The Limmat flowing into the city from the Quaibrücke: the Fraumünster and St Peter on the left bank, the Grossmünster’s twin towers on the right, under a summer sky The Limmat flowing into the city from the Quaibrücke: the Fraumünster and St Peter on the left bank, the Grossmünster’s twin towers on the right, under a summer sky The Limmat in Zurich under a clear blue sky, with the Fraumünster spire, St Peter’s clock tower and the twin towers of the Grossmünster The twin towers of the Grossmünster above the Limmatquai, with a lake boat moored on the river The lakeside promenade on the Utoquai on a summer evening, with swans and the Alps beyond

The city guide to Zurich, Switzerland

Best of Zurich

The Limmat and its two minsters, Chagall’s windows and the Kunsthaus, the Bahnhofstrasse and Sprüngli’s Luxemburgerli, the lake and the Uetliberg, Baur au Lac and The Dolder Grand, and the city’s MICHELIN stars: Zurich, checked place by place.

Launch edition · Autumn 2026

The red carriages of the Glacier Express crossing the stone arches of the Landwasser Viaduct below a snow-capped peakSister guideULTIMATE Rail JourneysThe story of the train, the great journeys and where to book themA cruise ship in the Bay of Kotor, MontenegroSister guideULTIMATE CruisesLines, ships and itineraries, from river to expeditionThe Matterhorn in winter above ZermattSister guideULTIMATE Ski ResortsSeason dates, hotels, après and ski schools, resort by resort
The Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild and its gardens, Saint-Jean-Cap-FerratSister guideULTIMATE PropertyPrime neighbourhoods, agents, new developments and how buying works

Your trusted, one‑stop guide to Zurich

Zurich is a city on a river and a lake: an Old Town of two minsters on the Limmat, the Bahnhofstrasse running down to the water, and the Alps on the horizon. Here are the grand hotels and the MICHELIN stars, the museums and the music, the Old Town, Seefeld, Zurich West, Enge, Kreis 4, Oerlikon and the Zürichberg, the trams, trains and boats, and day trips to Lucerne, the Rhine Falls, the Rigi and Pilatus, St. Moritz and Basel. We’ve checked every listing against the venue’s own website or an official source, and we leave out anything we can’t confirm.

Zurich, the city on the Limmat: the back story

In depth

The city on the Limmat

Zurich·In depth

The Grossmünster and the Fraumünster, the Lindenhof, the lake promenade and the Uetliberg: how to read Zurich.

Read the story

Zurich by area

From the Old Town to the Zürichberg, each quarter has its own guide: the two banks of the Limmat, the Bahnhofstrasse, the lakeside Seefeld, Zurich West, Enge, Kreis 4, Oerlikon and the green hill of the Dolder.

The colourful façades of the Limmatquai on the right bank of the Old Town, below the Predigerkirche spireArea guideAltstadt & NiederdorfThe Old TownA Zurich tram at dusk under the flags of the BahnhofstrasseArea guideBahnhofstrasse & ParadeplatzThe boulevardThe lakeside promenade on the Utoquai on a summer evening, with swans and the Alps beyondArea guideSeefeld & the lakeThe eastern shoreThe green glass Prime Tower in Zurich West, with the Alps on the horizon in evening lightArea guideZurich WestThe industrial quarter rebornThe Villa Wesendonck of the Museum Rietberg, with its pond and lawns in the RieterparkArea guideEnge & WollishofenThe western shoreThe new buildings of Europaallee beside the main station, at duskArea guideKreis 4 & LangstrasseNightlife and new cooking

By tram

Stay near a tram line: the trams reach every quarter in minutes, and the Zürich Card covers them, the S-Bahn and the lake boats.

The stone façade and clock of Zürich Oerlikon railway stationArea guideOerlikonThe north and the airportThe turrets and timbered gables of The Dolder Grand on the Zürichberg, in summerArea guideZürichberg & the DolderThe green hill

Plan your trip

The practical things to know before you go: entry and Swiss francs, the airport train, the trams and the Zürich Card, and itineraries for a first visit.

