Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the local currency is the Swiss Franc (CHF). The exchange rate was almost equal to the euro when I visited. Locals speak French or Swiss German and English is also widely spoken. It is situated in the north of the country on Lake Zurich and is accessible by various modes of transports. I travelled by train as you can get a direct one from Como Citta (San Giovanni Train Station). I travel by train at lot and usually will travel first class due to cost and convenience. The tickets to Switzerland are considerably more expensive than a journey of a similar length within Italy though and this cost €114 one way. The train made a short stop at the Swiss border and an announcement was made that you should have your documents ready to show Swiss border control officials. Nobody came on the train on this occasion, but I have had my passport checked when traveling to Lugano. While they offer a beverage service at your seat, you do pay for the items selected.
My train arrived at the main Zurich station (Zurich Hauptbahnhof, Zurich HB). It is a large station and has entry and exit areas at multiple points around the station, so do take note of where you are heading to. My hotel was about a 15 minute walk through an area with lots of shops, cafes and office buildings.
Accommodation
I stayed at Citizen M, which is in a great location in Zurich. This was my first time to stay at this hotel chain. I usually stay at local hotels but after reading some reviews, I was intrigued by the use of technology at Citizen M, so wanted to experience it myself. It is recommended that you download the hotel app prior to arrival, which I had done.
As I arrived at lunch time, I decided to eat at the restaurant and test the technology straight away. You access the menu and order your food on the app. You can pay for it immediately or elect to pay for it when checking out. The culture shock of ‘I am not in Italy anymore’ hit straight away when reading the menu, as the prices were a lot more expensive. They are more in-line with some of the larger European cities. The menu offered a wide selection of snacks and meals and thankfully several vegetarian choices. As much as I love pasta and pizza, it’s often a relief to be able to select something completely different, so I had the nachos. I went to the bar to collect my beverage and the server confirmed my order had been received and asked where I was sitting. She also told me that the filter water (tap by the end of the bar with still or carbonated) was available at all times to guests. You can fill a bottle or glass that they provide or use your own reusable ones. As someone who drinks a lot of water, I really appreciated this. Apart from the small cost, that can add up, I personally hate having to use so much single use plastic when traveling.
My food arrived quickly and it was a decent portion and was very tasty. While I was having my coffee it was time to check into my room and it was very easy to complete in the app. I then went over to reception area which had multiple kiosks and scanned my passport (very similar to the airport machines). There were several staff members milling about and they seemed happy to help people who didn’t use the app and or needed additional assistance. They call the staff ‘ambassadors’ and I had a lovely chat with Andrea from Portugal, who gave me my room key. I always find it interesting (being from a country of immigrants myself) how often certain nationalities gravitate to certain cities and Andrea told me several of the staff at the hotel were from Portugal. She asked me a little about my plans for my time in Zurich and she made some very helpful suggestions on places to visit. When I was having my coffee back in the restaurant, she came by and gave me a free drinks voucher, which I really appreciated. While the hotel advertised the use of technology for all requests and processes, it was clear that they also paid attention to the personal touch.
My room was very different to the ones I have stayed in, in Italy recently. To some people, it may appear quite sterile but it was designed to make the maximum use of space. The toilet and a spacious shower were enclosed in a circular glassed area. On the opposite side of the main room was the sink and vanity area. The bed and a shelf unit was part of a custom built-in unit and you could only get into the bed from one side. Everything in the room was white. An iPad at the bedside table, was available for your use (didn’t understand the picture on the front though). You could control the lights, blinds and temperature, order food and check-out from this iPad. I did get a bit of a kick out of experimenting with the coloured lights later in the evening and it was amazing the different feel the colours made to the room.
I spent 3 days in Zurich and think it’s a very walkable city. The tram line, accessible throughout the city centre, is also a great way to get around.
Zurich has an interesting mix of architecture, with historic buildings well preserved and modern ones not overshadowing them. It felt very safe and I was comfortable walking alone at nighttime. I love cities with either a sea front or by a lake. You could walk for hours by the river Limmat, through small streets with an array of shops and cafes everywhere. Several of the large hotels had cafes and bars with seating inside and out and I enjoyed a stop at one, to have a glass of wine and watch the world go by. It snowed the last morning I was there and I really enjoyed seeing how the way it transformed the city. The attractive roof tops and clock faces, were even more beautiful sprinkled with a few snowflakes.
The following were my favourite things to do and some additional details on the city, which I hope you will find useful.
Kunsthaus Zurich
I have been to several museums around the World, but I was not prepared for the size and scale of this museum. While the interior doesn’t have the opulence of the Louvre, and other well known museums, I have never visited a museum which displayed so many pieces. While I am no art connoisseur I do enjoy visiting museums and this was by far one of the best I have ever been to. I do recommend you give yourself lots of time to visit and to do some research first. There are several admission options available based on the various exhibitions. There was at least one large cafe available, so I suggest taking a break between seeing exhibits. I really didn’t allow myself sufficient time, so will need to visit it again. I purchased a ticket for CHF18 and was given a sticker identifying what I had paid for. The museum is massive and you walk between multiple buildings with several staircases and walkways. Locker rooms are available to leave coats and backpacks. This was the first museum I visited which didn’t request a Swiss franc coin to use the locker, which very few visitors will have. There were ushers at various points checking admission eligibility. I am not going to provide details on the exhibitions I went to as that would take a whole blog in itself but I might write one in the future.
