Cidade Turismo
Switzerland
Zurique

Zurique · Switzerland

Zurique

The city at the northern tip of Lake Zurique, with a medieval center on both banks of the Limmat River, museums, churches with stained glass by Chagall and Giacometti, and trains to the whole country.

Suíça alemã

In the photo: Rio Limmat and Grossmünster, Zurique

Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.

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Get to know the place

A region to enjoy
at your own pace.

Zurique is in the north of Suíça, where the Limmat River flows out of Lake Zurique, the Zürichsee.

The historic center spans both banks of the Limmat. On the right bank is the Niederdorf, with car-free streets, and the Grossmünster, from where Zwingli led the Reformation in the 16th century. On the left are the Fraumünster, with five stained-glass windows by Marc Chagall, the Lindenhof hill and the Bahnhofstrasse, the shopping street that runs from the station to the lake.

The city has museums for several days: the Landesmuseum Zürich, with the history of Suíça, the Kunsthaus, for art, the Museum Rietberg, with art from Asia, Africa, the Americas and Oceania, and the FIFA Museum, about football. In the former industrial district, Zürich-West, the arches of a railway viaduct became shops and a market.

The lake has a waterfront for walking and boats that depart from the Bürkliplatz. Above the city, the Uetliberg, at 870 meters altitude, has a viewpoint with views of the lake and the Alps, and the Zoo Zürich occupies a slope of the Zürichberg. The Polybahn, a funicular from 1889, climbs up to the terrace of the ETH, the university where Einstein studied.

On a day trip, the Lindt Home of Chocolate factory is in Kilchberg, on the lakeshore. To the north, about an hour by train, are the Rheinfall, the Rhine waterfalls, and Stein am Rhein, a medieval village with painted façades.

This destination brings together 1 city: Zurique.

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One destination, many paths

The cities on this trip

Start with one city or combine several in your itinerary.

Where Zurique is
Zurique

Contornos: ©swisstopo. Adaptação do Cidade Turismo.

How to get there: Zurique

✈ Flughafen Zürich (ZRH), in Kloten · 12 km to Zurique

Zurique Airport (ZRH) is in Kloten, about 10 minutes by train from Zürich HB station. Check before booking. From Zürich HB SBB trains depart to all parts of the country.

Zurique
Zurique · Zurique Capital

Zurique

City at the point where the Limmat River exits Lake Zurique, with a historic center on both banks: the Niederdorf, Zwingli’s Grossmünster and the Fraumünster with Chagall windows. It has the Bahnhofstrasse, the Landesmuseum, the Kunsthaus, the Museum Rietberg, the FIFA Museum, boats on the lake, the Zürich-West neighborhood and, above the city, the Uetliberg and the Zoo Zürich. Day trips depart from here to the Lindt Home of Chocolate, the Rheinfall and Stein am Rhein.

The local experience

Things to do in Zurique

Niederdorf
Zurique · Zurique · Historic center

Niederdorf

The part of the old town on the right bank of the Limmat, with the car-free Niederdorfstrasse, guild houses on the Limmatquai, the Rathaus and the Cabaret Voltaire, where the Dada movement was born.

Lindenhof
Zurique · Zurique · Observation deck

Lindenhof

Tree-lined square atop a hill in the old town, where a Roman fort and a Carolingian palace once stood, with views over the Limmat, the Niederdorf and the ETH. Next to it are the church St. Peter and Augustinergasse.

Grossmünster
Zurique · Zurique · Church

Grossmünster

The Romanesque twin-tower church that is a symbol of Zurique, from where Huldrych Zwingli led the Reformation. It has stained glass by Augusto Giacometti and Sigmar Polke, a crypt and the Karlsturm tower, which is climbed by 187 steps.

Fraumünster
Zurique · Zurique · Church

Fraumünster

Church founded in 853 as an abbey for noble women, known for the five choir windows designed by Marc Chagall in 1970 and for the window by Augusto Giacometti. The crypt tells more than 1,200 years of history.

See 13 more places in Zurique
Bahnhofstrasse
Zurique · Zurique · Shopping street

Bahnhofstrasse

The pedestrian and tram street that connects the central station to the lake over 1.4 km, with department stores, jewellers, watchshops and Paradeplatz, the square of banks and the confectionery Sprüngli.

Zürichsee
Zurique · Zurique · Lake

Zürichsee

The lake at the southern tip of the city, with waterfront promenades, public pools in summer and ZSG boats that leave Bürkliplatz for one-hour cruises up to the crossing to Rapperswil.

Landesmuseum Zürich
Zurique · Zurique · Museum

Landesmuseum Zürich

The Museu Nacional Suíço, housed in a 1898 castle-like building next to the central station, presenting the history of Suíça from prehistory to the present and a modern wing from 2016.

