Zurich is a cosmopolitan city nestled on Lake Zurich with distinct neighborhoods to explore
Zurich Tips:
Switzerland is very expensive. I am a hustler and usually am able to do trips pretty cheaply (even in Australia), but Switzerland was shockingly expensive, so be prepared
A lot of places have limited hours in Zurich. Sundays are extremely quiet in the city and a lot of places are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays as well
If you are flying in or out of Zurich it is a very easy train ride to/from the airport that takes 10 minutes and costs ~$7
Trainline is my favorite website to book European train tickets through. They also have an app so you can quickly and easily buy tickets while on the go abroad
Zurich is quite small. There are some distinct neighborhoods to check out but overall a day or two is sufficient time to see it all
Personally I did not love Zurich as much as some other European cities. It lacked character to me and felt a little blah overall—if you’re only making one stop in Switzerland I would recommend Lucerne! Check out my Lucerne recommendations here!
Adventures & Ales Top Zurich Recommendations:
The International Beer Bar: A very fun spot with 8 taps and a plethora of bottles. The beer selection is fantastic, the staff is super nice, and they have a little outside patio as well. My favorite spot in Zurich!
Frau Gerolds Garden: A fun beer garden in a shipping container development. As a heads up the beer garden closes based on weather
Eldorado Craft Beer Bar: A chill spot with 101 beers, four of which are on tap. Occasionally they have live music as well
Vineria Centrale: A cozy Italian bar with tasty food and a lively atmosphere
Wander Zurich-West: An industrial neighborhood with lots of cool bars and restaurants to pop into
Top Touristy Spots in Zurich Actually Worth Visiting:
Wander District 1, the center part of Zurich with winding cobblestone streets
Across the river the Niederdorf area has more bars and restaurants than District 1
Lindenhof Hill: A nice spot for views of the city
Zurich has lots of nice clock towers. The Church of Saint Peter and Fraumünster Church both have nice ones to see!
Hang out at Lake Zurich. Get out on the water or sit along the banks
Grossmünster Church: Pay 5 Euros or Swiss Francs (cash only) to go up the tower. It is quite a lot of steps to get to the top but provides the best views of the city and lake
Be sure to check out the colorful status men out front at the church as well
Swiss National Museum: It has high reviews but was closed while I was in town
The International Beer Bar
Other Things to do in Zurich:
Spend a morning at Rhinefall: A waterfall about an hour north of the city. There are two sides to the falls, Neuhausen and Schloss Laufen, I chose to visit the Neuhausen side, but you can do either and there is also a long bridge connecting the two sides that you can cross to visit both if you want. The falls are pretty but it was touristy overall
There is a castle on the Schloss Laufen side so I chose Neuhausen so I could see the castle alongside the falls. There are also lots of benches, a restaurant at the falls, and boat tours on the Neuhausen side. The town of Neuhausen itself is slightly larger as well.
A round trip train ticket from Zurich is ~$50. It is about a 15 minute walk to the falls from Neuhausen station with clear signs to guide you
While here you can hop on a quick bus to the neighboring town of Schaffhausen, ten minutes away. It is a little bit bigger and has some spots for lunch, but it’s nothing too special
Ambrosi: A slightly more affordable Italian restaurant with tasty food
Andorra: Another beer bar with a solid selection
Sasu Juice Bar: A good spot for a healthy lunch or smoothie
Brauerei Steinfels: A very swanky brewery with six house beers and a list of Brlo beers from neighboring Germany. They have a food menu, but as a heads up the kitchen has limited hours. There are fun neon lights all around the space and the beers were solid, but the service I received was sub-par
Bauschanzli Beer Garden: It looks like a cool spot on the water but it was closed while they were setting up for Oktoberfest while I was visiting unfortunately
