A Quick Guide to Zurich

Views from Lindenhof

Zurich has been a popular ski destination for a long time. However, there are tons of things to do in Switzerland's capital city.

Grossemunster Tower at night

Population: 400,000
​Climate: Temperate Climate
Currency: Swiss Franc (CHF)
​Official Language(s): French, German, Italian and Romansh

Arrival/Getting Around

Flughafen Zurich is the only airport in the city and is 10 Km from Zurich's main station. To get to the city centre there are lots of options. The cheapest would be by train or streetcar. The train takes about 15-20 minutes and costs 6.80 CHF ($9 CAD). For the street car (line 10) it takes about 35 minutes and costs the same as the train. Another option would be the shuttle bus. It takes 30-40 minutes and costs 25 CHF ($32 CAD). Taxis are always the most convenient way but also a lot more expensive. 

Zurich's city centre is very convenient. Most things you will probably want to do are within a 20 minute walking radius which makes it easy to walk everywhere. If you are not into walking, you can take the tram. The prices for tram depend on how far you are going as there are different zones. Zurich is also a bicycle friendly city, so you could also bike everywhere. Bicycles are FREE to rent but you need to deposit 20 CHF ($26 CAD).

Walking around Augustinergasse Street

What to See

Zurich is a great city because most of the attractions are within 1-2 Km from each other. Zurich is an expensive city but there are tons of free things you can do as well. One of the most popular places for views is Grossmunster, a 12th century cathedral. If you pay 4 CHF you can climb up to the top and get some amazing shots of the city. Down the street from Grossmunster is Fraumunster, an 11th century church. You can also climb to the top and get beautiful views for 5 CHF. If you don't want to pay you should walk up to Lindenhof for a great view of Old Town, Grossmunster, city hall and more. Altstadt is a great place to take in the old medieval architecture. Bahnhofstrasse is a nice place to walk around, as it is one of the most expensive shopping areas in the world. During Christmas the area is illuminated with beautiful lights. Some other places to check out are the Fifa World Museum, Swiss National Museum and the Opera House.

Smoked sausage and potato salad at Zeughauskeller

Eat & Drink

Switzerland is most famously known for foods like cheese, fondue, chocolate and hot chocolate. Of course those things are delicious and are best to have in Switzerland but here are some other foods to try.

​Other foods to try:

• ​Raclette (melted cheese served scraped onto a dish)
• Rosti (panfried grated potatoes)
• Sausages & potato salad
• Kalbsgeschnetzeltes nach Zürcher Art (panfried veal)

Walking around the Limmat River

Where to Stay

Zurich has one of the priciest accommodation costs I have ever seen! I'm talking about over $100 for a 2 star hotel! However, there are some affordable places, like hostels, guesthouses, Bed and Breakfasts or Airbnb if you are on a budget.

​Lindenhof, Rathaus or Hochschulen are all great areas to be as they are close to the major attractions I mentioned earlier. They are also where most of the hostels and guesthouses are located. These areas have lots of bars and restaurants as well, so they are pretty lively.

Liechtenstein

Places Nearby

Bern-- Being the capital city of Switzerland, Bern is fun of rich history. There is lots of well preserved medieval architecture as well as the Einstein museum.

Geneva-- As the second most populated city in Switzerland, Geneva is known for being the French speaking part of Switzerland as it is right at the French border.

Swiss Alps-- The Swiss Alps are one of the most famous destinations people flock to for skiing. Day passes range from 50 CHF and up.

​Liechtenstein-- For 66 CHF ($86 CAD) roundtrip, you can visit Liechtenstein and get a stamp in your passport as well at see some medieval castles.