Kunsthaus Zürich is free on Wednesdays, for those who are looking at visiting, and it just happened…read moreto be the day we were in town. A few tips and tricks for those visiting: They ask you leave your backpacks and purses downstairs in the provided lockers. The elevator system isn't great, and will always stop at the lobby, no matter what you push, so it's a time consuming process to use it. The restrooms look like they should be pull doors, but they're actually push. It's the oddest thing and the honey and I were both tripped up by it. Overall, we both really enjoyed the museum, much more than the famous Prado, and would highly recommend stopping in if you're visiting Zurich, especially if it happens to be a Wednesday.

This museum is pretty pricey, and it is not included in the museums one can see with the…read moreMuseumpass/Swiss Travel Pass. It is free on Wednesdays, but that does not include entry to special exhibitions. What makes things worse is that roughly half the collection is currently closed due to a fire. So you're just left with Impressionism and newer stuff. The Impressionist collection is decent at least.

Yelp Review 2026 #53:…read more My first visit to Fraumunster, I didn't even bother going in. I just took pictures of the 4 iconic and most photographed churches in Zurich. I revisited Zürich recently and this time, I checked out the Marc Chagall windows. As an art history buff, I owed myself a visit here even though Chagall isn't my favorite. He's a very important part of art history. He's known for his use of bold and vivid use of colors. He dabbled in painting, stained glass, ceramics, set design, etc. Other notable stained glass creations in Fraumunster include those by Heston, and Giacometti. It costs 5CHF (at time of writing) to enter - which is cheap by Swiss standards. You can't buy tickets in advance or online. Be sure to check their hours. There's a small crypt museum which was only opened to the paying public after renovations in 2016. There's a lot of text to read to learn more about the church. An excerpt: "The Fraumünster was founded in 853 by King Louis "the German", a grandson of Charlemagne. The royal abbey was built on a site which had still been flooded by Lake Zurich until not long before. According to the founding legend, the king doubted whether the location was suitable, whereupon a rope descended from the heavens to mark the construction site, a sign which allayed Louis' concerns."

We had been told by our guide the Fraumünster was free, which was inaccurate - it's $5 for adults…read moreand ended up dropping in before we left Zurich. Is the space pretty? Yes. Is it worth a special trip? No. There are about 4-5 different stained glass windows and while it's very relaxing and unique to a degree, there just isn't much to see and the air quality really isn't great. All in all, if you're in the area, have 10 minutes to spare, and don't mind the fee I'd say go for it, but otherwise (especially if you have allergies) you're not missing much by skipping it.

This hill is located in the the oldest part of Zurich (near Schipfe). It was once a Celtic…read moresettlement and then it became a Roman fort. The stone wall of the fort is what you see today. There's more history there that is still being uncovered. Some items found around the Lindenhof date back to the 1st century BC. Today, it's a large park with incredible views of Zurich and the Limmat River. We saw groups of people playing boules in the grassy area on a Sunday, as well as people playing chess. There's a fountain in the middle of the square that pays homage to Hedwig's women who wore battle gear to defend the city during the seige of Zurich in 1292. It's worth seeking out as it can be quite peaceful up there even though it's a tourist hot spot. The walk up the somewhat steep pathway and steps to get there from the city center is worth it. I've read that there is an elevator for those with mobility issues, but I didn't see one. There are benches as well as places to sit along the wall. It's shady and breezy up there. A great place to relax and enjoy the view.

This was a part of a self guided walking tour recommended by our hotel; we only had one night in…read moreZurich and wanted to see what we could without overdoing it. We stayed at a hotel on the other side of the river and walked across a lovely bridge to get here. You start at the bottom of the hill where there is a one lane road. While there are cars (or were, when we visited), mostly there are pedestrians and bicyclists. The lane is full of little shops and restaurants all vying for your attention and money. Eventually you come to a wide and tall (long) staircase going up. At the top is what is considered Lindenhof Hill, a quaint park with gorgeous views across the river and towards Lake Zurich. There is a fountain and old pumping station, as well as some Roman artifacts. It's a nice park to just sit and take in the views, or play a game of giant chess/checkers. The streets are all narrow in this area, but once you leave the hill, you need to find Thermengasse. It is a covered pedestrian walkway with grating for a walkway. Underneath the grating is an exposed archeological dig of a Roman heating system. There is signage throughout the passageway telling you all about it. As night began to fall, we made our way around the area, just taking everything all in. We ended up by the Fraumuenster church and walked across the Muenster bridge towards the Niederdorf area. If we had had more time, we would have explored the area more, but we were happy with the highlights we did see. It was a nice little introduction to the city. 78/2025

