Zurich got tons of great museums.
Check out zurich.com for what may suit your taste. Click on tab "Experience", then "Culture".

For starters, I suggest the Landesmuseum (swiss national museum), next to the central station (the opposite side than Bahnhofstr.). Also the art museums Kunsthaus and Kunsthalle.

The cathedrals and churches also offer protection from the rain.

If you need to relax, try the www.alpamare.ch (okay, not 100 pct serious on the latter, but it is a good way to escape bad weather)

If the clouds are low, a trip to one of the mountain peaks may get you above the clouds. But you should ask locally about weather conditions or check webcams.

Hi KML28,

What had you planned to do? You can still put on a raincoat and carry an umbrella and stroll through the streets of the city. Stop in a cafe and enjoy some chocolate and coffee if a storm gets really bad.

For some reason, I still enjoy a ferry ride in the rain -- you'll be inside the ferry, so you won't get wet. Then, you can stroll through Rapperswil.

Or you can go to Bern, which has 6 km of streets covered by arcades.

http://www.myswitzerland.com/en/bern.html

Have fun as you plan!

s

Like Swandav2000 I love the lake steamers in rain, sit inside and enjoy a coffee of a hot chocolate an enjoy what you can see out of the window. Take the lake boat to Rapperswil at the other end of lake enjoy a meal in the square overlooking the lake and then take the train back to Zurich.

Just because a forecast says 100% rain it doesn't mean it will rain 100% of the time. It means it is certain to rain some of the time during that 24 hour period. Same with the T-storms - there is a 90% chance of a T-storm at some point during the day.

Unless you are there today there is a good chance the forecast will have changed by the time you get there anyway.

Just do what you were planning to do, but make sure you are rain-proofed .

How far in advance is that weather forecast? If it is more than 2-3 days, better stop worrying because it does not have much value anyway. Long-term forecasts are pure guesswork, no matter how convincing they look at first sight. Pack rain gear, umbrella and sturdy shoes, and then adjust your itinerary to current conditions when you are there. Any big city offers tons of indoor activities, and paved streets so walking on wet days is not much of a problem.

The MeteoSchweiz steady rain/t-storm forecast for the Zurich area has already been modified. Tuesday looks like the wettest day, and it's not likely to be glorious sunshine for the next few days, but it won't be raining all day. So you should be able to go with your normal program; maybe adjust you schedule on the day when you get a clearer picture of that day's forecast. Carry an umbrella and sunglasses, have a waterproof jacket handy, and you should be fine.
http://www.meteoschweiz.admin.ch/web/fr/meteo/previsions_en_detail.html

Hi KM,

Here is what we did in the rain in Z

Zurich . . .During our stay, we visited the Zoological Gardens – very nice, but because of rain we were limited to the indoor conservatory; wandered through Old Town; went to the Landesmuseum – nice exhibits of prehistoric Switzerland and a very interesting building – especially the rooms taken from various houses (1500 – 1800); took the train to Luzern - a very nice city with a lovely waterfront and some interesting art and architecture.

Enjoy your visit


Church bells rang at various odd hours during the day – charming.

Well...okay. If the OP was in Zurich today, yes, it was a washout. It was pouring, not just raining, most of the day. It was coming down so hard at times that you really didn't want to do anything but sit with a cappuccino or a brandy somewhere. Mom's flight back to the U.S. was delayed.

But, fingers crossed, today wasn't one of the OP's Zurich todays....tomorrow and the next day will be better.