Zurich Travel Guide

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Etymology

The name "Zurich" is derived from the town's earliest name, Turicum, which was first recorded in 972. The name Zurich is derived from the Celtic word "Turis", meaning "fortified town". The first human settlement in the area was a village called "Tura" which dates back to 500 BC.

Canton

Zürich (English: Zurich) is the largest city in Switzerland, with a population of about 1.3 million people. Located in the centre of Switzerland and not far from Lake Zürich, it is a municipality that comprises many smaller towns and cities, including Oerlikon, Dietikon, and Winterthur. Zurich has been an important industrial centre since medieval times but today its economy focuses on service industries such as finance and insurance; human resources; information technology services; legal services; scientific research institutions such as IBM Research - Zurich Lab or Syngenta Agribusiness Services (SAS); higher education institutions including Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), University of Zurich (UZH), University Hospital Zurich Medical School or University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW), etc...

Major Areas

Zurich is divided into twelve districts or Bezirke. These are further divided into quartiers, which are officially referred to as "urban communities". The city's official website lists the urban communities and their respective neighbourhoods. Altstadt-Leimbach: Rathausplatz and Kirchenfeldbrücke areas Bahnhofstrasse: Bahnhofstrasse area, including Bellevueplatz, behind the Baur au Lac hotel Enge: Kirchgasse/Stutzstrasse area between Enge train station and Zurich Hauptbahnhof (main train station)

Demographics

Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and has a population of about 723,400 people. The city's official languages are German, French, Italian, and Romansh. German-speaking Swiss make up 89.6% of the population while foreigners form 10.4% of the population; they mostly come from other European countries like Italy and France but also Turkey or Kosovo).

Languages

The city of Zurich is located in German-speaking Switzerland, a country that has four official languages: German, French, Italian and Romansh (which is spoken by less than 1% of the population). The majority of the population speaks one or more of these languages and most speak at least two.

Religion

Zurich is a city of many religions, with a population of over 200,000 people. It has both Protestant and Catholic churches, as well as Judaism and Islam. In 1554 the first Protestant church was opened in Zurich. This was followed by numerous others until 1836 when there were 100 different churches in the city (most built after 1500).

History

Zurich is one of the oldest cities in Switzerland. It was founded in 1191 and has been ruled by the House of Habsburg from 1415 until 1798 when it became part of the French Empire. After being taken over by the Swiss Confederation in 1815, Zurich became its capital city. In 1848, it separated from Bern to become an independent canton located on Lake Zurich (in German called "Seez"). Zurich's old town contains buildings from all time periods since its founding, including the 14th century Fraumunster cathedral and Stadelhofen town hall with its Renaissance façade. Of several Swiss cultural icons, the most famous are probably those related to William Tell and Wilhelm Tell stories. Don't forget to see the Grossmunster. It's a Protestant church in the old town of Zurich, and it's one of Switzerland's most-visited tourist attractions. It was built between 1220 and 1273 by local craftsmen as a Romanesque basilica with three naves. The choir was only completed after 1450, when high Gothic elements were added to the Gothic style building. The church became part of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1983 due to its architectural value and historical significance; it has been described as "the most important late Romanesque building north of the Alps."

Where is Located Zurich & Geography

Zurich, at an elevation of 408 m (1,339 ft), is located in north-central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich. The city is a railway hub and has a port on the lake. The municipality of Zurich includes three large former municipalities: Oerlikon, Seebach and Enge.

Climate

The climate is moderate, with average temperatures in summer of 22 degrees Celsius and in winter a mere 5 degrees. The average annual rainfall is 460mm per year.

Economy

The economy of Zurich is considered to be one of the most important in Switzerland. As a global city, it has a large number of international banking and financial institutions, many insurance companies are headquartered there too including UBS and Credit Suisse. Its location in the heartland of Europe makes it an ideal base for doing business with the EU countries and even beyond. The strong economic performance of Zurich can also be attributed to its high income per capita and low unemployment rate, which at just 0.8% compares favorably with other cities such as London (4%) or Paris (10%).

