© Lonely Planet Publications 194 www.lonelyplanet.com ZÜRICH •• Orientation 195 ORIENTATION Zürich is on the northern bank of Zürichsee 01 BECOMES 044 (Lake Zurich) with the Limmat River run- The Zürich telephone prefix has changed Zürich ning further north still, splitting the medi- from 01 to 044, but parallel dialling will eval city centre in two. The narrow streets operate until 31 March 2007. Before then, of the Niederdorf quarter on the river’s old Zürich numbers starting with 01 can eastern bank is crammed with noisy bars still be dialled. From April 2007, however, and restaurants; down the western bank try changing 01 to 044 – or search for a Zürich is a city whose reputation precedes it – and does it a complete disservice, trashes runs the expensive Bahnhofstrasse and new number. The prefix 043 is also used its name, gives it a good kicking. A boring banking capital? ‘Zu Reich’ (too rich), business- other shopping streets. The main Haupt- in the region. minded and uptight? The spotless Singapore of Europe? If Switzerland’s largest metropolis bahnhof (train station) is at the northern once lived down to those dull descriptions, it certainly no longer does. end of Bahnfhofstrasse. Tourist information ZÜRICH Contemporary Zürich might still be home to the world’s fourth-biggest stock exchange INFORMATION Zürich Tourism (Map p202 ; %044 215 40 00; www Bookshops .zuerich.com; Hauptbahnhof; h8am-8.30pm Mon-Sat, and remain Switzerland’s financial engine, but it’s also (whisper it softly) surprisingly vibrant ZÜRICH Orell Füssli (Map p202 ; %0848 849 848; Bahnhofstrasse 8.30am-6.30pm Sun May-Oct; 8.30am-7pm Mon-Sat, 9am- and trendy. Located on a picturesque river and lake whose water you can drink, easy to 70; h9am-8pm Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm Sat) Has an English- 6.30pm Sun Nov-Apr) Offers excellent city walking tours get around and a stranger to the hassled lifestyle that defines bigger cities, this affluent, language section. and sells mountain day-trips. fashion-conscious place enjoys the finest things in life. Travel Book Shop (Map p202 ; %044 252 38 83; Rindermarkt 20; h1-6pm Mon, 9am-6.30pm Tue-Fri, SIGHTS Hundreds of new bars, restaurants and clubs have opened since the late 1990s and, 9am-6pm Sat) English guidebooks and maps. Churches since its Street Parade overtook London’s Notting Hill Carnival, Zürich now hosts Europe’s The 13th-century Fraumünster (Map p202 ; Mün- sterhof; h9am-6pm May-Sep, 10am-5pm Mar, Apr & Oct, largest annual street party. Its former industrial quarter brims with nightlife venues catering Discount Card ZürichCard (per 24/72hr Sfr15/30) Available from the 10am-4pm Nov-Feb) is renowned for its distinc- to a youngish crowd, and this happening ‘Züri-West’ district has the same buzz as Berlin’s tourist office and the airport train station, this tive stained-glass windows, designed by the Prenzlauerberg or Mitte. The infamous ‘gnomes’, as the British like to call Zürich’s bankers, provides free public transport, free museums’ admission then elderly Russian–Jewish artist Marc are still here, but sometimes they can astonish you by whizzing by on a Segway scooter. and more. Chagall in 1967. The three main windows are, from left to Fortunately, the city’s Protestant modesty saves it from ever becoming too schmicki- Emergency right, the blue ‘Jacob’ window, with a ladder micki (chi-chi). With church steeples rising against a backdrop of hills and mountains, the Police station (Map p202 ; %044 216 71 11; to heaven; the green ‘Christ’ window, featur- Bahnhofquai 3) medieval old town will also appeal to traditionalists. ing Mary, Joseph and the infant Jesus; and the yellow ‘Zion’ window depicting King David Internet Access and Bathsheba being trumpeted into New Je- HIGHLIGHTS E-café.ch Urania (Map p202 ; %044 210 33 11; rusalem. Additionally, the red-toned window Urania strasse 3; per hr Sfr15; h7.30am-11pm Mon-Fri, on the left wall features various ‘Prophets’, Genuflecting before Marc Chagall’s stained- 8.30am-11pm Sat, 10am-10pm Sun) Surf, type and print while the ‘Law’ window opposite has Moses glass windows in the Fraumünster documents or connect your laptop here (Swiss-only power looking down on a disobedient people. ( opposite ) points, p313 ). The window near the main exit of the Admiring the Alberto Giacometti stick Quanta (Map p202 ; Limmatquai 94, im Niederdorf; per church is by Augusto Giacometti. figures, Dada and other modern art in hr Sfr10, min charge Sfr5; h9am-midnight) Fairly noisy, More of Augusto Giacometti’s work is on Zürich’s Kunsthaus ( p197 ) but central. show across the river in the twin-towered Grossmünster (Map p202 ;h9am-6pm daily mid-Mar– Sipping a hot schoggi (chocolate) and stock Medical Services Oct, 10am-5pm Nov–mid-Mar, tower closed Sun morning up on delicious souvenirs at Café Schober Café Schober Fraumünster Cantonal University Hospital (Map pp196-7 ; %044 mid-Mar–Oct & all Sun Nov–mid-Mar). This landmark ( p205 ) Kunsthaus 255 11 11; Rämistrasse 100) For emergency medical and cathedral was founded by Charlemagne in Heading to a waterfront bar ( p198 ) in Waterfront Bars dental help, ring %044 261 61 00. the 9th century. But more importantly it’s summer, either on Lake Zürich or the Bellevue Apotheke (Map p202 ; %044 252 56 00; where preacher Huldrych Zwingli (1484– Limmat River Theaterstrasse 14) A 24-hour chemist. 