The great arched hall of Zürich Hauptbahnhof, the main railway stationBefore you goZurich essentialsEntry, money, the airport and the Zürich CardA blue-and-white Zurich tram on line 15 at the Helmhaus stopGetting aroundBy tram, train and boatThe ZVV, SBB and the lake shipsThe Limmat flowing into the city from the Quaibrücke: the Fraumünster and St Peter on the left bank, the Grossmünster’s twin towers on the right, under a summer skyItineraryThree days in ZurichThe classic first visitThe turrets and timbered gables of The Dolder Grand on the Zürichberg, in summerLuxury guideLUX LivingThe finest addressesThe Storchen on the Limmat, with the riverside terrace of La Rôtisserie, beside the WeinplatzItineraryThe Gold weekendThe Storchen, IGNIV and La RôtisserieThe Dolder Grand lit at dusk in winter snow, with a Christmas tree by the driveItineraryThe Platinum weekendThe Dolder Grand and two Two-Star tables

Our advice

Arrive by train, travel by tram

Trains run from the airport station to Zürich HB in minutes; from there the trams, S-Bahn and boats of the ZVV cover the city and the lake. Buy a Zürich Card for 24 or 72 hours. Zurich essentials

Beyond the city

Lucerne and its mountains, the Rhine Falls, St. Moritz and Basel, all within reach by train from Zürich HB.

The Chapel Bridge and its Water Tower on the Reuss in Lucerne, hung with flowersBeyond the cityLucerne, the Rigi & PilatusThe Chapel Bridge and the mountainsThe Rhine Falls in full spate below Schloss Laufen, with a train crossing the bridgeBeyond the cityThe Rhine FallsEurope’s largest waterfallLake St. Moritz reflecting the mountains of the Engadin in autumnBeyond the citySt. Moritz & the EngadinThe Alpine resortBasel Minster with its red sandstone towers and coloured roof above the RhineBeyond the cityBaselThe Minster on the Rhine

Our advice

Climb above the fog

In November, when fog lies on the city, the Uetliberg is often above it: take the S10 (from Selnau until 12 December 2026) for sunshine over a sea of cloud. The Uetliberg

In depth: Zurich’s back stories

Zurich cuisine, the city on the Limmat, Dada and Chagall, eating, the grand hotels, film, the trams and trains and where to buy: the stories behind the city.

Christmas market stalls lit on a square in Zurich’s Old TownChristmas & New YearChristmas in ZurichThe markets, the Singing Christmas Tree and the fireworksZürcher Geschnetzeltes, veal in a cream sauce with mushrooms, served with golden RöstiEatZurich CuisineGeschnetzeltes, Rösti, Luxemburgerli and TirggelThe Limmat in Zurich under a clear blue sky, with the Fraumünster spire, St Peter’s clock tower and the twin towers of the GrossmünsterFeatureZurich, the classic and the newOld money, new energy, the lake and the tableThe colonnaded neo-baroque façade of the Zurich Opera House on the SechseläutenplatzFeatureZurich on filmThe Zurich Film Festival and the city’s own comediesZurich’s Old Town and the Limmat seen from the Lindenhof, with the Fraumünster spire on the rightThe back storyThe city on the LimmatThe minsters, the Lindenhof and the lakeThe Pavillon Le Corbusier on the Zürichhorn: enamelled panels of red, yellow, green and black beneath its floating steel roofThe back storyDada, Chagall and Le CorbusierThe museums and the music

In 2026–27

Several places are being renovated or moved: the Grossmünster until 2029, Honold until mid-2027, and Beyer’s museum until autumn 2027. Check before you go.