The Clock and Watch Museum
What a little gem this is ! It’s a little hard to find as is on the lower level of Beyer watch shop, in the prestigious shopping street Bahnhofstrasse. There are security guards at the door, as you see at all major luxury brand shops. I did feel special entering, until I was shown the way downstairs to the museum. The entrance feee was CHF10 and there was a small area available to leave your coat, bags etc. The museum is quite small and I was alone for half of my visit until a family of 6 arrived. I presume they limit attendees at certain times as it would be difficult to view the items if it was too busy. You are given an iPad, which takes you through the various exhibits. It is available in several languages and it is very well laid out. Mine did lag a few times, but overall it was an efficient way of learning about the hundreds of clocks and watches. I never thought this would be an area that interested me, but I throughly enjoyed this and highly recommend it.
FIFA Museum
While I am writing about this, I was quite disappointed and think it caters more for children and younger people. I am a huge sports fan and like soccer. I have been to games in several countries including a European Champions League Final and a Kings Cup in Spain. The FIFA museum is about a 20 minute walk from the city centre and there is a large train station just opposite it. I did walk back via the lakeside and highly recommend it, as it is a beautiful area of the city.
I arrived at lunchtime so decided to have something to eat. I was seated right beside a life style cut-out of Paul Gascoigne. He was never a favourite player of mine so my visit may have started off a little awkwardly! The food was reasonably priced for Zurich. I had a halloumi burger which is certainly a more diverse vegetarian choice than I am used to in such restaurants. When you purchase your entrance ticket, they asked what country I was from but I wondered why, as it didn’t appear on the ticket or really appear very relevant. Maybe the experience would be different if I as from a soccer powerhouse. If anyone reading this, is from one and had a different experience, please let us know in the comments section. The locker room contains lockers brightly coloured in nations colours and were named after National stars. I could only find two for the Republic of Ireland – Johnny Giles and Robbie Keane. Both were in use so I opted to use Northern Ireland’s George Best, no mean substitute in my opinion.
Every exhibition is brightly coloured and there was a great variety of interactive options and a good overview of the historical and modern game. There is just something missing and I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, it just seems so far away from the actual sport itself. I also thought it is quite expensive, with a ticket costing CHF24.
I was thinking about this visit a few days later and comparing it to the tour of Croke Park in Dublin. For readers who may not know what this is, it’s the National Stadium for the GAA (Gaelic Athletic Association, an amateur organisation managing the traditional Irish sports of Football, Hurling and Camogie etc). As the museum is at the stadium, you visit the players dressing room, a private bar area, sit in the stands and walk onto the pitch. You really feel close to the actual sport and can relive memories you may have just seen on TV. I think the fact the FIFA museum is in a corporate building and not at an actual stadium dilutes the experience. However, it is worth a visit for any diehard soccer fan.
Landesmuseum (National Museum)
This was an extremely interesting museum, within walking distance from the centre of the city and is the most frequented museum in Switzerland. The entrance fee was CHF10, which included an audio guide. The exhibitions were extremely varied, with modern and gothic art. My favourite was a history of the International Red Cross Organisation.
You had to leave your backpack in a locker and it needed a CHF coin. I didn’t have one and the security guard gave me a disc to use instead.
Grossmunster
The skyline in Zurich is littered with gothic and romanesque architecture. The Grossmunster is very distinctive as has two towers. Richard Wagner once claimed they look like pepper dispensers. It is a Protestant church and is situated by the river bank and is famous in Switzerland as the Swiss Reformation was started from an office here. There is a small museum in the cloister with information on this period.
The interior has some beautiful stained glass windows designed by Augusto Giacometti and added in 1932. In 1935 and 1950 beautiful bronze doors were added, designed by Otto Munch.
Fraumunster
So for a little bit of Girl Power, I had to visit the Fraumunster translated as “Women’s Minster” ! The entrance cost was CHF5.
This church has a beautiful green steeple and a large clock face. It has undergone lots of renovations over the years and has 5 large stained glass windows designed by Marc Chagall and installed in 1970. The organ is also spectacular, containing 6,959 pipes, the largest in Zurich.
There is a lot of history to this church dating back to 9th century. Guided tours are available periodically but I just wandered around on my own.
St Peters Church
The clock of St. Peters is the largest clock face in Europe, measuring 8.64m (28.2ft) in diameter. It was been restored and well maintained since its installation in the 13th century.
The interior of the church is a mix of Gothic and Romanesque style. It also has a huge pipe organ, installed in 1974.
Restaurants and Cafes
The cuisine in Zurich is very cosmopolitan and there is a great mixture of modern and older looking restaurants and cafes. I had a lovely Thai meal one evening in the Blue Monkey. While it was extremely busy, with very few tables available, they sat me straight away. The service was very efficient, the menu had lots of choices and I really enjoyed my meal.
I had a glass of wine one cold afternoon in a plush hotel bar, overlooking the river. I can’t remember the name of it, but there were lots of them in the area. Most looked enticing with waiting staff dressed formal and all seemed busy.
I really enjoyed my breakfast on the last morning at Joes and Juice. A coffee, croissant and freshly made fruit smoothie cost CHF13.30.
While it was cold when I was in Zurich in December, people were sitting outside the cafes and restaurants, huddled under brightly coloured blankets and fur covers. Everywhere looked cozy and seems oblivious to the cold temperatures.
I certainly plan to visit Zurich again. I want to see the rest of the exhibitions in the Kunsthaus and go to one of the many chocolate museums and factories. There are chocolatiers everywhere from the well known brands of Lindt, Laderach and Max to lots of family owned specialist shops. While I didn’t visit a factory or museum I did bring back quite a lot of chocolate for Christmas gifts, from Oro De Caco, which has a very distinctive pink shop front and it certainly went down a treat !