I was in Zürich for a very short time. Had a 7 hour layover, so we decided to check out the city…read morecenter for a while. Mainly just walking around, exploring the side streets, grabbing a bite to eat. When we came across the Platzspitz Promenade, we decided to check it out for hell of it and it didn't seem so bad, considering there were some parts of the city that seemed a little sketchy. But it was during the month of May so everything was pretty lush and the weather was pretty decent for that time of year. It was mainly just something to check out while seeing what the city was about. When it came to potentially getting souvenirs though, a lot of the stores were expensive, so we opted out of that one.

I think this place used to be called needlepoint park because of all the junkies. But that time is…read morenow gone, and it's nice for a stroll by the river and museum. I like looking at ths swans swimming in the river. I came for a free jazz concert last weekend with some friends, and it attracted a small crowd of people hanging out on the grass in the dark. I'm not particularly fond of jazz, but it was still interesting to check out a live band.

CHF 8 entry, with 2 sides (co-ed and women only). You can sit on the dock and swim in the shallow…read moresquare swimming area or dive off into the rest of the lake. There is a counter to order food and coffee on both sides. It was very crowded - less so on the women's side, but very hard to find a place to sit on the weekend! Overall a nice swimming area.

Ok, I came for my first lunch swim today, and NOW I know what all the hype is about. The left side…read moreis only for women, and the right side is co-ed. CHF 7 lets you in... but we got discount tickets at CHF 3 from my company. :) The bar sells food and drinks, or you can bring your own picnic. A free pitcher of water with plastic cups was laid out on a small table. There is a changing room to hang your clothes, and we laid out our towels in the last bit of shade. No one except little fish actually swim in the little square of water in the middle of the platform. We went out into the lake and swam to one of the floating platforms. The water was a bit chilly at first, but it was a nice contrast to the hot sun. Afterwards, we rinsed off at the outdoor shower and then laid out in the sun to dry before heading back to the office. What a fabulous way to spend lunch! :)

Well worth the visit - Zurich Zoo is more of a conservation project than zoo. A 10-15 minute drive…read morefrom downtown, the Zoo is situated on a terraced slope so you have several small hills to navigate. The Zoo stretches over a fairly large park with smaller focused areas with animal specific regions. Signage is pretty good plus they give you a map. There is a very impressive atrium, Masoala Rainforest, with lush tropical vegetation, animals and a waterfall. There is also a canopy top observation point accessible via a circular staircase. They have zebras, giraffes, elephants (to name a few) in large indoor and outdoor spaces. There is an aquarium area, with penguins, plus petting areas with goats and kid friendly zones. There is also a little train that you can ride around to see some of the exhibits. Definitely worth the trip, allow 3-4 hours minimum if you want to see most of the exhibits.

Great place to spend a few hours on a nice day. I visited with my husband and three kids. We…read morepurchased the family pass for 73 CHF which admitted two adults and as many of your own kids, age 6-15, as you have. This worked out to be about 20 CHF cheaper than individual tickets. We purchased at the ticket booth but you can also save a little more by purchasing online. Prices are on par with any big city zoo I've ever been to. This zoo is large, clean and well thought out. There are childrens play areas spread throughout. The animal enclosures are, for the most part, large with spaces for the animals to get away from the crowds. There is plenty of shade throughout the zoo. We drove here and found paid street parking easily. There is public transportation nearby and also a place to park your bicycles.