12 Best Things to Do in Zurich Switzerland

12 Best Things to Do in Zurich Switzerland (2024)

12 Best Things to Do in Zurich Switzerland ( 2024)

The largest city in Switzerland, Zurich boasts fascination and charm for travelers. Zurich is a good base that lies in the neighborhood of the Black Forest area of Germany. You will find a plethora of the best things to do in Zurich like lots of artwork inside our museums, a well-preserved historical town lined up with Renaissance and medieval buildings, and several museums.

So, art fanciers will love to spend their weekend in Zurich, Switzerland. Also, Zurich is among the first-rate cities to take a tour of and a perfect spot to explore on foot although it encounters continuous business activities.

As the largest city in Switzerland, it is located on the coastlines of a sparkling lake namely the eponymous lake. There are cool nighttime sites and substantial pricey shops in Altstadt.

The splendid lake and the rivers in the city offer superior waters for swimming.

So, check out the list of best things to do in Zurich, Switzerland, below.

Table of Contents
1. Lake Zurich
2. Zurich Zoo
3. Swiss National Museum
4. Bahnhofstrasse
5. Lindenhof
6. Grossmunster
7. Zurich Opera House
8. Zurich-West
9. Uetilberg

10. Niederdorf
11. Rietberg Museum
12. Schanzengraben

1. Lake Zurich

Lake Zurich is a focal point for local people and visitors alike. Locals plan picnics, go jogging, swim in the lake, and grasp the sun on the whole coastline lined up with parks and promenades. Its favorite playground will absolutely impress you.

The lake is packed with a plethora of best things to do while visiting Zurich, Switzerland. So, get the most out of it. Zurichhorn Park is a pretty park that is situated approximately 15 km from Bellevueplatz. The river is crossed by the Quaikbrucke which links the Burkiplatz with Belleveuplatz.

You will witness a boat quay for the Limmatchiff, a restaurant, a boat operating beside the river from the National Museum, ceasing at Zurihorn, and a Chinese Garden. Additionally, guests enjoy the lake by opting for one of the cruises to soak up the graceful views of the Glarus Alps.

While taking the sightseeing promenade on the edge of the east coastline in the Seefeld quarter, you will discover different crafts and numerous yachts during summer. Therefore, try these things to do in Lake Zurich.

Lake Zurich

2. Zurich Zoo

Zurich Zoo counts among the finest tourist attractions in Switzerland, and Europe, inhabiting over 360 various animal species in unique settings. The zoo is operated by trains and trams from the Paradeplatz and the major train station. It is situated at Zurichbergstrasse 221, Zurich.

Also, the zoo maintains the highest moral standards in arranging animal tours for visitors. There is much phenomenal space for animals to roam as the design of habitats is carefully designed. You can see the Asian elephant family that resembles the Thai habitat in the Kaeng Krachan Elephant Park while swimming in the outside multiple-environment complex.

While strolling through the park you can watch penguins swim in the cold water and snow leopards in the rocky Himalayan panorama mid. Moreover, tourists can spot underwater areas during a dip.

Zurich Zoo

3. Swiss National Museum

The Swiss National Museum resembles a castle-like building that boasts the culture of Switzerland. Its Swiss cultural and historic artifacts contain over 820,000 collections that enfold a wide variety of subjects dating back to the 20th century.

Guests will find a huge collection of carved altars, triptychs from churches, and wooden images that stretch into the Renaissance. Like old stained glass, its medieval time’s wall paintings are specifically an area of interest.

Tourists will also look at the divisions of the previous armory and artwork in the gallery. Plus, there is a complete collection of textiles, metalwork, clocks, costumes, watches, clocks, crafts, industrial antiques, sleighs, jewelry, etc. here.

Therefore, so many things to do for visitors to these castle-like Gothic premises. Masterful Gothic art is a well-representation of medieval eras.

A sequence of decorations and furnishings has also gone through refurbishments as per tastes and needs. So, the Swiss National Museum is one of the finest tourist spots in Switzerland, Europe.

Swiss National Museum

4. Bahnhofstrasse

Bahnhofstrasse is among the high-priced shopping streets around the world. Surprisingly, a tram network is used for the street and you will find no traffic there. It must be said that wealth in Zurich is ostentatiously spent on Bahnhofstrasse.

You can do the best things such as visiting top-notch goods, fashions, decked widows, jewelry, buildings, and furs in this popular tourist spot. So, the square has plenty of stuff to offer for guests.

Expanding from the major train station to Burkliplatz, Bahnhofstrasse the main street of Zurich is discovered on foot. Also, public art, fountains, and trees in this most captivating 1200-meter street add to the appeal.

There is a massive mall beneath the building lined up with shops. Moreover, the Hotel Savoy Baur en Ville and Paradeplatz is located in the lower portion of Bahnhofstrasse.

Bahnhofstrasse

5. Lindenhof

A tranquil place nowadays, Lindenhof showcases a bustling history previously. Lindenhof is a tree-shaded hill that rose steeply between the Limmats’s left bank and the Bahnhofstrasse.

Historically a Roman fortress was built later by a German, Louise, as his palace during the 9th century.

On the right bank of the old quarters in Zurich, this heightened place allows visitors to discern the Grossmunster Church, the Limmat’s waterfront, the skyline City Hall, and the university.

So, different landmarks are viewed from it around the Old District and the river. Even after the disappearance of its structure including across the park buildings, yet, important ceremonies were held over here.

Afterward, in 1798, the oath was taken here to confirm the Helvetic Constitution. So, do not miss out on these things in Zurich to visit.

