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.

If you want the best vantage point in Zurich, Lindenhof is well worth the uphill walk. It takes a…read morelittle bit of effort and uphill steps to reach the top, but the payoff is immediate. The view from the terrace is genuinely breathtaking--you get a stunning look across the Limmat river, the historic church spires, and the rooftops stretching across the city. The park itself has a relaxed, peaceful vibe under the trees where you can just sit, take photos, and soak it all in. Once you're done enjoying the scenery, it's an easy, charming stroll right down into Old Town (Altstadt) to explore the alleyways, check out the local shops, and grab some good food. Definitely a must-visit spot when exploring central Zurich.

Found this Park/Scenic Location by luck! Climbed some old winding steps and wow! The view is…read morespectacular! Turns out it has a lot of history and it a great place to take picture and see a panoramic view of old town Zurich.

This park by the bridge at the mouth of Lake Zurich was a mixed bag. The plantings and walkways…read morewere beautiful and in full bloom. It has a beautiful view of the lake. It appeared to be an excellent place to stroll or bike at some other time. Everything was fenced with six foot high sharp pointed wire fences, and I mean everything, every single tree, every little garden. It looked like they were in prison. There was no shade to be enjoyed and it was a very hot day. You are not allowed under any tree. You had to stay on the hot asphalt and gravel paths, one grassy open green area and one set of stone steps by the water. We could see small cute historic wrought iron fences inside the tall newer barricades. The dumpsters in each area were covered in graffiti and overflowing. It was 90F on a Tuesday morning and they smelled. I have no idea if this was out of the ordinary or not.

Today was such a lovely day that originally I had gathered a bunch of coworkers to go get the Yelp…read moresoup at Simply Soup, but it was just too warm for hot soup today... so we opted to enjoy lunch outdoors by the lake instead. :) After munching on a chicken breast sandwich at Hafen Enge Beiz, we strolled through the Rentenwiese park to enjoy the grass, sunshine, flowers... and most importantly--head over to the ice cream stand. ;) There I spied... a new Magnum Marc De Champagne ice cream bar!! I LOVE ICE CREAM. I LOVE MAGNUM. I LOVE TRYING NEW THINGS. This was everything that I love. The lady at the stand was really nice and spoke English to me, handing me a lovely silver-wrapped Magnum to celebrate "25 years of pleasure" for CHF 3.50. Oo la la! 7% Marc de Champagne sauce + 24% milk chocolate coating + 5% outer silver coating + 0.5% alcohol = 100% deliciousness!! I really liked the crunch when I bit into the bar and tasting the creamy goodness inside. I usually don't like tasting alcohol in my sweets, but the champagne taste is quite light--almost like eating a champagne truffle--but even less so. Just enough to get a hint of champagne and all the yummy goodness of a rich Magnum ice cream. The perfect way to end lunch while enjoying the view of the beautiful snow-capped Swiss Alps across the clear blue Zurich lake. Ah...

This is my favorite place to lay outside. It's never too crowded, but I usually go on weekdays.I…read morelove that there's grass, and you can access lake Zurich from multiple locations because it kinda like a mini peninsula. There are usually some people kicking balls around or maybe playing music, but for the most part it's really relaxing and enjoyable. They even have trees all around the side if you want some shade.

This place is a little slice of heaven. The ambience is beautiful, very chilled, but I assume that…read moredepends on the time of your arrival. The service was excellent. The food was good and the view is amazing. Plenty of umbrellas overtop individual tables to provide shade. There is also a porch section, towards the bar which makes it feel like you're sitting on the porch of a beach house, while having drinks and taking in the view. I would highly recommend this place.

Stopped by here on a Wednesday afternoon right before they closed. I was glad the employees were so…read morewelcoming and kind. The scenery was beautiful and the outdoor seating felt like you were camping and about to enjoy the fresh catch of the day. The fish was crispy and delicious. I truly enjoyed the vibes, the food and the hospitality of the employees.

Awful service. Specially told 3 waitresses I have an allergy to chicken before I ordered nachos…read moreonly for them to come out with chicken buried undernieth them. I took 2 bites before I realized and had a severe allergic reaction. The staff still charged me and did not comp my meal.

I was there for a private event (brunch) but the service and food was great. The location is simply…read moregorgeous. The weather on the day I was there was brilliant and it really allowed to enjoy the beauty of the lake and the city in general. I'm looking forward to going again.

Uetliberg is a popular place to enjoy great panoramic view of Zurich. On a clear day, you can see…read moreMount Pilatus and Lucern in the distance. You can use Google Maps to guide you through the trail. There's a dirt trail that will get you up faster, but don't take that one! I hiked it after a few days of rain so it was muddy and challenging. There's another trail that's a bit longer, with switchbacks throughout. I took that one on the way down and it's so much safer than the dirt path. Definitely worth a visit if you're in Zurich.

Amazing views of the city of Zürich, Zügersee (Lake Zürich), and the Alps. Take train (S10) which…read moreruns every 30 minutes (05 & 35) then walk up the small mountain to be rewarded with stunning views. There is a restaurant, a lookout area and a separate tower at the top. The lookout area is free. The tower offers 2 levels (30 m and 72 m) of views for free. The highest level of view (900m) will cost 1 or 2 franc. From this small mountain, you can hike various paths ranging from 0.6 km to several km. I wish I had the time and the right shoes to hike one of the paths. I'm sure the experience would be well worth the effort.