Zurich city tours

Zurich is the biggest city in Switzerland, and within easy travelling distance of the beautiful mountains and valleys that tourists flock to this scenic Alpine wonderland to see. If you're in Switzerland for the skiing but want to experience some city life too, then Zurich is the place to come.

 

The city itself is not short of attractions. The Opera House, the Chinese Gardens, the Guild Houses, the National Museum, and St Peter's, the clock of which has the largest face of any in Europe, all deserve your attention during a visit. They can easily be visited on a day or half-day tour, either getting around by walking, by bike or by coach. You can also travel around in one of Zurich's trolleys, which is a unique experience and a perfect way to tour Zurich on a cold winter's day.

However, the countryside around Zurich is the main highlight of the region. Take a cable car up Mount Titlis, or visit Mount Pilatius. Whether you are visiting the mountains for skiing or snowboarding, or purely for the scenery, staying in Zurich makes it very easy to access the great outdoors. The mightlyJunfraujoch is another mountainous highlight. If you somehow manage to tire of the mountains but still want to explore the outdoors, then the Rhine Falls are amongst the largest and most picturesque in Europe, and are an easy half day visit from Zurich.

Trips outside the city also include cultural visits, and the chance to try iconic Swiss foodstuffs. Switzerland is of course famous for the quality of its cheese, and you can try it both in its normal state and in a classic Swiss fondue during your visit. If you have a sweeter tooth, then you should make a beeline for the Lindt factory, where you can taste samples produced by one of Europe's top chocolate manufacturers. These can be combined with Swiss cultural tours, where you'll learn all about Swiss traditions like hiking and yodelling!

If you'd like to learn more about Swiss traditions in a city setting, then a trip to Lucerne is in order. Smaller and more picturesque than Zurich, you will be served a traditional Swiss meal. After lunch, you'll be entertained by yodelling, Alpine horn performances, flag throwing and other traditional Swiss pastimes.

Zurich is also an excellent base for visiting one of Europe's smallest countries - Lichtenstein. Lichtenstein shares the Swiss postal service and many other amenities, but has its own royal family, jail and stamps. You can also visit Heidi's house in the same tour, which fans of the book will delight in.

Zurich has a wide variety of sights to see and activities for visitors, providing many fond memories of the city. A walk around the Old Town through Augustinergasse with the antique shops and boutiques and to the Fraumunster Church with its windows designed by Chagall is a pleasant way to spend time exploring the city.

The Zunfthaus or Guild houses can be seen in this historic part of Zurich. Heidi fans will adore the Joanna Spyri Museum dedicated to her work (Dorfstrasse 48, 8816 Hirzel, Tel. +41 (0) 44 729 95 66) and the Kunsthaus in Zurich has major paintings by Giacometti and other Swiss artists (Heimplatz 1, 41 (0) 44 253 84 84).

The Lindenhof has panoramic views over the city and lies on top of the Roman ruins of Zurich. The recently discovered Roman Baths can be seen at Thermengasse in the city. Zurich is home to the Swiss National Museum with a large collection of historic and cultural artifacts from Switzerland and can be found on Museumstrasse 2 (+41 (0) 44 218 65 11).

Switzerland’s interest in nuclear protection can be seen in the Museum of Civil Protection at Habsburgerstrasse 17 (+41 (0) 44 411 22 11). Zurich has a vibrant nightlife with many bars and live music entertainment in the city. With an excellent selection of cultural activities and concerts there is always something to see and do. Shoppers will enjoy the designer shops and chocolate shops as well as the jewelry stores famed throughout Switzerland.