Top 13 places to visit & things to do in Zurich Switzerland

Zurich Switzerland‘s industrial and financial capital, Zurich tourist attractions, perfectly portrays its history, heritage, and upscale living. On the foot of the Swiss Alps, Zurich is a perfect blend between future-forward modern city and old heritage, art and lifestyle.

Zurich is quite popular among tourists from South East Asia as the picturesque city is an excellent destination for a holiday trip, luxurious hotel, chocolates, and fashion hub.

Zurich is like an open display of dozen museums, well-preserved renaissance houses, and medieval buildings for culture and art lovers. Indulge in the history, fashion and the feeling of exploration of the city streets along the Limmat river.

Places to Visit & Things to do in Zurich Switzerland

1. Old Town & Niederdorf:

Feel the historic charm that is well-protected old town charm in the Niederdorf, Oberderdorf that is locally also referred to as “Dorfli”, where you will find pedestrian zones on the east side of the river like Limmatquai, Niderdrof with cobblestone streets, and some historical places.

You will find cafes, boutiques, and churches in the alleys and streets while taking afternoon walks. In the small streets of Niederdorf, you must try one of the roadside cafes, culinary delights and visit the souvenir shops. 

2. Frumünster Church:

This Romanesque style protestant church is a landmark in Zurich with its green copper three aisles. The name Fraumünster means the Church of our lady as it was built on the remaining abbey for aristocratic women founded by Emperor Ludwig for his daughter.

 Frumünster Church has attracted tourists not only because of its three-aisled basilica with gothic nave but the five-set of stained glass windows.

The distinctly coloured windows made by Marc Chagall in 1970 tells the tales from the bible e.g. Elijah’s ascent to heaven, scenes from christ’s life and an angel trumpeting the world. This is one of the places to visit in Zurich that you shouldn’t miss no matter what.

3. Urania Sternwarte Observatory:

This iconic historical Urania Sternwarte observatory in Lindenhoff in Zurich offers guided tours of the solar system, star clusters, interstellar clouds. It’s a distinctive architecture being made in 1907 as the first concrete-made building in Zurich is one of the unavoidable top Zurich tourist attraction places to visit.

 50m high round tower in the middle of the city offers a great view of the city and telescopic views for the moon’s crater, clouds of Jupiter.

Observe this distinctive monument in the old town of Zurich and from 1989 it is one of the city’s protected monuments, which ensure you a lifelong memory.

4. Grossmünster Church:

The distinguishing twin tower of Grossünster Church is clearly visible in the skyline. One of the main churches in Zurich, Grossmünster church is built between the 11th and 13th centuries. The twin towers were built in 1847, and you must visit the bronze gates made in 1935.

 Inside the Church, you will find sculptured Romanesque capitals, remains of gothic wall paintings, and the weathered statue of Charlemagne, the founder of the Church’s order.

5. St. Peter Zurich:

St. Peter church in Zurich and the clock tower is one of the most fascinating places to visit in Zurich with baroque architecture. St. Peter church in Zurich has the distinguishing four clock tower and is situated near Lindenhof hill.

You will be mesmerized to see the longest clock face in Europe. The dial of the clock is 8.7meter  St. Peter in Zurich is one of the four important protestant churches in Zurich. You will find four bells as you climb up to the clock tower.

You can also explore the burial ground of the city’s first mayor Rudolf Burn, and the gravestones of Leo Jud, the first reformed pastor who helped in the translation of the bible and pastor J.C.Lavator is on the church wall.

6. Wasserkirche:

Wasserkirche church is another signature historical place to visit in Zurich to get the vibe of Zurich. Just beside Grossmunster, the building was primarily used as a public library.

 Later on, Wasseriche church became a great national treasure and is considered as a Class A object for the Swiss Inventory of Cultural Property of national and regional significance. 

Wasserkirche Church is a constant reminder of the events of the past as this is the site where patron saints Felix and Regula was executed.

7. Visit the Museum of Art/ Kunsthaus Zurich:

A lodestone of Zurich for art lovers, the Museum of Art houses a great collection of  Swiss art by artists from the middle age of contemporary artists. Kunsthaus museum houses arts by swiss artists and primarily 20^th-century artist Alberto Giacometti.

 You will also find a display of international artists like van Gogh, Edvard Munch, Marc Chagall alongside the vast exhibit of swiss artists like symbolist Ferdinand Hodler, Henry Fuseli, and also contemporary swiss artists, e.g. Pipilotti Rist and Peter Fischli.

8. Promenade along Lake Zurich:

Lake Zurich along the east side of the Pfannenstiel is crescent-shaped, where you can enjoy a great promenade—starting at Bellevue and extending up to Tiefenbrunnen for three kilometres.

Enjoy the breezy walks and the scenic view over Uetilberg, where you can see hundreds of yachts if you take a walk along the east side of the Seefeld quarter. You can read What Can You Do In Lake Zurich, Switzerland here

9. Go to Summit of Uteilberg:

The green mountain in Zurich city is part of the Albis chain, and going up to the summit of the mountain to get illuminating Cityview is one of the best things to do in Zurich.

The train is available from the city centre to the summit from Haftonboh. Take S10 from SZU, and you will reach the peak in 25 minutes.

2850ft. above sea level, Uteilberg has nature trails, well-marked hiking routes and mountain biking routes if you feel adventurous and enjoy some outdoor activity. Visit Uteilberg in the fall or the month of November when it offers astounding views of the lake and city.

10. Swiss National Museum:

 Walkthrough the cultural and historical artefacts in the Swiss National Museum. You will find sections displaying and telling the stories of swiss history, interiors, furnishing in the Swiss National Museum.

 It was built to mark the 50th anniversary of the Swiss federal constitution. Get an extensive romp through Swiss history, art collection, coins in Münzkabinett, history of the banking sector in Switzerland.

11. Stop by Zurich Zoo:

Zurich zoo is one of the carefully designed zoos in the world as it is designed to meet the needs of the wildlife living there. The ecosystem and the habitat are immaculately kept for the lions animals. If you want to take a break from the congestion and chaos of the city, visit the zoo.

 More than 340 species and about 4,000 animals are presently in Zurich Zoo, which includes Emperor Penguins, Galapagos giant turtles, elephants, lions, giraffes, snow leopards.

12. Zurich West: 

Zurich West will represent the creative industrial part of the city, where you can see the reformation of this previously functioning zone for manufacturing. The highlight attraction of Zurich West is Viadukt.

The unique style of this repurposed railway will give you a major style shock with its restaurant’s bars. You can have memorable photoshoots and enjoyment in the neighbourhood.

13. Shopping in Bahnhofstrasse:

From the main railway station towards Zurich, Lake Bahnhofstrasse is the world’s one of most expensive shopping destinations. For fashion enthusiasts and bloggers, this main street downtown Zurich is a must-visit to spend some time admiring and collecting some fun fashion items while visiting Zurich

If you plan a Europe trip and Zurich is on your bucket, it’s better to put two to three days aside for this enriched, expensive city. If you want to cover the top tourist attractions in Zurich in one day, you must visit the Altdast, shop in Bahnhofstrasse, Zurich lake the museums, enjoy the city view up Uteilberg and enjoy the vibe of one of the most glamorous cities in the world.

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