Executive summary by Darmansjah Godjali
Why Go? With its
river, lakeside location and Alpine views, Zurich is a pretty city – much of
the old center including its winding lanes and church steeples remains intact
while urban regeneration has transformed the industrial district into the
epicenter of the city’s nightlife.
When To Go? June
to September offers the most pleasant climate for walking and outdoor pursuits
but spring, while having lower temperatures, is a cheaper and less busy time to
go – March is Zurich’s driest month.
How to Go? Fly Singapore
Airlines direct from Singapore
to Zurich. Malaysian
visitors can take Turkish Airlines, Oman Air
from K.L.
to Zurich.
BEST FOR CHURCHES
the blue-spired 13th-century Fraumunster
is renowned for its distinctive stained-glass windows, designed by the
Russian-Jewish master Marc Chagall. The multicolored windows are around 10
meters high (00 41 44 221 2063; 10am-5pm daily).
BEST FOR ART
zurich’s impressive Kunsthaus, an art museum,
celebrates its 100th birthday this year. Its permanent collection
includes Alberto Giacometti stick-figure sculptures and
Swiss artist Ferdinant Hodler (00 41 44 253 8484; Heimplatz 1; Sat,Sun,Tues
10am-6pm Wed-Fri 10am-8pm; US$17).
BEST FOR THEATRE
turned from a factory into a huge
theatre with three stages, the Schiffbau
retains its industrial feel thanks to tall windows and exposed brickwork. It’s
also worth checking out the on-site jazz den, Moods, one of the city’s top
music spots (00 41 44 258 7070; prices vary).
BEST FOR WALKS to
visit the Alpine countryside for panoramic views of the city, lake and the
Alps, try the two-hour walk from Uetliberg to Felsenegg, known as Planetenweg. Trains
to uetliberg
take 20 minutes on line S10. The cable-car stops at Adliswill from where there are regular trains back to Zurich ( day pass
Us$15).
BEST FOR SHOPPING
Niederdorf
lies in the Old Town, where alleys burst with boutiques, bookshops and street
performers. Bars and nightclubs abound here too, making it a favorite spot for
night-owls (Niederdorfstrasse).
SPHERES is an intimate,
barcum-bookshop. In the mornings tuck into croissants, or enjoy little plates
of tapas in the evenings (00 41 44 440 6622; Hardturmstrasse 66; breakfast,
lunch and dinner daily; from US$16).
Sit down for cakes, chocolate andcoffee at CAFÉ SPRUNGLI,
in business since 1836. Don’t fail to check out its chocolate shop around the
corner on Paradeplatz (00 41 44 224 4711; bahnhofstrasse 21; breakfast, lunch
and dinner daily; from US$5.60 for cake).
CAFÉ ZAHRINGER serves mostly
organic food with plenty of veggie options. Dishes include pumpkin ravioli with
sage butter and wild boar with spatzlie dumplings and red cabbage (00 41 44 252
0500; Zharingerplatz 11; dinner Mon; breakfast, lunch and dinner Tue-sun; usd17
– usd30).
LES HALLES is the best place
in town to eat moules mit frites (mussels and fries). It’s one of several
chirpy bar-restaurants in formerly derelict factory buildings (00 41 44 273
1125; Pfingstweidstrasse 6; lunch and dinner, closed sun; US$24).
As you sit in the one-time corner bistro SANKT MEINRAD, you can watch the action in
the partly open kitchen run by Tobias Meinrad buholzer. Dishes include Swiss
fillet steak in cocoa-bean sauce with carrots and parsley dumplings (00 41 44
534 8277; Stauffacherstrasse 163; lunch and dinner Tue-Fri, dinner Sat, closed
Sun; US$27-US$50).
The Hotel Alexander is in the centre of the Old
Town. Rooms are pretty nondescript although the bathrooms stand out with their
huge showers (00 41 44 251 8203; Niederdorfstrasse 40; guesthotel/hotel form
US$166-US$198).
Rattan Furniture and vintage tourist posters give Hotel Seegarten a rustic Mediterranean
atmosphere helped by its proximity to the lake and the on-site restaurant
latino. Rooms afe fairly palin but cozy, and some have balconies. Breakfast is
not included (00 41 44 388 3737; Seegartenstrasse 14; US$278).
Hotel Plattenhof is in a
quiet, residential area and has low, Japanese-style beds, Moteni furniture and
walk-in showers. The dark-brown and red Sento bar offers snacks and coffee
during the day while evenings call out for cocktails (00 41 44 251 1910;
Plattenstrasse 26; US$300).
Located on the promenade overlooking Lake Zurich, the 1920s
exterior of the Steigenberger Bellerive au Lac
is mirrored inside with a floor-to-ceiling marble lobby and a wood-panelled
piano bar. The rooms have huge beds and you can unwind in the sauna and
solarium. Try to book a top-floor room for excellent lake views (00 800 784
68357; Utoquai 47; US$320).
The Romantik Hotel Florhof,
located on a cobbled lane, has a flower-filled garden and an ornamental baroque
fountain in the courtyard. The best two rooms are the twin set of suites tucked
beneath the eaves; the ‘Red’ is the larger of the two and sports a Jacuzzi (00
41 44 250 2626; Florhofgasse; US$352).
Value Hotel We stayed at Hotel Rothaus
– its rooms are pretty basic, not too big, but nice and simple with a modern
feel. The beds are very comfortable, and our room had windows to the courtyard,
so it was quiet. The staff are helpful and friendly , and there’s a little bar
within the hotel as well. On top of that, it is only about 15 minutes’ walk
from the city centre, and about 10 minutes from the train station (00 41 43 322
1050; Sihlhallenstrasse 1; from US$128).
Water Relief When you’re in Zurich in the summer, it can get
incredibly hot, and there are several fantastic places to go far a refreshing
swim. Jump into the beautiful Lake Zurich after a walk, or, within a short tram
ride of the centre, somewhere I guarantee there will be no other tourists is BAD ALLENMOOS – an oasis in the city wit ha 50-meter outdoor
pool and park-like grounds. Take tram number 11 (00 41 44 315 5000; in German;
Ringstrasse 79; daily mid-May to mid-Sep; US$6).
Through the ages forum users rate a tour through Swiss
history from prehistory to the present at the cream cake of a building that is
the Swiss National Museum (00 41 44 218 6511;
landesmuseum, museumstrasse 2; Tue-Sun; US$4).
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