operator
Zürich Tourism's two-hour guided walk through the Old Town, from the main station via Bahnhofstrasse and the Lindenhof to the Grossmünster.
Tour operator
The Lake Zurich boat company, founded in 1890, running round trips from Bürkliplatz from one hour to four and a half hours, plus paddle steamers and…
Tour operator
A Swiss day-tour operator with more than 25 years of experience, running coach trips from Zurich's Sihlquai bus station to the Rhine Falls, Jungfraujoch, Titlis and…
Tour operator
A Zurich company running 90-minute city tours in electric tuk-tuks for up to four passengers, plus food tours and event transfers.
Tour operator
A three-hour culinary walk run by Zürich Tourism, visiting six restaurants with tastings of food and drink linked to cheese, brewing and Swiss chocolate.
Two to three days are enough for the Old Town, the main museums, Bahnhofstrasse and a lake cruise. Add a day for the Uetliberg or a trip to the Rhine Falls or Lucerne.
The Old Town (Altstadt and Niederdorf) puts you within walking distance of most sights. The area around the main station and Langstrasse suits nightlife and rail travel, the lakefront is quieter and more upmarket, and the Zürichberg offers resort-style hotels above the city.
Zurich Airport is about 8 km north of the centre and has its own underground railway station. Take the train from there to Zurich main station (Zürich HB) and check the SBB or ZVV timetable for connections; trams and buses link the main station with the rest of the city.
Zurich is a costly city, but you can save with the Zürich Card, which gives free or reduced entry to many museums and free short lake round trips, free collection entry at the Kunsthaus on Wednesdays, budget meals such as the Sternen Grill and stays at the youth hostel.
Take the usual city precautions with valuables in crowded places such as the main station and nightlife areas. In an emergency call 112, or 117 for the police and 144 for an ambulance.