We love to travel Europe by Train………the Global Eurorail Pass allows the freedom to explore where and when you want….
We decided to take the train across Switzerland and enjoy this beautiful country…
As we approached Zurich and this is what we saw out the window, we knew we were in for a real treat……..
The city was beautiful and pristine………..
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in north-central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich.
turiThe municipality has approximately 390,000 inhabitants, and the Zurich metropolitan area 1.83 million. Zurich is a hub for railways, roads, and air traffic.
Both Zurich Airport and railway station are the largest and busiest in the country.
The Train Station is clean, organized and beautiful….
Permanently settled for around 2000 years, the history of Zurich goes back to its founding by the Romans, who, in 15 BC, called it Turicum.
However, early settlements have been found dating back more than 6400 years ago. During the Middle Ages Zurich gained the independent and privileged status of imperial immediacy and, in 1519, was the place of origin and center of the Protestant Reformation in German-speaking Switzerland, led by Ulrich Zwingli.
Zurich is a leading global city and among the world’s largest financial centers.
The city is home to a large number of financial institutions and banking giants. Also, most of the research and development centers are concentrated in Zurich and the low rate of tax attracts overseas companies to set up their headquarters there.
Monocle’s 2012 “Quality of Life Survey” ranked Zurich first on a list of the top 25 cities in the world. According to several surveys from 2006 to 2008, Zurich was named the city with the best quality of life in the world as well as the wealthiest city in Europe.
We could believe that as we had our coffee on the Limmat River, which flows through downtown…
……..and Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate……….EVERYWHERE….
The people were all so happy and friendly, the city filled with nooks and crannies ……
We loved wandering this beautiful city and enjoying all the fountains..
We had lunch at Restaurant Schipfe on the banks of the Limmat River, can you imagine a river running through a major city in the United States …………this clean!
The people at the restaurant were all so friendly… and the food divine…
After lunch we continued to explore Marvelous Zurich…..
We visited the Fraumünster Church built on the remains of a former abbey for aristocratic women which was founded in 853 by Louis the German for his daughter Hildegard.
He endowed the Benedictine convent with the lands of Zurich, Uri, and the Albis forest, and granted the convent immunity, placing it under his direct authority.
Today, it belongs to the Swiss Reformed Church.
The Windows were designed by Marc Chagall and installed in 1970…..
I loved the décor in our hotel, the Ibis Zurich West ………the bar and the restaurant…..
….but with all wonderful trips…………it is time to MOOve on……
Related articles
- Zurich travel – enjoyable experience for solo travelers (nukaburt.wordpress.com)
- Zurich my gateway (livesadventure.wordpress.com)
- Zurich Travel – Enjoyable Experience for Solo Woman Travelers (nukaburt.wordpress.com)
Tales and Travels of the Tinman 
Good post. Beautiful country.
Thank you, it is a most beautiful country.
Dear Tin Man! So far this is my favorite report, hands down. This post has got everything: Cheese! Cows! Cobblestones! Stained Glass! Sunsets! And Dashing Super Star Globe Trekkers! Chocolate! I needed this break. Thank you. YES. I keep scrolling up and down. The Chagall windows are incredible. As always, I love your sequencing. Your meal (with the tiny potatoes?) at the Restaurant Schipfe works so well with your shot of the banks of the Limmat River. Seamless. I also love the fountain. Adding Zurich to my list. Thanks for the push! Big hugs, T. (I’m still thinking about the chocolate. . .)
We had a grand time. I was a bit taken aback at the price difference between Switzerland and its surrounding neighbors.
Of course. Why wouldn’t there be a street named after dear Augustine. Zurich has all the wonderful C words – cheese and chocolate .. and?? cows?? Of course again. Cows – cream.. another C word. Chagall windows!! What a thrilling experience. I do like everything crisp and tidy and Zurich (with all those $$) is an exciting city to swan around. It’s 7 pm and Lar has just returned from a day of climbing. Those tiny potatoes have inspired me. I’m off to the garden to run ram-pet through the potato field and dig up the little darlings XX V.
I cannot believe Lar goes out climbing! He makes me feel so lazy! Yes, Switzerland is quite the expensive country to visit, we were a bit surprised. I hope you found some wonderful potatoes to cook up. My favorite place in Switzerland was Bern.
Reminds me I have not been too long: fabulous photo collection – you should get a prize from the Swiss Tourist authorities . . .
You are so very kind! Thank you so much for those words.
Ok, guilt led me here…I’ve been off the main blog radar for too many weeks and needed a holiday to recharge. This is a fab post! I was trying to figure out where in Switzerland to visit first since we aren’t too far (driving distance) but you mention how much you like the train. We might have to look into that too. Did you see any youngsters on your train rides?
lol…………..I KNEW it would work!!! I would suggest the train from Zurich – Bern – Geneve or vice versa. The travel times are comfortable, the views spectacular and the train very comfortable (first class) I saw children and the trains are not packed so easy to travel. We stayed in the Ibis Hotels in each city (the ones nearest the center) and found them very comfortable and near trams, trolley, metro, etc. Bern was our most favorite city, small, easy to walk and so very interesting. Thanks for coming by, I have missed you!!!
LARGE sigh! I visited Zurich once and once only, in 1956. That is so long ago I have forgotten everything — with one exception, which has stayed with me to this very day.
Zurich was the place where I first discovered and tasted —– LINDT chocolate!
I’m happy to see the rest of the modern city, thanks to your wonderful post!
Oh my, so much chocolate! 🙂
Yes, just wonderful!!