Maybe it’s the dreamy chocolate you think of or the first knife you may have owned? Maybe it’s that watch on your left wrist or bulging bank accounts that jump to mind first. These are, in fact, all Zurich.
After touching down on SWISS International Airlines in Zurich I made my way to the city center via rail. Approximately 10 trains per hour connect the Zurich airport with central Zurich, costing 6 Francs ($6) and 10 minutes of your time. A friend of mine showed me around his hometown.
The first stop of ours was the University of Zurich, where my friend Leopold attends. A large terrace just outside the main entrance gives a lofted view over the whole city and lake. What struck me as odd was that there were no modern buildings in sight.
Where’s all this big-wig banking taking place? Following Leopold’s lead, he showed me: The banking that you hear about so much hear takes place right in the old town city center, right in the old, classic buildings. As the lunch hour approached, suits hustled across the Bahnhofstrasse for their steak lunches. Looking the estate planners of Paris Hilton and Donald Trump directly in the eye was surely a possibility.
Sloping streets that led us to hot chocolates at Globus wrap around the central lake with the Alps showing who is boss. Lake Zurich is a focal point of the city and accomplishes what so many cities try to do. Their urban green space is synonymous with perfection, allowing for summertime recreation right in the heart of the city. The wintertime recreation spots are clearly evident by the nearby snowcapped mountains.
Globus, a Swiss leader in luxury retail, has a café at their ground level. Hot chocolates, pastries and other European snacks cover their counters. While shopping at Globus may not be affordable for all wallets, a hot chocolate of fine Swiss quality will run about 5 Francs.
Getting back to the airport is just as simple as arriving. Check the platform for the next train traveling in that direction from the Bahnhofstrasse Main Station. Read signs in German, French, Italian and English, because the first three are all widely spoken in Switzerland.
My time in Zurich was short, but much enjoyed. An impromptu flight layover left me in Zurich for eight hours. It was divine intervention that my long layover happen where I have a friend residing. In short: Zurich is very expensive, but why wouldn’t it be with the widest wallets in the world?
Allowing a day’s layover in Zurich is the way to go, especially since the city can be scaled by foot in a day. Eating off the beaten path is affordable and enjoying the scenery is free. After all, Zurich has been named the most livable city in the world.
As the Franc is equal to the U.S. Dollar (at the time of my trip, at least), no mind-boggling, split-second conversions are needed here. Brushing up on German, French or Italian language skills can be put to use anywhere in the city. For this, and reasons prior, Zurich is a destination not to be missed.
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Story and photos by Joshua Clark.