The Kronenhalle on the Rämistrasse, with a tram passingThe back storyEating in ZurichThe starred tables and the classicsThe turrets and timbered gables of The Dolder Grand on the Zürichberg, in summerThe back storyThe grand hotelsFrom Baur au Lac to the DolderThe great arched hall of Zürich Hauptbahnhof, the main railway stationThe back storyBy tram, train and boatThe ZVV, SBB and the lakeThe lakeside promenade on the Utoquai on a summer evening, with swans and the Alps beyondThe back storyBuying in ZurichThe neighbourhoods and the notaryThe Böögg burning on its pyre at SechseläutenFun factsZurich fun factsThings you might not know

Beyond Zurich with the ULTIMATE guides

Lake Como and Milan through the Gotthard, St. Moritz on the Ski Resorts guide, and the great train journeys of the world.

The Chapel Bridge and its Water Tower on the Reuss in Lucerne, hung with flowersULTIMATE Lake ComoLake ComoSouth through the GotthardThe great arched hall of Zürich Hauptbahnhof, the main railway stationULTIMATE MilanMilanDirect trains from Zürich HBLake St. Moritz reflecting the mountains of the Engadin in autumnULTIMATE Ski ResortsSki ResortsSt. Moritz, Laax, Andermatt and ZermattA blue Rigi railway train climbing through snow above Lake Lucerne, with Pilatus beyondULTIMATE Rail JourneysRail JourneysThe Glacier Express and the Bernina

ULTIMATE City Guides: Europe & beyond

Planning a longer journey? Each city in the network has its own independent guide, written with the same care and checked place by place. Here are the guides that are live, with more on the way.