1531) began speaking out against the Catholic Taking a train up Uetliberg ( p208 ) for Church in the 16th century, and thus brought excellent hiking or panoramic views Post the Reformation and Protestantism’s sober Hauptbahnhof post office (Map p202 ; lifestyle to Zürich. Today, you can climb the Uetliberg h7.30am-6.30pm Mon-Fri, 7.30-11am Sat) south tower (admission Sfr2;h9.15am-5pm Mar-Oct). Sihlpost (Map pp196-7 ; %0848 84 84 42; Kasernen- From any position in the city, it’s hard to h POPULATION: 340,402 AREA: 1729 SQ KM LANGUAGE: GERMAN strasse 95-97; 6.30am-10.30pm Mon-Fri, to 8pm Sat, overlook the 13th-century tower of St Peters- 10am-10.30pm Sun) kirche (Map p202 ; St Peter’s Church; St Peterhofstatt). Its 196 ZÜRICH www.lonelyplanet.com www.lonelyplanet.com ZÜRICH •• Sights 197 0 500 m ZÜRICH 0 0.3 miles prominent clock face, 8.7m in diameter, is To Hardturm the largest in Europe. Stadium (350m) A B C D E To Zürich Airport (8.5km); F To Basel (113km); Hardturmstr Winterthur (22km) Bern (125km) 41 50 To Giesserei Museums WipkingerBrücke (1.75km) Förrlibuckstr Schaff Compact Zürich has 45 museums; get a 25 Winterthurerstr Duttweilerstr Löwenbräu 1 Technopark Areal ha 1 comprehensive list from the tourist office. Pfingstweidstr userstr Schiffbaustr ὈὈ 34 8 29 40 Zürichberg 14 Heinrichstr 39 KUNSTHAUS 44 42 36 Mu- 45 Röslistr Hadlaubstgasse After a major renovation in 2005, Zürich’s Hardbrücke Riedtlistr Kronenstr seum of Fine Arts (Map pp196-7 ; %044 253 84 84; www Beckenhof Josefstr Nordstr Susenbergstr Geissberg-weg Stampfenbachstr Hadlaubstr 22 .kunsthaus.ch; Heimplatz 1; adult/student & senior Sfr12/7, free teg Rigis Letten Freudenbergstr Sun; h10am-9pm Tue-Thu, 10am-5pm Fri-Sun) is look- str Geroldstr Lettens tr Ottikerstr ra ὈὈὈing better than ever, with its rich collection ZÜRICH 48 KornhausBrücke Sihlquai Rigist of Alberto Giacometti stick-figure sculptures, 2 Limmat6 2 Wasserwerk Monets, Van Goghs, Rodin sculptures and INFORMATION 51 Neugasse 27 Ausstellungstr ZÜRICH Cantonal University Hospital....1 F4 Langstr 18 other 19th- and 20th-century art. Swiss artist Sihlpost (Main Post Office)......2 D3 28 Limmatstr Weinbergstr Gasometerstr str To Dolder Grand Hotel (1.5km); Ferdinand Hodler is also represented. 35 Vogelsang 9 Fluntern Cemetery (2km); SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES 38 Hotel Zürichberg (2km); Bad Utoquai.............................3 E6 30 Josefstr Zoo Dolder (2km) LE CORBUSIER PAVILION Johann Jacobs Museum...........4 E6 ὈὈ ὈὈὈ Gladbachstr Kunsthalle Zürich...................(see 8) Toblerstr Mattengasse 10 Many international visitors are mystified Kunsthaus................................5 E5 54 Hochstr To Letzigrund 56 Neumühlequai Letten......................................6 D2 Stadium (1.5km) Klingenstr that Zürich doesn’t make more of the stun- Schöneggstr Universitätsstr Männerbad.............................7 D4 Zolistr Hafnerstr Hochfarbstr ning Le Corbusier Pavilion and Heidi Weber mu- Migros Museum.......................8 C1 Hermann seum (Zürichhorn park; adult/concession Sfr12/8; h2-5pm Museum für Gestaltung...........9 D2 Greulichstr Sihlquai Lagerstr 3 Plakatraum............................10 D3 11 57 Leonhardstr 3 Brauerstr 58 Museumstr Sat & Sun Jun-Sep). However, as a cash-strapped Schweizerisches Zwinglistr Hauptbahnhof uer Landesmuseum..................11 D3 16 13 (Train Station) a private museum its opening times are sadly 37 Walche ὈὈὈBrücke Seebad Enge.........................12 D6 der M limited. Looking like a Mondrian painting Bahnhofplatz Auf Gloriastr SLEEPING 26 2 set in parkland, with differently coloured Dakini ...................................13 B3 Bahnhof Brücke Nieder Zeughausstr Kasernenstr square panels, glass and steel, this was the Etap Hotel Zürich Kanzleistr Langstr Seilergraben Rämistr City-Technopark................14 A1 Beatenplatz last building designed by Le Corbusier (who Mühlesteg dorf 1 Hotel Foyer Hottingen............15 F5 Ankerstr Usteristr 31 M 43 Bäckerstr Künstlergasse died in 1965). Completed after his death, it üllerstr str Hotel Greulich........................16 B3 Plattenstr Hotel Plattenhof.....................17 F4 Stauffacherstr Rudolf Uraniastr Brun long lay unused, but now