3 days in Zurich
 

My husband and I have planned to spend 3 days in Zurich on our way to Paris in late November. We have booked room at the Hotel Adler.

Would like any suggestions for day trips out of Zurich and advice for sightseeing/restaurants in Zurich. It will be our first trip to Switzerland.

We plan go on to Paris by train. Can we make arrangements for that once we are there or do we need to book train travel in advance?

I live in Zurich and think that the city itself is worth 2 days. It is a small and very charming town, and many of the Christmas decorations will be up at the end of November. November can be foggy, so bear this in mind when planning trips to mountain areas. Lucerne is a lovely little town, and the whole Jungfrau area is beautiful; but there are many options. Run a search here for suggested places to see and eat both in and outside of the city, as many people have posted, including me. The Fodor's book on Switzerland is very good, and the Destinations guide put together by Fodors on this site has suggestions for Zurich and surrounding areas.

The Adler is a nice hotel in a good location for restaurants and antique shopping, it is in a lively part of the old town and is car-free. They have a good restaurant for fondue, touristy, but I think the food is good and you can try raclette and different types of fondue.

There is no reason for you to book your train tickets now, as trains run several times a day and you are not travelling in the high season. I think there is a train at least once an hour (depending on your arrival station in Paris). Take a look at the website for Swiss Rail at rail.ch to see your options. If you want, you can buy your tickets on line and have them mailed to you. However, this is not really necessary as it is easy to buy them at the station either a day before your trip or the day you leave.

It will be cold in both Paris and Zurich, but I assume you know that already. Days will be getting shorter in November, so bear that in mind as well when planning itineraries.

We are visiting Zurich for a short time in a few days, and I found this -walking tour- to use for reference. Unfortunately, I have lost the source for it. (also, I tried to clean up the line-breaks, but they seem to be hard-coded).
Two other churches I would fit in with this are the Grossmunster and St Peters (with the large clock-face). Also, Burt Wolf has an article about Zurich here: http://www.burttravels.com/pdf/zurich.pdf

Another thing to try is to take the Polybahn (funicular), which is a very short ride to the terrace of the university for an overlook of Zurich and the lake (at least, that is what I understand about it!). http://europeforvisitors.com/switzau...h_polybahn.htm (there are good links on this website for rail, airport, etc. information).

Walking tour: Zurich's Altstadt (Old Town)
Start: Munsterhof. Finish: Helmhaus. Time: 1 1/2 hours.
Best Times: Any sunny day between 10am and 4pm (when there's less traffic).
Worst Times: Rush hours, Monday through Friday from 8 to 9am and 5 to 6pm.
Situated on both sides of the Limmat River, Altstadt (Old Town) is known for its squares, narrow
cobblestone streets, and winding alleys. There are fountains, medieval houses, art galleries,
boutiques, quaint restaurants, hotels (many moderately priced), and antiques shops. To walk its
old streets is to follow in the footsteps of such famous figures as Charlemagne, Goethe, Einstein,
and Lenin. The oldest houses date from the 1100s.

A former swine market, a good place to begin your exploration of Altstadt is:

1 Munsterhof--This square, on the left bank, is near such landmarks as Fraumunster and the
Rathaus. You can reach it by walking along Schlusselgasse. At Munsterhof 8 is the guildhall
Zunfthaus zur Waag, erected in 1637, with late Gothic windows and a gabled facade.

Across the square is:
2 Fraumunster: The entrance is on Fraumunsterstrasse. A church has stood on this site since 853,
when it was a convent for noblewomen. It contains artwork by Chagall and Giacometti, among others.

After the church, your next target can be:
3 Lindenhof: To get here, you must climb narrow medieval alleyways from Fraumunster.
Continue north along Schlusselgasse, heading in the direction of the railroad station.
Shaded by trees, the belvedere square of Lindenhof is one of the most scenic spots in Zurich,
especially romantic at twilight. Once the site of a Celtic and later a Roman fort, Lindenhof is a good
place from which to view the Limmat River; the lookout point has a fountain. There's also a good view
of the medieval old quarter, which rises in layers on the right bank.

From Lindenhof, head down Pfalzgasse, forking left onto Strehlgasse to Waggengasse and
Rathausbrucke, the city hall bridge spanning the Limmat.

You have arrived at the landmark square:
4 Weinplatz: The site of the Corn Exchange until 1620, this is presumably the oldest market square
in Zurich. It's named for its 1909 Weinbauer fountain, which depicts a Swiss winegrower with a
basket of grapes in hand. Most visitors pause to photograph the Flemish-roofed burghers' houses
on the opposite bank.