Canal houses and bridges in Amsterdamthe NetherlandsULTIMATE AmsterdamThe canal ring, the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum, canal-house hotels, twenty MICHELIN-starred tables, brown cafés, and day trips to Haarlem and Keukenhof.Visit the guide The Alhambra in Granada in the evening lightSpainULTIMATE AndalusiaSeville, Granada and the Alhambra, Córdoba, Málaga, Cádiz and Jerez, Ronda and the white villages, Doñana and Cabo de Gata.Visit the guide The floodlit Acropolis and Parthenon at dusk, seen from Philopappos HillGreeceULTIMATE AthensThe Acropolis and the Plaka, rooftop bars facing the Parthenon, the Athens Riviera and the Greek islands: our original guide, and our deepest.Visit the guide The road winding out to the lighthouse on Cap de Formentor, Mallorca, above the open seaSpainULTIMATE Balearic IslandsMallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera side by side, and how to hop between them by ferry.Visit the guide The Sagrada Família lit up at nightSpainULTIMATE BarcelonaGaudí and the Sagrada Família, the Gothic Quarter, four Three-Star MICHELIN kitchens, the beaches and day trips to Montserrat and Girona.Visit the guide Belgrade's old town and the spire of the Cathedral Church of St Michael above the Sava at sunsetSerbiaULTIMATE BelgradeWhere the Sava meets the Danube: a buzzing capital of art, classical music and famous nightlife, with a new waterfront and the mountains of Zlatibor and Kopaonik.Visit the guide The Brandenburg Gate in Berlin against a blue skyGermanyULTIMATE BerlinThe Brandenburg Gate and Museum Island, the Philharmonie and three opera houses, the story of the Wall, and day trips to Potsdam and Dresden.Visit the guide The Royal Pavilion in Brighton under a blue skyEnglandULTIMATE BrightonThe Royal Pavilion and the piers, the Lanes and the North Laine, Kemptown and Pride, and the South Downs on the doorstep.Visit the guide The Romanian Athenaeum in its gardenRomaniaULTIMATE BucharestBelle Époque palaces, concerts at the Athenaeum, a buzzing food and coffee scene, and the castles and mountains of the Carpathians.Visit the guide The Hungarian Parliament lit up at night on the DanubeHungaryULTIMATE BudapestThermal baths, grand coffee houses, ruin bars and MICHELIN-starred dining on both banks of the Danube, with day trips to the Danube Bend and Lake Balaton.Visit the guide Nyhavn, CopenhagenDenmarkULTIMATE CopenhagenNyhavn and Tivoli, Rosenborg and Amalienborg, smørrebrød at lunch, Geranium and Kadeau’s three stars, Danish design and the harbour baths.Visit the guide A cruise ship in the Bay of Kotor, Montenegroships & regions)ULTIMATE Cruises (linesThe world’s cruise lines for every budget, from family resort ships to yachts, expedition ships and river boats, with the cruising regions port by port.Visit the guide Aerial view of the white sand spit of Ses Illetes and Llevant, the salt pans and, across the strait, Ibiza and Es VedràSpainULTIMATE FormenteraThe white sands of Ses Illetes, the lighthouses of La Mola and Barbaria, the craft markets and an island made for bikes.Visit the guide The Baie des Anges, NiceFranceULTIMATE French RivieraNice, Cannes, Antibes, Cap Ferrat, Èze, Menton, Saint-Tropez and Cassis: palace hotels, three-star tables, beach clubs, the Festival de Cannes and the painters’ coast.Visit the guide Blue domes of Oia above the Santorini calderaGreeceULTIMATE Greek IslandsIsland hopping made easy: Mykonos, Santorini, Paros, Naxos, Milos and the Cyclades, plus Crete, Rhodes and Corfu, with ferries, beaches, hotels and tavernas.Visit the guide Helsinki Cathedral above the South HarbourFinlandULTIMATE HelsinkiSuomenlinna and the South Harbour, saunas by the sea, Aalto and the Design District, two-starred Palace and day trips to Porvoo and Tallinn.Visit the guide The walls of Dalt Vila and the cathedral above the harbour of Ibiza Town, in late sunSpainULTIMATE IbizaDalt Vila’s UNESCO walls, Es Vedrà, three MICHELIN-starred kitchens, the beach clubs and the quiet north, 30 minutes from Formentera.Visit the guide Hagia Sophia and its minarets in golden evening lightTurkeyULTIMATE IstanbulTwo continents, one city: Hagia Sophia and the bazaars, Bosphorus ferries, meyhanes and rooftop bars, Sinan’s hammams and the car-free Princes’ Islands.Visit the guide Varenna on Lake ComoItalyULTIMATE Lake ComoVilla d’Este and the Villa del Balbianello, Bellagio and Varenna, the gardens of the villas, Riva boats and the four MICHELIN stars of the lake.Visit the guide Congress Square, Ljubljana, with the castle on its hill behindSloveniaULTIMATE LjubljanaSlovenia’s green, car-free capital of river cafés and Plečnik’s