Niederdorf is the area of Zurich across the Limmat river from Lindenhof and Schipfe. It's more…read moretouristy in terms of shopping and there is more of a nightlife in this area. Unfortunately, that means it is also more expensive. It's definitely an area to check out, and is not too far from the old town hall, Grossmuenster cathedral, University of Zurich, or a couple of museums. 80/2025

Located in old town Zurich, this is a wonderful place to walk around and look at the shops, eat…read moredinner, grab a drink, and see some local landmarks. With plenty of restaurants, you are bound to find a place with good food and great atmosphere! The options are endless. Multiple shops line the street, from designer labels, to old antique shops that sell Swiss knives. The old river runs along side the street, as well as some popular church's, including the Grossmünster Church. The area has beautiful architecture, and during the holiday season, is lined with Christmas lights. As we walked along, we enjoyed window shopping, ending with a good dinner. Definitely a good way to spend the evening.

We arrived a few days early for our July 2019 Collette 9 day tour of Alpine lakes and Scenic…read moreTrains, spending the time self touring Zurich, Switzerland. Much of the time at various museums, but found time to walk to Lake Zurich. Big vast blue mountain lake on the edge of one of the most expensive cities in Europe. Snow covered peaks of the Alps in the background. Fancy promenade for walking around the parks full of gardens that line the Lake. Water fountain in one area, spewing a geyser of water high in the sky. Bridges and wooden towers line the river full of ducks quaking for a handout. On the opposite side is a lake shore walkway. They have a high dive tower in the summer, where dare devils jump off the 30 foot tower into the deep cold waters of the Lake below. A local band is playing. When they see that I'm recording a few seconds of music, one of the performers stops me afterward, asking if I would like to buy a CD of their music. Trying to get hustled again. Not many Asians in Zurich, and no way for me to hide that I was a tourist. As our tour leader, Marion Roy said, this was the first time she had seen a senior Chinese tourist in shorts and sandals. But she had never been to California in the summer nor Hawaii.

Loved it here. Spent a Sunday afternoon just reading my book on one of the benches. Water is really…read moreclean, which makes the whole setting really nice. Beautiful view of everything.

Of all the used bike sales and bike auctions I've been to, this was by far the best --- and,…read moresurprisingly, the mellowest. Need a basic used city bike for getting to class and back? CHF 150. Want something simple to leave at the train station? CHF 100. Want an almost-new commuter with a working generator and V-brakes? CHF 400. Want a nicer bike for weekend rides? Well, that's a little trickier... Test rides are easy --- bring an ID to leave with the gatekeeper, and pop across the street for a few minutes. Checkout couldn't be simpler (as long as you bring cash) --- each bike has the no-haggle price on a form, along with the owner's name. You take the bike to the checkout stand, pay your money, and get your receipt; the operators deal with giving the money to the seller, so you don't need to wait for them to make change. No cards accepted, though --- so bring plenty of large bills, so nobody beats you to a good bike while you're at the Bancomat. I was looking for a good heavy-duty commuter for my wife, and a nice mountain bike for Altberg (and occasionally Üetliberg). The first one was easy --- quickly narrowed it down to a few, and picked a good one. The mountain bike was more of a stretch --- there were a few around, but several were too large, one was too downhill-oriented (I can live without three chainrings, but do need two), and many, many were too old (I'm trading up from a late-90s steel hardtail --- I don't need another). Did eventually find a 2005 Specialized FSR that had been pressed into city duty --- it's back in the mud and woods now.

I've ridden funiculars in Paris, Santiago…read morehttps://www.yelp.com/biz/funicular-santiago?hrid=3MQbf-z1mZ0YI2yaEHqOww, Porto, https://www.yelp.com/biz/funicular-dos-guindais-porto?hrid=p8mBuupTw8wfxJBP4NpWcg, Bilbaohttps://www.yelp.com/biz/funicular-de-artxanda-bilbao-3?hrid=hmbNvBc8ogW1jtU-OhPk8Q, and Pittsburgh https://www.yelp.com/biz/monongahela-incline-pittsburgh?hrid=xqDMRikx8G0Ub2VXJaNPoA. They're fun and interesting and a bit of a step back to simpler times. I had the opportunity to ride the Polybahn in Zürich which is a quick half kilometer ride from Central Square to the Polyterrasse of the ETH Zürich. The train is owned by the UBS AG banking group but operated on their behalf by the Verkehrsbetriebe Zürich who run the city's tram network. Easy enough to board, ride and enjoy. It's over quick, so be ready! [Review 16479 overall - 28 in Switzerland - 1987 of 2021.]

