Zurich

2019

Cost: £££ – Switzerland is expensive
Rating: 8/10
Trip length: 3 nights is ideal (but I wouldn’t stay in Zurich)

Click here to see a video I made of the trip 🙂

Flights
From London the flight to Zurich is about an hour and a half. We flew with BA and paid £61 + 9000 avios per person. You can buy flights for as little as £70 return with EasyJet. Check SkyScanner for best fares.

Accommodation
We didn’t stay in Zurich but there are some reasonable hotels / homes on booking.com / AirBnb if you want to stay in the city. More about our accommodation in Weggis in my Lake Lucerne post!

Currency
The currency in Switzerland is the Swiss Franc – £1 = 1.12 CHF. Some places take Euros but will charge a little extra.

Transport
The city itself is fairly small so we got to most places on foot. The train from the airport took about 10 minutes… Zurich airport – Zurich = CHF 6.80 / £5.50  per person.
*TOP TIP* – go to the app store and download MapsMe!
You can download a map of the area, plug in all the places and restaurants you want to visit, and then you can use it to map your journeys without using any data!

What we did…

– Grossmunster

Iconic church next to the Limmat (river).

I recommend climbing to the top for 5 CHF (£4) for fantastic views of the city. The inside of the church itself isn’t particularly impressive so if you’re paying to go in, make sure you get to the top.

– Fraumunster Church

Another church on the opposite side of the river famous for its windows. The windows were installed in 1970 and designed by the artist, Marc Chagall. You’re not allowed to take photos inside but can google pictures of the windows if you’d like.

I seem to remember it being 5 CHF (£4) to go in and this includes an audio set if you want it. The windows are nice to see but there’s not much to look at otherwise.

– Bahnhofstrasse
Pedestrian shopping street which you’ll no doubt end up on at some point.

– Lake Zurich

Beautiful views of the lake and lots of benches / places to sit right on the water. Really nice vibe with lots of people out enjoying the sun.

If you’re only visiting Zurich I’d definitely recommend going on a boat trip (hop on / hop off) around the lake (we only didn’t because we were staying on Lake Lucerne where we were planning on taking a boat trip).
Bellevue Square is the main square right next to the lake.

– Explore

Take your time walking the streets / along the river.

Where we ate…

– Swiss Chuchi

When in Siwtzerland! This restaurant was recommended by a local for fondue and raclette. For 2 people who don’t love cheese, we did pretty well getting through both.

– Hiltl
Apparently the first vegetarian restaurant in the world. When you’re piling your plate with food, remember you are charged by the weight of your plate and Switzerland is very expensive!

– Cafe Spruengli

We were told to go here for chocolate. A cute little cafe / shop on Bahnhofstrasse selling chocolate galore! Apparently the best chocolate in Switzerland.

– Gerold Cuchi
Italian restaurant with Instagrammable umbrellas. We were late for lunch but the takeaway section was still open.

– Frau Gerolds Garten

Huge outdoor space for drink in hipster area. The ice cream was great and really cheap.

I really enjoyed our time in Zurich. It’s a beautiful city but I don’t think I would’ve wanted to stay there for the entire trip. Just an hour away is Lake Lucerne which is much quieter and serene. Blog on that to follow…

Other recommendations from friends:

To do…

• Hike to the Uetilberg (top of Zurich)
• Walk through the Viadukt Markethalle – indoor market

Restaurants…

• Volkshaus – Swiss food, best cordon bleu
• Gartenhof – tiny little courtyard restaurant in cool bit of town
• Zeughauskeller – Swiss dishes & draft beers in 15th century building
• Sternen Grill – if you eat meat… traditional bratwurst
• Burgli – lake view restaurant
• Fischers Fritz – lake view restaurant
• Kafischnaps – casual breakfast / brunch
• Cafe des Amis – casual breakfast / brunch
• Nordbruke – casual breakfast / brunch

Cafes…

• Laderach – chocolate (best is milk chocolate with caramelised hazelnuts)
• Conditorei Schober – coffee & cake with unique floors

Drinks…

• Clouds Bar – expensive but great views for drinks
• Cabaret Voltaire – cool place for drinks
• Jules Verne Panorama Bar – 360-degree views of city
• Bar 63 – cool, dark, late night bar
• Rimini Bar – right on the river

Finally, chocolate branded ‘Frey’ in the Migros supermarkets is delicious.