The Best Sight in Zürich, Switzerland

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From the northern tip of the Zürichsee, the Limmat River starts its brief journey to the Aare and, ultimately, to the Rhine—and it neatly bisects Zürich at the starting gate. The city is crisscrossed by lovely, low bridges. On the left bank are the Altstadt, the grander, genteel pedestrian zone of the old medieval center; the Zürich Hauptbahnhof, the main train station; and Bahnhofplatz, a major urban crossroads and the beginning of the world-famous luxury shopping street Bahnhofstrasse. The right bank constitutes the livelier old section, divided into the Oberdorf (Upper Village) toward Bellevue, and the Niederdorf (Lower Village), from Marktgasse to Central and along Niederdorfstrasse, which buzzes on weekends. Most streets between Central and Bellevue are pedestrian-only zones, as is the Limmatquai from the Rudolf-Brun-Brücke to the Münsterbrücke.

Similar to the arrondissement system in Paris, Zürich is officially divided into a dozen numbered Kreises (districts), which spiral out clockwise from the center of the city. Kreis 1, covering the historic core, includes the Altstadt, Oberdorf, and Niederdorf. Zürich West is part of Kreis 5. Most areas in the city are commonly known by their Kreis, and a Kreis number is generally the most helpful in giving directions.

Sammlung Oskar Reinhart (Am Römerholz)

Fodor's choice

Lucas Cranach's Portrait of Johannes Cuspinian, Pieter Breugel the Elder's Adoration of the Magi in the Snow, Peter Paul Rubens's Decius Mus, Edouard Manet's Au Café, Toulouse-Lautrec's Clownesse Cha-U-Kao—you get the picture. This is one of the greatest private art collections in Switzerland. The jewel in the crown of Winterthur's art museums, Am Römerholz is virtually wallpapered with legendary paintings. Private collector Oskar Reinhart's most magnificent treasures are housed in his former villa Am Römerholz, built in 1915 on the hill overlooking town. The collection ranges across five centuries, with pride of place going to 16th-century German and early Dutch paintings, 17th-century French and Flemish paintings, and impressionist masterworks. Works by Gerard David, Nicolas Poussin, Honoré Daumier, Vincent van Gogh, and nearly 200 other artists stagger the eye.