What is the best city in Switzerland

Asks esmeharrison

A. Undoubtedly it is Zurich. Switzerland itself has a squeaky clean reputation and many of its cities are often criticised for their sanitised appearance and resulting cold atmosphere. Indeed, Zurich itself was often referred to as the cleanest city in Europe up until the late 1970s - but today its old streets are full of vibrant atmosphere and charm - not just banks. You can even find litter if you look for it. It is a very beautiful place too as it has snow-capped mountains in the background and the scenic Lake Zurich and the River Limmat in the foreground surrounded by winding cobbled streets.

�

Q. What language is spoken in Zurich

A. It is a predominantly German-speaking city, although most Swiss nationals also speak French and English.

�

Q. What would you recommend doing in Zurich

A. It is really easy to walk around the city so make sure you take time out to do this if you visit and soak up the atmosphere and breathe in the cool and fresh air. Put some of the following attractions on your "not to be missed" list:

�

Niederdorf district: is the medieval part of town full of pedestrian-only streets that run alongside the River Limmat. This waterfront area is scattered with some amazing buildings, known as Zunfth�user (guildhall) locally, which have Baroque arcaded front lower storeys that have been mainly turned into restaurants today - this is a very lively part of town at night so well worth checking out. The Niederdorfstrasse is a very famous street and was once home to Lenin and was the birthplace of the Dada art movement.

�

Grossm�nster: this is the huge twin-towered church in the centre of town that you may well have seen on postcards. It dates back to the 16th Century when Huldrych Zwingli began preaching Protestantism here for the first time in 1519 to the Swiss Catholics. The Karlsturm, one of the twin towers, offers fantastic views of the city.

�

Fraum�nster: originally a convent dating back to 850AD, this church is renowned for its stained glass windows, which were painted by Marc Chagall.

�

Peterskirche: this church is famous for its enormous clock face - the largest in Europe; it dates back to the 16th Century.

�

Kunsthaus: this is the best art gallery in the city and is located up the hill behind the Grossm�nster. It houses lots of unique and original work by Kauffmann, F�ssli, B�cklin, Dali, De Chirico, Picasso, Miro, Kandinsky, Chagall, Klee and Monet.

�

Museum of Fine Arts: is one of the best in Zurich and is full of many big names including Dali, Man Ray, Cezanne, Renoir, Hockney, Bacon, Gauguin, Chagall, Munch, Manet and Monet.

�

Bahnhofstrasse: this is a great street for shopping and is a testament to Zurich's wealth -you can almost touch and smell money on the exquisitely dressed locals.

�

Joyce Foundation: James Joyce wrote his modernist masterpiece, Ulysses in Zurich (finished in 1919) so it is a fitting place for the Joyce Foundation to be situated (on Augustinergasse) - if you're a fan visit the Foundation as they can take you on a tour of Joyce's favourite haunts and take you to visit his grave.

�

Z�rcher Schauspielhaus - is a spectacular theatre in the city centre that is considered the most prestigious of German-speaking playhouses.

�

Zoo Dolder: is Switzerland's largest zoo and home to over 350 animal species (about 3000 animals) - it hit the headlines in 2000 when one of its Asian elephants gave birth to her son live on the Internet.

�

Lindt & Spr�ngli Chocolate Factory: as Switzerland is famous for its chocolate it would be a shame to miss out on a visit here - especially as you get free chocolate at the end of your tour.

�

Q. Is it easy to get around the city

A. You can walk to most places in the city centre, but there is also a great public transport system that combines bus, tram, boats and the S-Bahn - and it all runs like clockwork.

�

Q. When is the best time to visit the city

A. You'll find it less busy in spring and autumn so this is probably the best time to visit if you want to avoid the crowds. However, if you visit while a cultural festival is being held you'll have an even better time. The best ones include Theaterspektakel (theatre) held in July; Zurcher Festspiele (music and arts) held in June; and in November Expovina is a wine festival held on boats on the B�rkliplatz.

�

If you have any other Travel related questions, please click here

�

By Karen Anderson