Here you can also look at the:
5 Rathausbrucke - The present City Hall Bridge spanning the Limmat was built in 1878, at the site
of the first span in Zurich.

Cross the bridge to visit the:
6 Rathaus--Here you'll find the late Renaissance town hall of Zurich, which opens onto Limmatquai.
Built in the late 17th century, it has darkly paneled rooms and antique porcelain stoves. Canton councils
still meet here in a setting of rich sculptural adornment. The town hall is open on Tuesday, Thursday,
and Friday from 10am to 11:30am. Admission is free, but you should tip your guide.

Walk south along Limmatquai until you reach Munsterbrucke, a bridge across the Limmat,
and the site of:
7 Wasserkirche--Wasserkirche is also known as Water Church. This church got its unusual name
because it was surrounded by water when it was built in 1479. There's a statue of Zwingli, the famous
Swiss reformer.

Directly north of the church at Limmatquai 31 is the:
8 Helmhaus--Built in 1794, the Helmhaus has a fountain hall and a gallery on the second and
third floors, where the city shows changing exhibitions of Swiss art. The gallery is open Tuesday
through Sunday from 10am to 6pm and also on Thursday from 8 to 10pm.

At the end of your walking tour, you can continue over to Zurich's most famous cafe:
The Belle Epoque Cafe Odeon, Limmatquai 2 (tel. 01/251-16-50), is the place where Lenin sat out
most of World War I, plotting the Russian Revolution. It was also popular with the iconoclastic
Dada artists of the same era. Stop for a cup of coffee in this historic setting.

Thank you Cicerone and Travelnut for your replies and valuable information.

I did read Burth Wolf's article on Zurich a few weeks ago.

Travelnut, please post another message after your trip. Would love to hear about it.

Thanks again.

Agreee with Cicerone that you can fill 2 days in Zurich without a problem. Jungfraujoch is a terrific daytrip, but be aware that fog is a real possibility that time of year and you may not have the best views. Lucerne is an easy trip, doesn't even require a full day if you are ambitious. The tourist office in the train station offers lots of info and referrals for planned tours if that is of interest. Wouldn't worry about getting to Paris, should not be a problem, but if you will feel better then go ahead and reserve in advance.

We were there last Friday, just half a day and overnight stay on our return trip. What a wonderful city, we just walked around enjoying the atmosphere and people watching. As we reached the lake, a boat was leaving for an 1 1/2 hour trip--we hesitated, unfortunately. With such perfect weather, it would have been a great ride. But all was not lost, we had a great afternoon and a great find for a restaurant.
We had been to the Cantinetta Antinori in Vienna and loved the food so we ate there twice. What a delight to see their sister restaurant in Zurich. For a Friday night dinner, they were full, but were nice enough to accomodate us.
It is not inexpensive by any means, but it is excellent Italian dining. It's a couple of blocks before reaching the lake.

Thanks, Seamus and Aleta. Great suggestions!

The informations Cicerone gives about the train trip to Paris are not correct. There are only 2 daily direct trains from Zurich to Paris, one at 7.13 am, the second at 15.44 pm (this train does not run on Saturdays), and you're well advised to book these trains at least a few days ahead, especially when travelling on a friday or sunday. The homepage for these trains is www.lyria.biz

Another option is to travel via Basel. This requires a change of trains in Basel, where you have to pass the boarder (inside the train station). You don't have to reserve from Zurich to Basel, but for the Basel - Paris trains, I recommend to reserve seats the day before you leave or so.

Hi all, Travelnut, I've copied the walking tour, because--as often as I've spent half-days in Zurich-- I've always just wandered around the old streets. Next time I'll try your route. It really is a nice city, and I like it more each visit. J.

My information on trains to Paris is correct; they run almost hourly. I did NOT say these trains are direct. I assumed that Mimi07 was interested in all trains, includig those that would require one or more changes. IMO changing once or twice is not a hassle at all, esp if the departure and arrival times are good.

You have been given some excellent suggestions! As someone whom has been to Switzerland numerous times, and feels it is absolutely the most beautiful country in the world let me add just three words "See it all!" whenever you can. You will not be dissappointed...

Chances are you will not make it to the canton of Vaud this trip, might I suggest you return someday, and spend that visit around lake Geneva. Perhaps in the spring/summer time frame might be best. I'm willing to bet you fall in love with it just as I did...Enjoy!