Kunsthaus Zürich
Zurique · Zurique · Museum

Kunsthaus Zürich

Art museum at Heimplatz, with works by Alberto Giacometti, Edvard Munch, Monet, Picasso, Van Gogh and the Swiss Ferdinand Hodler and Füssli, in two buildings linked by a tunnel: Karl Moser’s from 1910 and David Chipperfield’s from 2021.

FIFA Museum
Zurique · Zurique · Museum

FIFA Museum

The FIFA football museum, opened in 2016 in Enge, with over a thousand objects from all men’s and women’s World Cups, the original World Cup trophy and interactive attractions across three floors.

Museum Rietberg
Zurique · Zurique · Museum

Museum Rietberg

Museum of art from Asia, Africa, the Americas and Oceania, housed in the Villa Wesendonck and an underground pavilion within the Rieterpark, a park of old trees with views of the Glarus Alps on clear days.

Polybahn
Zurique · Zurique · Funicular and viewpoint

Polybahn

A red funicular from 1889 that climbs in about 100 seconds from Central up to the Polyterrasse, the terrace in front of ETH’s main building, with views over the old town roofs, the Limmat and the lake.

Uetliberg
Zurique · Zurique · Mountain and viewpoint

Uetliberg

The city’s mountain, at 870 meters altitude, about 20 minutes by train from Zürich HB, with a lookout tower over the city, the lake and the Alps, and the Planetenweg trail to the Felsenegg.

Zoo Zürich
Zurique · Zurique · Zoo

Zoo Zürich

A 27-hectare zoo on the Zürichberg, opened in 1929, featuring the Madagascar rainforest in a greenhouse (Masoala), the Lewa savanna with rhinos and giraffes, and an Asian elephant park.

Lindt Home of Chocolate
Zurique · Zurique · Museum

Lindt Home of Chocolate

Lindt & Sprüngli chocolate museum in Kilchberg, on the lakeside, about 20 minutes from Zurique, with a chocolate fountain over 9 metres high, tastings, a pilot factory, courses, a café and a shop.

Zürich-West
Zurique · Zurique · Neighborhood

Zürich-West

Former industrial neighbourhood turned into an area of art, design and nightlife, with shops and a market under the arches of the Im Viadukt viaduct, Freitag's container tower, the Prime Tower and the Löwenbräukunst art centre.

Rheinfall
Zurique · Zurique · Waterfall

Rheinfall

The Rhine Falls, in Neuhausen am Rheinfall, about an hour by train from Zurique: 150 metres wide and 23 metres high, with viewpoints at Schloss Laufen and boats to the rock in the middle of the falls.

Stein am Rhein
Zurique · Zurique · Historic town

Stein am Rhein

Medieval town on the banks of the Rhine, where it flows out of Lake Constance, with the Rathausplatz surrounded by half-timbered houses and painted façades, the museum of the former monastery of São Jorge and Hohenklingen castle above.

Before you go

Practical information

A little planning leaves more time to enjoy the journey.

When to go

From May to September the days are long and there are more boat departures on the lake; in the European summer, from June to August, temperatures can exceed 30 °C. In April there is the Sechseläuten and in August the Street Parade. From December to February it is cold, near freezing, and the days are short, but there are Christmas markets.

The seasons shown are the most usual ones; nature doesn't always follow the calendar.

How many days to stay

Two days are enough for the historic center, the churches, the Bahnhofstrasse, a museum and a lake cruise. With three days you’ll have time for the Uetliberg, the zoo or the Lindt factory. To include the Rheinfall and Stein am Rhein, add one more day. Zurique also serves as a base for day trips to Lucerne and the Alps.

Which city to stay in

Kreis 1, the historic center, leaves everything within walking distance: the Niederdorf, on the right bank, has lively streets at night; the left bank, near the Bahnhofstrasse, is quieter. The area around Zürich HB is convenient for those who will use trains a lot. Zürich-West, in Kreis 4 and 5, has bars and restaurants and is a few minutes by train or tram from the center. Seefeld, on the east shore of the lake, is residential and close to the waterfront.

Respect the place

Take your trash with you, follow the signs and support local businesses. In natural areas, follow the visiting guidelines.

Get your questions answered

Frequently asked questions about Zurique

How many days to stay in Zurique?

Two days for the city and one or two more for nearby day trips, such as the Rheinfall, Stein am Rhein or the Uetliberg. Those continuing through Suíça can reserve a day here on arrival or departure.

Do I need a car in Zurique?

No. Trams, buses, suburban trains and boats operate in an integrated way, and the center is walkable. For day trips, SBB trains reach the Rheinfall, Stein am Rhein, Lucerne and Bern.

What language is spoken in Zurique?

German, written in the standard form and spoken in the Swiss-German dialect, Züritüütsch. English is widely used in hotels, restaurants and transport. The currency is the franco suíço: Suíça does not use the euro.

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