The largest city in Switzerland, Zurich City Centre serves a vibrant centre of finance, with a mix of fascinating attractions such as museums, art galleries and historical landmarks for visitors to explore. With a backdrop of snow-capped Swiss Alp mountains, visitors can walk through stylish neighbourhoods filled with centuries-old mansions and stunning architecture. Known for its high ranking at the top of cities with the most desired livability factors, Zurich City Centre is a vibrant area lined with quaint shopping streets and sits alongside the River Limmat.
Visitors to Zurich City Centre will find an abundance of attractions to choose from. Stroll the streets of Old Town to discover Grossmünster, a Romanesque church that serves a symbol of reformed Zurich. Only a few minutes away, the Fraumünster stuns onlookers with its Gothic features and stained glass windows created by Marc Chagall. Those looking to indulge in retail therapy can head to Bahnhofstrasse, one of the most exclusive shopping streets in Europe. While the city is home to over 50 museums, the Kunsthaus is notably the most popular with a significant collection of Swiss artefacts and fine art. For a view of Zurich’s city centre from above, hike to the Lindenhof, a hill perched above Old Town that was once used as a Roman fort.
Zurich is well-connected by local transportation and is known for being highly efficient and safe. Visitors can take advantage of the myriad of options, as trains, trams, buses, boats and cars are all easy ways to get around the city. The S-Bahn is the city’s suburban rail system, while Zurich Hauptbahnhof is the city’s main railway station serves an abundance of long-distance trains to Amsterdam, Berlin, Zagreb and many other destinations. In less than 15 minutes, visitors can take a train to and from the Zurich Airport, Switzerland’s largest and busiest international airport.
Zurich has been permanently settled for about 2,000 years, and has a history that dates back to the Roman era when they referred to the area as “Turicum”. Later in the Middle Ages, Zurich gained the independent status of imperial immediacy, and in 1519 it served as a centre of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. Extensive developments occurred in the 19th century, with the Zurich Hauptbahnhof playing a major role in the development of the Swiss rail network and later the creation of Zurich’s shopping street, Bahnhofstrasse, and the Zurich Stock Exchange igniting a further population growth.