Walking tour of Zurich? How about a free 2 hour walking tour of Zurich? Now you're talking…read more
Met at 11am on a Monday when all the museums were closed, at the Credit Suisse in the Paradeplatz, one of the world's most expensive and exclusive shopping areas. Must have been at least 100 people there. Fortunately about 20 peeled off for the Spanish speaking tour.
Julian was our guide, a great story teller with an abundance of jokes.
At the Fraumünster church, we discovered tiny hieroglyphics carved into the stones. This was to keep track of which artisan packed which stones into the structure, for pay purposes.
We stop by a statue of a burgermeister, condemned to death not for killing dogs, but for raising taxes!
We wander through St Peter Church - one of the four main churches in Zurich whose clock face is the largest in all of Europe;
We check out the restaurant where famous painters as Picasso, Chagall, Giacometti paid for their food with their own paintings. The restaurant owners sold the paintings right away, instead of keeping them until they appreciated in value.
Next, we check out the house where Lenin was living before returning to Russia, leading the 1917 revolution.
We go along the Limmatquai with many buildings dating from the days of the rich Guilds that governed Zurich. We wander through the Lindenhof and Roman Baths - the historical site of a Roman castle situated on a hillside, with great views of Old Town.
Did you know that Albert Einstein and 20 Nobel Prize winners were students at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology?
At the end of the 2 hour free tour Julian poses with a group for Facebook picture under "Free walk Zurich", passes out postcards with the logo, and collects tips, once again at the Paradeplatz.
With 100 people, and an average of CHF3 per tip per person, Julian is a walking piggy bank, and takes no chances with his travel bag, now heavy with CHF bills. He walks only a few steps to make an in person deposit at the nearest bank! Or does he keep part of the stash hidden from the authorities?