Cute little Standseilbahn (cable-balanced car system, like a diagonal elevator). Not a long ride,…read morebut a pretty one. No longer directly powered by buckets of water, sadly. Useful if you're headed up the hill to ETH --- makes a nice change of pace from the trams, which have a much more roundabout route, but run more frequently.

Schipfe is an area just below the Lindenhof Hill and runs along the Limmat river. It's a quaint…read morearea of homes and boutique type shops, including restaurants. It's quieter than the more touristy Niederdorf. Totally worth your time if you're looking to slow down and wander aimlessly...you never know what you'll find! 79/2025

Unlike Bahnhofstrasse, Schipfe was the apple of my eye in Zürich. If you are short on time, this…read moredistrict is so much more worthy of your time than the upscale shopping district. Schipfe is one of the oldest areas of the city and you can see that in the cobblestone streets and quaint shops and restaurants that line the streets that run alongside the River Limmat. Both ATs and spent a few hours sauntering the streets (and getting a good workout from keeping our balance on the cobblestones and running up stone steps to get better views of the city) and running around Lindenhof, a public square bordering Schipfe to the west. There were multiple restaurants that we wanted to try but the popular ones had very high foot traffic and with the time change and our tot's schedule, we did not have the luxury of time. We did get to stop in traditional toy shops, where I poked around but ultimately did not find anything begging me to take it home. If little AT would've been the one to decide, we would probably have hauled back half of the inventory to Atlanta. The three of us loved Zürich (in fact, I wouldn't mind spending some time living there, but the cost of living is crazy high) and I know that we will be back. At that point, I am confident that our little one's schedule will be more pliant and we plan on trying some of the romantic eateries in this quarter dating back to (possibly before) the mid-Bronze age.

Bellevue was for me the destination on the number 9 tram that we took from lunch and is closest to…read moreSechseläutenplatz where the largest of the Christmas markets is held in Zürich. This is a busy spot in the old town with quite a bit of traffic from bicycles, cars and trams. The Quaibrücke is the first bridge over the Limmat and one that is open to vehicular traffic. This is a major intersection and interchange for the 2, 4, 5, 8, 9, 11 and 15 tram lines as well as the regional bus lines 912 and 916. There are of course automated ticket kiosks here, a water fountain, a kiosk convenience store, a coffee shop and public (paid) toilets. [Review 16482 overall - 31 in Switzerland - 1990 of 2021.]

A real gem of a spot in the city center of Zurich…read more I stop by Bellevue just about every chance I get, whether it's for lunch at Globus, ice cream at Movenpick, a cup of coffee at Starbucks, grabbing a quick bratwurst at Sternen Grill, or just strolling along the waterfront feeding the beautiful white swans that are always lingering around the water's edge. The splash water fountain in the square attracts lots of little children during those warm sunny days while tourists, students, bankers, men and women, young and old, lounge around the grounds of the open square soaking up the sun, eating, drinking, chatting, napping. The Opera House and Lake Zurich in the back drop is always a pleasant sight. Just be careful when you cross the street. There are trams, buses, cars, bicycles all comin' at ya from all directions. Yet I always manage to find peace and relaxation amongst the hustle and bustle of this major public transportation hub.

It's the viewing terrace on the hill in front of ETH Zurich University. You can either drive up to…read moreit, or take the Polybahn funicular. It's where local residents, students, and tourists gather to view the beautiful cityscape. We visited it on a Sunday morning. It appeared to be a good time as there were only about 10 people there. There was plenty of room to soak in the view, and the sounds of the church bells ringing. The best part is that it's free to the public. Another cool & free thing to do up here is to visit Einstein's locker at ETH. There is also FocusTerra for anyone who is into science & physics as well as the Natural History Museum. You could probably spend a whole morning or evening around this area. It was a very scenic view on an observation area surrounded by chestnut trees in Autumn. A lovely experience!

After riding the Polybahn to get here, we wandered out onto the Polyterrassee for the amazing view…read moreof Zürich old town. The huge building behind was constructed in 1864 and the University of Zürich 50 years later. We were fortunate to find the space almost completely deserted and at the furthest corner, enjoyed an amazing panoramic view of this beautiful city. From Zürich all the way to the skyscrapers and with the mountains in the background. This spot is perfect for picnicking, sunbathing (not in late November!) or just enjoy the fantastic view of the city. [Review 16480 overall - 29 in Switzerland - 1988 of 2021.]