bridges, an hour from Lake Bled, the Julian Alps, the caves and the Adriatic.Visit the guide The Palace of Westminster and the Elizabeth Tower lit at dusk across the ThamesUnited KingdomULTIMATE LondonRoyal palaces and the Thames, great museums, West End theatre, grand hotels, and the restaurants and bars of Soho, Mayfair and the City.Visit the guide The Metrópolis building at the start of the Gran VíaSpainULTIMATE MadridThe Prado and El Retiro, the Royal Palace, DiverXO’s three stars and cocido since 1870, with day trips to Toledo and Segovia.Visit the guide La Seu, Palma’s Gothic cathedral, and the Almudaina above the old sea wall, seen from the Parc de la MarSpainULTIMATE MallorcaPalma’s cathedral and palace hotels, the UNESCO Tramuntana, Deià and Sóller, nine MICHELIN-starred kitchens, and Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera.Visit the guide Valletta’s honey-coloured skyline, with the dome of the Carmelite church and the spire of St Paul’s, above the harbour at sunsetGozo & CominoULTIMATE MaltaValletta’s knights’ city, temples older than the pyramids, Caravaggio, seven MICHELIN-starred kitchens and the Blue Lagoon.Visit the guide Yachts in Puerto BanúsSpainULTIMATE MarbellaWhitewashed lanes and orange trees in the Old Town, the yachts of Puerto Banús, beach clubs on the Golden Mile and day trips to Ronda and Gibraltar.Visit the guide Turquoise water below the pine-topped cliffs at Cala Macarella, MenorcaSpainULTIMATE MenorcaA UNESCO Biosphere Reserve: the coves of Macarella and Turqueta, World Heritage Talayotic sites, Ciutadella and Maó’s great harbour.Visit the guide The Duomo di Milano and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II on the Piazza del DuomoItalyULTIMATE MilanThe Duomo and the Last Supper, La Scala and Brera, the Quadrilatero della Moda, Bartolini’s three stars, and day trips to Lake Como.Visit the guide Monaco from above, Port Hercule and Monte-Carlo below the mountainsOur sister guideULTIMATE MonacoThe Casino and Monte-Carlo’s palace hotels, the Prince’s Palace on the Rock, superyachts in Port Hercule, Larvotto’s beach clubs and the Grand Prix streets.Visit the guide The Oslo Opera HouseNorwayULTIMATE OsloThe Opera House you can walk on, MUNCH and Vigeland, the polar ships of Bygdøy, Holmenkollen and Maaemo’s three MICHELIN stars.Visit the guide The Eiffel Tower seen from the Trocadéro in ParisFranceULTIMATE ParisThe Eiffel Tower and the Louvre, Notre-Dame reopened, the palace hotels, nine three-star tables, the bouillons, and day trips to Versailles and Giverny.Visit the guide The Millennium Bridge over the MoračaMontenegroULTIMATE PodgoricaMontenegro’s relaxed capital of rivers and café terraces, and the gateway to the Bay of Kotor, Lake Skadar, Cetinje and the mountains.Visit the guide Prague Castle and Charles BridgeCzechiaULTIMATE PraguePrague Castle and Charles Bridge, the Old Town and Malá Strana, Mozart, Dvořák and the opera, the Christmas markets and the five MICHELIN stars of 2026.Visit the guide The Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild and its gardens, Saint-Jean-Cap-FerratOur sister guideULTIMATE Property (prime markets worldwide)Prime neighbourhoods, estate agents, new developments and how buying works, market by market across the ULTIMATE network.Visit the guide The red carriages of the Glacier Express crossing the stone arches of the Landwasser Viaduct below a snow-capped peakOur sister guideULTIMATE Rail Journeys (great train journeys worldwide)The story of the train, the great rail journeys of the world and where to book them, from the Orient Express to the Glacier Express.Visit the guide The Church of St John at Kaneo above Lake Ohrid, North MacedoniaOur sister guideULTIMATE Regions (editor’s letters & regional guides)Editor’s letters and the food, markets, nature and seasons each region shares, starting with the Balkans.Visit the guide Reykjavík and Mount Esja from HallgrímskirkjaIcelandULTIMATE ReykjavíkHallgrímskirkja and Harpa, the geothermal pools and Sky Lagoon, whales and the northern lights, and the Golden Circle a morning away.Visit the guide St Peter’s Basilica in Rome under a clear blue skyItalyULTIMATE RomeThe Colosseum and the Vatican, the grand hotels above the Spanish Steps, La Pergola’s three stars, the trattorias, and day trips to Tivoli and Pompeii.Visit the guide The Sebilj fountain and the square of BaščaršijaBosnia & HerzegovinaULTIMATE SarajevoWhere East meets West at a line in the pavement: an Ottoman bazaar, Habsburg boulevards, Bosnian coffee and the 1984 Olympic mountains, with Mostar two hours away.Visit the guide The Matterhorn in winter above ZermattOur