Lindenhof

6. Grossmunster

Grossmunster, the principal church of Zurich sits on an open slope over the river and subjugates the skyline by having twin towers.

Make sure to visit the Gothic Wall paintings ruins of the Romanesque capital, the Late Romanesque cloister, and both the two fashionable bronze doors built in 1935-36. In 1933, Augusto Giacometti designed these intensely deep colored windows with glasswork in the choir.

Moreover, in 1487, the tower’s upper levels were constructed, and later on, in 1748 were added the domed tops.

Grossmunster

7. Zurich Opera House

In the 1890s, the sumptuous Neoclassical Opera House was built. It won a prize at the occasion of International Opera Awards in 2014 under accolading continuous garnering.

There is a majestic Revival hall and German-speaking visits relating to the inside. Popular cultural Icons such as Schiller, Shakespear, Mozart, Wagner, and Weber have blown on the face of the building, and that can easily be noticed in only two minutes in the square.

Fellner and Helmer are the productive Viennese architects who envisioned those premises.

8. Zurich-West

Zurich-West is a trendy town these days on account of its design, dining enchants, contemporary art, and shopping. A favorite spot for honeymooners, If you have a craze to see the stylish and creative aspects of Zurich, then go to that specific industrial jurisdiction.

Therefore, it underwent a reinvention from a previous position. Migros Museum and Kunsthalle Zurich both of which are packed with contemporary art. Also, the Viadukt is a blockbuster in Zurich-west constructed in 1894.

Here, you will witness brick arches loaded with fashionable shops, restaurants, and bars. Furthermore, jump over another trademark of the renaissance of Zurich-west namely Bahnhof Hardbrucke, the 2nd longest skyscraper in Switzerland.

Zurich-West

9. Uetilberg

Tourists have been able to grasp a train to reach the mountain summit from the city hub since 1875. So, you will access the peak to the southwest in a matter of minutes from the station on Uetlibertg.

Here, you will be rewarded with blue ribbon views over a backdrop of the lake, rivers, and the snow-covered Alps in Zurich. On a day trip, visitors can do the best thing here like hiking in the woodland. A cable car facility is available between Adliswil and Felsennegg, but If you have enough energy, go hiking back down to the city slope.

Additionally, you will find a hotel and restaurant at the summit. When the winter begins, just through the tallest buildings, guests can explore the region, as the peak masks the city over a fog layering.

10. Niederdorf

The region of Niederdorf is among the streets and squares of medieval times. It is located under the towers of the Grossmunster in the neighborhood. A lively site to take a tour of cafes, boutiques, and cafes.

Niederdorf is packed with top things to do in Zurich including boarding on the Dolderbahn railway, the introduction of the city format, and a general review of enchanting Old Town narrow streets that rise steeply to the east of the river.

It takes at least two hours to see the highlights of Zurich, Switzerland. The locals in Zurich, often give it the name Dorfli and its atmosphere of cobblestone streets speaks itself of this tight lattice. Your guide can tell its pre-historic history in a much better way.

Here, the Middle Ages Hans Zum Rech showcases a change in decorative styles over centuries. These streets highlight antique restaurants, cafes, and antique shops and boutiques.

Grimmenturm of the 13th century was primarily a residence at number 27. However, there are different spots to visit in Niederdorf.

Niederdorf

11. Rietberg Museum

Rietberg Museum is home to an excellent collection of Baron Eduard von der Heydt. In Rome, it was modeled as a Neoclassical villa on the Villa Albani.

The only museum in Switzerland featuring non-European art that encompasses the collections of Buddhist stele, Tibetan temple bronzes, Asian ceramics and Jade, and Chinese grave decorations.

The Rieter Park is an English panorama garden in which the villa stands. German industrialists built the villa in 1857, so, Zurich intellectuals made it a meeting place.

If you want to arrange a lunch in the Rieterpark, you will be offered picnic baskets in the museum cafe during summer. So, these are some of the good things to do in Zurich, Switzerland.

Therefore, the museum has different fun things for visitors in the area. You will also explore collections from African masks, bronzes, and carvings and the North American, Eastern, and Pacific arts. Nevertheless, it boasts massive archives.

Rietberg Museum

12. Schanzengraben

The city’s historic moat was redesigned in 1880, for the arrangement of the seafront as leisure. Schanzengraben’s construction began in 1642 and still it was incomplete till 1678.

Go for a serene stroll down to the lake, two meters below the remaining city, through a stepladder down to the moat side. This is where a Botanical Garden’s small branch exists along with two hectares of labeled trees and flowerbeds and people have used Katz bastion over here.

When tourists sail through this zigzagging seafront they will also experience the preceding bastions which enable the revamping of Zurich.

Schanzengraben

Where to Stay: Best Hotels in Zurich

Read More:

Top ten Places to Visit in Switzerland.

9 Best Hotels to Stay in Switzerland.

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8 Comments

  1. What a beautiful and historic city with so many unique things to do! I loved Zurich and can’t wait to go back one day.

  2. Gorgeous! I am normally not a big fan of spending a long time in cities, but Zurich looks like a blast… although having said that, out of all these ideas, Uetlibertg looks like the best bit. 😉

  3. These look like some fantastic things to do in Zurich. It’s a city I would love to visit one day so I’m keeping this guide handy! The Rietberg Museum looks especially fascinating! Thanks for the great guide!

  4. I would LOVE to visit Zurich some day! It looks absolutely breathtaking and like such an adorable town to explore. 🙂

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