Politics

Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland, with a population of 1.8 million people. It is also the capital of the canton of Zürich and the seat of the Swiss Federal Government. The city was founded around 1240 as an alliance between two cantons: Lucerne and Uri, with Zurich becoming their capital in 1353 when they were united into one country under Emperor Charles IV (1316-1378). The name of "Zurich" comes from an old German word meaning "blue" (the color) or "piglet" (the animal). In 1699, Zurich tried to become independent from Habsburg Austria but failed after being defeated by French troops at nearby Winterthur. In 1798, Napoleon's armies invaded Switzerland but his invasion was stopped by Austrian forces led by General Friedrich Freiherr von Hotze during a battle near Zürich-Wiedikon on September 25th; today this battle site is marked by an obelisk known as Marschallstab ("Marshal Staff").

Education

Higher education in Switzerland is mainly provided by public and private universities. There are two types of university institutions in Switzerland: traditional universities and federal institutes of technology (FITs). The former can be either cantonal or federal, while the latter are owned and operated by the Swiss Confederation. The oldest university in Switzerland is the University of Basel, founded in 1460. In total there are seven universities with full-time programs taught completely in English: University of Geneva, University of Lausanne, University of St. Gallen, ETH Zurich (the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology), EPFL (the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne), HEC Montréal (Hautes Études Commerciales) Canada; and McGill University Canada. There are also over 30 International Bachelor's degrees available for exchange students at various foreign universities including United States Universities such as MIT Cambridge Massachusetts USA; Princeton New Jersey USA; NYU New York City USA; Columbia University New York City USA; Duke North Carolina USA; Georgetown Washington DC USA Stanford California USA etc...

Universities and Colleges

University of Zurich: The University of Zurich is the largest university in Switzerland and one of the most prestigious universities in Europe. With more than 30,000 students and over 1,000 professors, you'll be sure to find your niche at this elite institution. ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology): You'll find it hard not to be impressed by the stature that ETH Zurich holds around the globe as it's consistently ranked among the world's best universities for technical studies like architecture and engineering by QS World University Rankings. University of Teacher Education: If teaching is your calling then head on over to this school where you can earn a degree in teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL). It's also known for offering courses across many different subjects including art history and languages so if those are up your alley then give them a chance! University of Applied Sciences and Arts (Zurich): Students who want an international education without having their wallets drained need look no further than this institution where they can get a quality education while staying close enough to home that they won't run out too quickly during lunch breaks or breaks between classes!

Culture

Located in a city of culture and art, Zurich is home to one of the largest populations of artists, musicians and writers in Europe. The city is also home to one of the most important art collections in Europe, housed in the Kunsthaus. The city offers free public transportation for anyone with a valid ticket on weekends and holidays between 8am and 8pm

Sport

Zurich is the home of several professional sports teams, most notably FC Zürich, Grasshopper Club Zürich, and ice hockey team ZSC Lions. Zurich also has many other sports facilities for playing tennis, squash or badminton. There is a popular walking trail called "Panorama Loop" which goes from Uetliberg mountain via Hegi Airport to Lake Zurich. The route offers a great view over Zurich and the surrounding area with its hills and lakes.

Museum

• Museum of Design
• Schaulager
• Kunsthaus
• Kunstmuseum
• Landesmuseum
• Stadtmuseum

Media

Zurich has a large number of media outlets, most of which are based in the city. The largest daily newspaper is the Tages-Anzeiger, while the largest weekly newspaper is SonntagsZeitung. The largest monthly magazine is Schweizer Familie, and DRS is Zurich's largest radio station.

Events

ZURICH FILM FESTIVAL The Zurich Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Zurich, Switzerland. The festival was founded in 2001, by Isabelle Stoffel and Dieter Kosslick. It is held at the 'Zurich Kino' cinema and lasts for three days (five days before 2008). The programme consists of newly released international films as well as Swiss premieres and retrospectives of renowned directors. The festival also presents several awards such as the Golden Eye to best film or best performance from all around Europe, a prize for innovation within media art (BIT), which goes to digital artists who have created something new in this field, or a Special Award from their Board of Trustees.

Cuisine

Swiss cuisine is a unique blend of French and German culinary traditions. Cheese, bread, soups and fondues are common in Swiss restaurants. Swiss cheese is a particularly popular treat that can be enjoyed at most restaurants.