Old Town Zurich is perfect for wandering. Narrow historic streets, interesting architecture, and…read morelots of small restaurants and bars. It has a great energy and feels lively without being chaotic. A really enjoyable part of the city to explore on foot.

The archaeological evidence suggest that there were settlements around Lake Zurich some 6,000 years…read moreago. Neolithic and Bronze age artifacts have been discovered in the Zurich area. In more recent times the Roman Empire included a fortress on what is now the Limmat river which runs through Zurich in 15 BC. At that time the Romans called Zurich "Turicum".It is also note worthy that Zurich was the primary center of the Protestant Reformation in Europe in 1519. The Old Town (Altstadt) reflects the Medieval and Renaissance period very well with housing style, contorted cobble stone streets, it's guilds and Rathaus (Town Hall). The three notable churches in Old Town are Grossmuster, a 12th century church and site of the Reformation in Switzerland, Fraumunster, a church originally built in 874 AD and today boasts stain glass windows by Giacometti and Marc Chagall, and finally Peterskirche which has the largest clockface in Europe. The Old Town has a walkway which takes you along the Limmat river, There are museums, public parks, restaurants and cafes, public markets and cruise offerings to Lake Zurich. Switzerland is probably the most expensive country in Europe and if you are a tourist from the USA, the prices are going to shock you. Hamburgers start at $28 dollars

It's the square or promenade in front of Lake Zurich near the dock. This is where you can take a…read morescenic boat tour of the lake. It's also a great place to walk and soak in the views of it. My favorite part of the experience was watching the swans and ducks on what looks like an old boat ramp. They look so majestic while sunbathing after a swim. There's a sculpture on the terrace of Ganymede in a scene described as "The Abduction to Olympus" in Greek mythology. It was sculpted by Hermann Hubacher in 1952. The eagle in the sculpture represents Zeus. I thought it looked more elegant when viewing it from below the terrace. This is also where you can find the farmers market on Tuesday & Friday as well as a flea market on Saturday. Although, I believe they may have recently moved to the Münsterhof (Oct 2025) due to construction in the area. Check the website just to be sure. We walked down Bahnhofstrasse to get here. You can also take Fraumünsterstrasse to get here as well depending on where you are in the city. Take that short or long boat excursion if you have the time so that you can see all the sights on Lake Zurich. It's all worth it.

We had amazing boat lake tour on Lake Zurich. They have long and short lake tours so you can…read morechoose. We saw a lot of ducks and swans on the lake, beautiful homes along the lake and beautiful fountain. It was very relaxing and beautiful boat ride.

It's the medieval square in front of the Fraumünster Church. This large square was once the…read morecourtyard of the abbey. We visited on a Sunday morning. The area in front of the church had rows of tables that were being set up for a lovely post-service lunch gathering for its parishioners. How cool is that? Actually, the tables may have been in front of the Grossmünster now that I look back at it. Either way, it's cool that they even do that. We crossed over the bridge to this square after taking in the views of the Grossmünster. It's a major gathering place in Zurich's Old Town. There were many locals having brunch at the cafés, and tourists learning about the history of the square and the guild houses around it. The Münster Fountain was particularly impressive. What's cool is that these fountains provide excellent drinking water. There's an area with a tap where you can fill up a pitcher or water bottle. It appears that Winston Churchill was here in 1946. There is a plaque commemorating his "United States of Europe" speech at the University of Zurich. It's in front of the guild house called "Zunfthaus zur Meisen" where he visited during his time here. It's a part of the city that shouldn't be missed. You're going to pass through it anyway to get to the Fraumünster and to Lindenhof Hill. It's worth it just to walk along the cobblestone streets of Old Town.

