I don’t know if the Kunsthaus places so many sculptures outside its museum because it knows charging 30 CHF (much more than vastly superior museums like the Met, Louvre, National Gallery, etc.) is ridiculous or if they genuinely want to provide accessible art. Regardless, I grudgingly loved this Rodin. Inside, the permanent collection includes Alberto […]
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Museum Strauhof
This small museum is housed in an 18th century residence and has four literary exhibitions every year. The current exhibit is – no surprise – “The Mysteries of Charles Dickens.” Of course, I had to see it. The exhibit is by far the weakest among the recent ones I’ve seen, but it contains a lot […]
Lindenhof
This fortification, which forms the oldest part of Zürich, is the site of a Roman castle and trading site. In 1747, a 2nd century Roman tombstone was discovered here that bore the Zürich’s ancient Roman name, Turīcum. The castle withstood the tumultuous 5th and 6th centuries, but was a derelict by the 9th century. Louis […]
Lactose, Lactose, Lactose
When visiting Switzerland, you have to try really hard to avoid fondue. There are special fondue restaurants and most local eateries we saw offered this multi-thousand-calorie dish. Much as pasta tastes different in Italy, fondue tastes different here. For one, it’s very smooth. Less gloppy, you could say. The restaurant in which we ate used […]
Fraumünster
The Fraumünster has the most beautiful stained glass windows in Zürich, courtesy of Marc Chagall and Augusto Giacometti (cousin of Alberto). The Fraumünster’s history goes all the way back to 853, when King Ludwig gave his daughter Hildegard the convent and tower-less basilica which stood on this site. Like all new real estate owners, the […]
Oepfelchammer
This 200-year old building with worn timbers and lopsided angles is where Gottfried Keller, Zurich’s most famous poet, drank. Walking into the bar on the second floor (most of the building houses the restaurant) is like ducking into a tight cave. If you go by yourself, you don’t need reading materials since carvings cover every […]
St. Peterskirche
This church boasts the largest clock face in Europe (8.7 meters in diameter, compared to Big Ben’s 6.9). The late Romanesque-Gothic tower contains five bells from the late-1800’s, the largest one weighing six tons. St. Peterskirche is the oldest church in Zürich, with origins back to the 900’s. The city’s first mayor, Rudolf Brun, acquired […]
Zürich’s Fountains
Is the secret to Swiss health in the water? In Zürich, over 1,000 medieval and modern fountains spew potable water from Zürichsee (Lake Zürich).
Zürich
Zürich is Switzerland’s largest city (population 380,000) and is home to the world’s most important gold and precious metal markets. River Limmat divides the city into the Niederdorf on the east bank and the old town on the west bank. It’s believed that Zürich was founded in the first century BC by two deserters who […]
The Grossmünster
In a city of churches, this one dominates the skyline. It’s fitting, since this church was the birthplace of the Swiss-German Reformation. In the 16th century, the Grossmünster’s minister, Huldrych Zwingli, transformed Zürich into an important religious center by spreading his humanist ideas. Zwingli based his philosophy on that of Erasmus, and eventually began rebelling […]