Transport

The public transport system in Zurich is extensive and includes buses, trams, trains, boats and a funicular railway. The city's bus network is operated by Verkehrsbetriebe Zürich (VBZ). The VBZ operates more than 200 bus lines on the three main routes in the city: Langstrasse–Kempraten–Dietikon, Bahnhofbrücke-Zentrum–Wollishofen-Altstetten and Hardbrücke-Höngg–Flughafen. It also provides additional services with night buses (midnight to 5:30 am) running every 30 minutes on Friday night/Saturday morning from midnight until 6 a.m., as well as special Sunday service between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.. All vehicles are equipped with free WiFi internet access for passengers

Health

Zurich has a reputation for being a healthy city. Zurich is one of the most expensive cities in the world. In 2016, Zurich was voted "the city with the best quality of life" in the world by Mercer.

Energy

Zurich is a city of energy. It's a city that is constantly evolving; it's open to new ideas and opportunities. Zurich has been the home to many important and influential people who have made an impact on our world, such as Albert Einstein, Friedrich Nietzsche and Carl Gustav Jung. Zurich is a city of innovation and sustainability. It has been recognized as one of the most innovative cities in the world by Forbes magazine for many years running because of its international reputation as a hub for business intelligence, technology development, high-quality services and medical research—all areas where Zürich excels!

Notable People

• Karl Lagerfeld: The fashion designer, who is known for his Chanel collections, has been a resident of Zurich since 1963.
• Arnold Schwarzenegger: This actor and former governor of California was born in 1947 in Thalwil, Switzerland, about 20 minutes outside the city. He moved to Los Angeles at the age of 21 but still owns an apartment in Zurich where his wife Maria Shriver lives part-time when she's not working as a journalist at NBC News.
• Stefanie Heinzmann: Born in Aarau in 1984, this Swiss singer-songwriter became one of the most popular artists on German radio stations after her first appearance on "Das Supertalent." She now lives with her husband and two daughters near Zurich Airport.
• Giovanni Orelli: This Italian actor was born in Milan but moved to Zurich with his family when he was just 4 years old; he has been playing minor roles ever since then! You might recognize him as Gianni (the guy who always gets injured) from "The Big Bang Theory" or Guido (the guy who always gets injured) from "How I Met Your Mother" or maybe even Vito from "The Sopranos"!
• Thomas Bäppler: This Swiss football midfielder played for Borussia Dortmund from 2008 until 2014 before retiring due to injury; during that time he won 6 Bundesliga titles and 2 DFB Cups along with various other awards including being named UEFA Club Footballer Of The Year twice (in 2010/11). Nowadays he works as head coach at FC Zürich U17 team where he also started off his playing career back when he had just graduated high school!"

Zurich is one of the best visiting cities in Europe. Its people are friendly and welcoming, its architecture is unique and charming, and it has a wide variety of things to do.

Please view more Zürich Photos

Boats in Zurich Harbor

Panoramic view of historic Zurich city center with famous Fraumunster, Grossmunster and St. Peter and river Limmat

Fraumunster church, St. Peter church and river Limmat - view from Grossmunster church on a sunny day with clouds in summer, Zurich

Aerial view of historic Zurich city center with famous Fraumunster Church and river Limmat at Lake Zurich from Grossmunster Church

Fraumunster Church from Grossmunster Zurich

Panoramic view of historic Zurich city center with famous Fraumunster, Grossmunster and St. Peter and river Limmat at Lake Zurich on a sunny day with clouds in summer, Canton of Zurich, Switzerland

Grossmunster and the Alps in Zurich

Historical City of Zurich

Panoramic view of historic Zurich city center with famous Fraumunster and Grossmunster Churches and river Limmat at Lake Zurich

Rapperswil as seen from Lake Zurich

Famous Fraumunster, Grossmunster and St. Peter and river Limmat at Lake Zurich

The Grossmünster in Zurich

Tourist Attractions in Zurich

View of historic Zurich city center with famous Fraumunster Church, Limmat river and Zurich lake

Zurich and Alps at Sunset

Zurich City Center Bird Eye View

Zurich City Center

View of the zurich city hall situated on limmat river

Zurich Downtown with Swiss Alps

Zurich in Winter

View of historic Zurich city center with famous Fraumunster Church, Limmat river and Zurich lake from Grossmunster Church

Zurich Main Street