The square area surrounding the Fraumunster, often the sight of local events including their annual…read moreChristmas market. Off the square you will find lovely cobblestone streets to lose yourself in as you take in the local flavors and feasts for the senses.

It's kind of interesting that this street was once named after a ditch of frogs (Fröschengraben)…read more Well, actually the frogs lived in a moat along the defensive wall that surrounded Old Town Zurich prior to 1864. That moat would eventually become a major street connecting the train station to Lake Zurich. Currently, it is considered to be one of the most exclusive & expensive shopping boulevards in the world. It's Switzerland's Fifth Avenue or Champs-Élysées. Honestly, I had no idea until our tour brought us here. All I can say is that this is a designer shopper's paradise. We walked along this ritzy street to get to the Bürkliplatz for a beautiful view of Lake Zurich. It was just nice to see the architecture and history here. There were many public art sculptures and cafés. We were there during the autumn season. I've read that this area is best seen during the winter months when they string up the "Lucy" lights all along the area. They are named after the "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds" song from the Beatles. It looks amazing in pictures. So, is it as beautiful as the Champs-Élysées? No, but it has its own charm. I'm sure it looks very magical at night. Maybe it's the view of the tram cables over the street that makes it feel like a busy railway. Although, I didn't see any traffic. Then again, the street is aptly named "Bahnhofstrasse" for a reason.

The Zurich Bahnhofstrasse has maybe a less catchy name than others but still represents the most…read morebeautiful shopping boulevard in the world and easily beats Rodeo Drive in Los Angeles or the Champs Élysées in Paris. There is nothing that can compete with the wide open space, the relaxing atmosphere in combination with the ultimate concentration of luxury stores.

Can't miss this church walking along the river. Inside is the usual high high ceilings, reliefs,…read moreand some stellar stained glass. It's about 3 meters to the top- (about $3) tickets available on site - no rez required. Stairs! First level a killer, you & your backpack will have a hard time navigating the tiny twisty stairs. Thankfully, there's a couple rest stops, one even has chairs by the windows, bring a book- or rest- pretending to be looking for something in your bag. There are eight windows on top with stunning views. Minus one star because they closed off the balconies, making it impossible to see past the 4' + decorative concrete barrier, except for snippets through the medallions. All in all, a worthwhile stop, but photographers will have to look for another vantage point.

The Grossmünster is a show stopper! We were walking along the river and I had to find a way to walk…read moreover there! Inside is gorgeous! They offer a tour inside, and walk-ins are welcome. You can walk inside and look (free of charge) at the first level of the church.

As Jeani K. mentioned, the Stadthaus is where the 'welcome to ZH' events (one for Germans & one for…read morethe rest of us) are located. For those of us on the 'other end' of our CH experience, the Stadthaus is also where one 'de-registers' from Swiss life. One brings one's Kreisbüro ID along with formal ID to one of few 'Abmeldung' lines located on the ground floor to start the ball rolling. Be prepared to be sent to a couple different offices during the Abmeldung process. The first office deals with taxes. If one hasn't yet paid taxes before exiting CH, then that transaction will take place then and there. The last stop was to obtain an official paper showing that one will be leaving the country and it is used to cancel insurance, phone service, etc. De-registering sets one back 30 CHF per person. Cash or card accepted. We had absolutely no issues with our Abmeldung process. Staff were professional and helpful. It's nice to have a smooth send off!

I came to the Stadthaus (City Hall) a couple of nights ago to attend an information evening for new…read moreEnglish speaking residents of Zurich. The session was hosted by the City of Zurich's Integration department inside the Stadthaus 3rd floor music hall. Upon walking into the entrance of the building, I was pleasantly surprised by the beautifully designed interior full of old world charm. The 3rd floor music hall was elegant and delightful as well with full view of the Grossmünster, Münsterbrücke, and the Limmat River below. I loved the details of the music hall such as the painted ceiling murals, the Latin inscribed gilded wooden tablets and the 12 foot wrought iron chandeliers. The info session was useful but I'm even more glad to have had a chance to see and experience the interior of this charming historical building.