A Swiss Story - Exploring Zürich

Zürich is Switzerland's gateway to the world

The city of Zürich is probably the most famous in all of Switzerland. It stands on the northern banks of the Zürichsee, or Lake Zürich, in north central Switzerland. It claims its place as the largest city in the Swiss Confederation and as the capital of the Canton of Zürich. The city is home to Switzerland's largest airport, Flughafen Zürich (ZRH) and is therefore Switzerland's gateway to the rest of the world. The airport is situated at the north of the residential areas, in an area called Kloten.

Apart from the massive air connectivity that the city boasts about, there is much to its credit that allows it a separate place on a trip to

Zurich HB is the largest and busiest station in Switzerland

Switzerland. It is the commerce capital of the country, far more modern and swift than ancient Bern, which is more engaged in its regal past than in the swiftness of the twenty first century. Zürich is served by several railway stations, including the Zürich HB (Hauptbahnhof) or Main Station, which offers connections to everywhere in Switzerland. The Airport Station, Flughafen Zürich allows travellers arriving into the country the luxury of transiting to everywhere in the country right from the airport itself.

Like Bern or Geneva or Basel, Zürich too has its own dedicated tram network, used by most of its population along with the public buses. The useful Swiss pass allows unrestricted access to this facility, allowing travellers to transit within with ease. Most people arriving into Switzerland exit the city in a hurry, hoping to rush to the mountains. If time permits, however, it is wise to stay around for a day or two to let Switzerland sink in first, before the mountains welcome you home. German is the dominant language in this part of Switzerland.

When one arrives at Zürich HB, it is very easy to leave the station and walk a few paces to the Schweizerisches Nationalmuseum or

The Swiss National Museum is a pretty sight

Swiss National Museum. This museum, with its Gothic architecture, introduced to the city by Gaustav Gull in 1898, is part of Zürich's Old City. It houses a large section of artefacts from the prehistoric times to the 20th century, including some related to Switzerland's past, including coins, sculptures, art and more. Just outside the museum, the ferries depart on the Limmat River, sailing down peacefully to other jetties downstream.

Getting off at Helmhaus, we saw the Protestant Church at Grossmunster. This iconic twin towered Romanesque cathedral is where the 1500s reformer Huldrych Zwingli delivered his teachings. Crossing the Munsterbrucke Bridge, we came to the Fraumunster, another church of equal significance. It has a beautiful copper topped spire and stained glass that makes very good pictures. This was followed by a light snack, which was indeed welcoming.

Zürich's Bahnhofstrasse is a tram-lined street that is modern, a contrast to what we had already explored from Zürich's past. Here, boutiques and shops lined the avenue, while cars silently plied along. 

Views from the Uetilberg will never fail to impress

For views, we went to Lindenhof hill, which allowed a pretty picture of the city. Nothing however matched the stunning sights from atop the Uetilberg Peak, which allowed us to see the large city spread below. Zürich is one of the few places in Switzerland which hosts any number of skyscrapers or tall buildings. The rest of the country is dotted with pretty European homes, all neat and not more than four storeys high.

Returning to Zürich HB, we paid a visit to the FIFA World Cup Museum, located nearby. It was interesting to know what the Swiss had preserved about the world's favourite sport.

We transited through Zürich many times in the future, for changing trains and also to take SWISS International Airlines back to India. However, it was not possible to return to the city to visit it properly. Those in Zürich could visit its many museums, take a paddleboat on Lake Zürich or the ferry on the Limmat. To most of the world, Zürich is defined by its commerce and I was happy to have explored its touristic angle. The brilliant and historic city stands forever, as a symbol of Switzerland's excellence - a crucial addition to the complete Swiss story.