“Beautiful, friendly, chilled, safe, calm and welcoming”: In the first ever guest post on Reto’s Little Travel Blog, my guest Ivana from Bratislava describes how she experienced Zurich, the business centre of Switzerland and a great place to visit.
So over the years I’d heard that Zurich was one of the best cities in Europe to experience with fantastic views, a relaxed culture and quaint architecture; so I thought, why not see what everyone has been talking about?
And you know what? It didn’t take me a long time to fall in love with Zurich as the trip started by trying famous cheese fondue at restaurant Le Dézaley. It was definitely worth the try and for those more experimental dip bread into Kirsch (cherry brandy) before cheese. 🙂
The truth is that you won’t see many people out on Thursday night, however Jules Verne bar in the Urania observatory in the city centre was a good option to enjoy a cocktail and the beautiful view. No need to get disappointed though, Swiss people go out and know how to party, but I guess they save their energy for the weekend. 🙂
The calm and chilled atmosphere even during the day, makes you enjoy every minute while exploring Zurich. Most places are walkable distance so make sure to take advantage – as a keen traveler, even the public transport was a doddle in comparison to other European cities!
For most people window shopping is the only option; especially Bahnhofstasse which is one of the most expensive streets in the world. While thinking about how many nice pair of watches or designer clothes you could buy, but can’t afford, it’s a good idea to stop by at Sprüngli coffee shop – known for its amazing chocolate and confectionery. Wanting to buy and eat everything from the selection is a pretty normal reaction when you walk in, so no need to feel guilty!
The history of Zurich is definitely rich and one of the most popular churches are Fraumünster and Grossmünster. You will not be able to miss them as they are located in the historical part of the city, don’t forget the fact that the Swiss love to have a huge clock tower protruding between buildings – they love to make a good Swiss watch, no matter what the size!
Amazing pictures can be taken from the Polyterrasse at ETH Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and also from Lindenhof that is a small square up the hill. It’s a good spot for chilling and admiring the view over the Limmat river and the city – if you’re there during a clear day you can even see the Alps in the distance which makes for a sintilizing view and a mixed bag of inner city life and nature.
If you are looking for a more breathtaking moment that is what you find when you come closer to lake Zurich. The water is very clean, with Swans swimming around which makes it even more beautiful. Hop on a boat trip if you get the chance, especially when the weather is nice and is an amazing and unforgetable experience.
After my experience in Zurich I can say that the place is defintiely beautiful, friendly, chilled, safe, calm and welcoming but yeah expect to spend some cash although it’s definitely worth it!
From my side it’s not a good bye it’s definitely see you again soon so I can explore more!
Additional tip:
- Clouds: Restaurant, bistro and bar on top of Zurich’s landmark Prime Tower with spectacular views on Zurich and surrounding areas
Guest blog post by Ivana from Bratislava who visited Zurich at the end of January 2017
Cover picture on top of page: © Zürich Tourism / Gaetan Bally
Read next: Uri, an unknown gem in the Swiss Alps
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