sister guideULTIMATE Ski Resorts (Europe & North America)Ski resorts in Europe and North America, country by country, for every budget: season dates, hotels, mountain restaurants, après, ski schools and getting there.Visit the guide The Warrior on a Horse fountain in Macedonia Square, Skopje, lit at nightNorth MacedoniaULTIMATE SkopjeA 15th-century stone bridge between a 21st-century square and an Ottoman bazaar, Kenzo Tange’s concrete city, Matka Canyon, and Lake Ohrid three hours away.Visit the guide The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Sofia, under a pink evening skyBulgariaULTIMATE SofiaRoman streets beneath the city, golden domes, warm mineral springs and a mountain at the end of the main boulevard.Visit the guide The restored Pyramid of Tirana under a blue skyAlbaniaULTIMATE TiranaAn Ottoman mosque painted with waterfalls, museums in bunkers, Blloku’s cafés and the Dajti cable car, with Berat, Gjirokastër, the Alps and the Riviera within reach.Visit the guide Rolling green hills and a farmhouse near Pienza in the Val d’OrciaItalyULTIMATE TuscanyFlorence, Chianti, Siena, the Val d’Orcia, Pisa and Lucca, Versilia, Bolgheri, the Maremma, Arezzo and Elba.Visit the guide Calatrava’s Hemisfèric lit at twilight, reflected in its poolSpainULTIMATE ValenciaCalatrava’s City of Arts and Sciences, the Gothic Lonja, paella by the sea, Las Fallas and the nine-kilometre Turia Garden.Visit the guide The Grand Canal and Santa Maria della Salute, VeniceItalyULTIMATE VeniceThe Grand Canal and St Mark’s, palace hotels, Two MICHELIN Stars at Glam, the bacari, the Biennale, and Murano, Burano and Torcello.Visit the guide The tiled roof of St Stephen’s Cathedral and the rooftops of central ViennaAustriaULTIMATE ViennaThe State Opera and the Musikverein, Schönbrunn and Klimt, the coffee houses and Heurigen, and Railjets to Budapest every hour.Visit the guide St Mark's Church and its tiled roof on St Mark's Square, Zagreb's Upper TownCroatiaULTIMATE ZagrebCroatia’s elegant capital of cafés, museums and markets, and the gateway to Plitvice Lakes, Istria, Dubrovnik and the islands of the Adriatic.Visit the guide
The Grand Palace reflected at dawnThailandULTIMATE BangkokThe Grand Palace and Wat Arun on the river, the grand hotels of Charoen Krung, MICHELIN stars from street food to tasting menus, rooftop bars and the Thai islands.Visit the guide Hong Kong Island and the harbour at night from Victoria PeakOur sister guideULTIMATE Hong KongThe harbour from the Peak, the Star Ferry, Cantonese dining rooms with MICHELIN stars, dim sum in the lanes of Central and the museums of West Kowloon.Visit the guide An aerial view of a small island ringed by reef in the MaldivesOur sister guideULTIMATE MaldivesUndersea restaurants and overwater bars, Hanifaru Bay’s mantas, the whale sharks of South Ari, private islands and the little capital, Malé.Visit the guide The Taj Mahal Palace and the Gateway of India from the harbourIndiaULTIMATE MumbaiThe Taj and the Gateway of India, Marine Drive’s Queen’s Necklace, three UNESCO sites, modern Indian restaurants and day trips to Elephanta and the Ghats.Visit the guide The Lujiazui skyline lit up at night across the Huangpu RiverChinaULTIMATE ShanghaiThe grand hotels of the Bund facing the towers of Pudong, every MICHELIN star, Yu Garden, the two Shanghai Museums and day trips to Suzhou and Hangzhou.Visit the guide The towers of the Central Business District lit up at night, reflected in Marina BayOur sister guideULTIMATE SingaporeMarina Bay and Raffles, three restaurants with three MICHELIN Stars, the hawker centres, and the Botanic Gardens, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.Visit the guide A caparisoned elephant in the Esala Perahera procession, KandyOur sister guideULTIMATE Sri LankaColombo, the ramparts of Galle Fort, the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy, the tea country by train, Sigiriya and leopards in Yala.Visit the guide Longtail boats on West Railay beach beneath the limestone cliffsOur sister guideULTIMATE Thai IslandsWinter sun on two seas: Phuket, Krabi and Railay, Phi Phi and Koh Lanta on the Andaman, Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao in the Gulf.Visit the guide

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    Fraumünster

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    Fraumünster

    Altstadt·Church

    The Fraumünster, founded in 853, holds Marc Chagall’s five chancel windows and Augusto Giacometti’s window in the north transept. Go in the morning, when the light comes through the chancel.

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