Day: 91-93 Km Travelled: 394.1 Steps:14000 Location: Zurich, Switzerland
December 6-8, 2017
My entry into Switzerland was as unique as the country itself. I hopped on a bus from Munich to Zürich, and, in order to cross from the German side to Switzerland, the bus had to take a ferry. I was on a bus (double-decker by the way) that was on a ferry that was on a lake! How exciting is that (can you tell I don’t get out much? Well, before September that is!)
Zürich was my entry point into Switzerland, a country I was excited to visit. Save the best for last, right? Zürich is the largest Swiss city, with an agglomerated population of 1.3 million. It’s located in the north of the country, 408 meters above sea level. Founded by the Romans (Romans again; they really did get around, didn’t they?) about 2000 years ago, there is evidence of some earlier settlements dating back more than 6400 years ago! Can you believe it?
The Limmat river originates from Lake Zürich at the southeast end of the city and flows through the centre of town. Most of the main tourist sites are situated around the river. As you can see, Zürich gets little snow and the day (and I) was blessed with sunshine! This was the first time I had seen the sun since I left Spain 2 weeks ago! I made sure to take full advantage and spent the entire day wandering the streets. Over the course of my travels, I’ve come to terms with the inescapable fact that I am very sensitive to the weather; meaning cold and rainy = cranky Julie! Ok, ok, I’m sure that’s the same for everyone, however I am more energized, enjoy travelling and am more enthusiastic about this whole adventure when there’s sunshine. I intended to overdose on vitamin D, in case I didn’t see the sun again for some time (although I read that St Moritz gets 300 days of sunshine every year so there was hope…).
One of Zürich’s main attraction is Bahnhofstrasse, 1.4km of wealth and luxury. Its considered one of the world’s most expensive and exclusive shopping avenues. You name it, this street’s got it. It is also a largely pedestrian street, which makes it the perfect venue for shopping. Or window shopping in my case!
Towards the end of Bahnhofstrasse (bahnhoff = train/bus station & strasse=street) is Paradeplatz, one of the most famous squares in Switzerland. It’s popular as the two biggest Swiss banks, UBS and the Credit Suisse Group, have their headquarters there. It is also famous for a sweeter reason; it’s the location of an immensely popular Swiss chocolate shop & cafe, Confiserie Sprüngli.
Obviously, one cannot come to Switzerland and not go into a chocolate shop. I’m not sure, but I think that would actually be against the law. Not daring to take a chance, I went in. Oh boy! Chocoholics rejoice (which actually I am not…)! Founded in 1836, its claim to fame is a mini macaron called “Luxemburgerli”. I tried the salted caramel one (obviously!) and immediately understood why the company makes over 100million in sales each year!
I also sampled the champagne truffle, because again, obviously!
Interestingly enough, there’s a sort of folk legend about the Sprüngli cafe: As it was traditionally the meeting-place of the elderly ladies of Zürich’s upper class, it’s reported that young men who attend the café alone may signal their availability to these well-to-do women by turning over their coffee spoons in their cups. But according to the company’s director, this is a persistent myth reflecting Zürich’s more puritanical past, when the Sprüngli café was one of the few places where upper-class women could talk to strangers without risking their reputation. Just in case there was some truth behind this legend, I had a quick look around yet didn’t see any overturned spoons…
I did, however, see another dashing man. Seems even Santa needs a chocolate fix once in a while!
I wandered through the alstadt (old town), where shops and restaurants line the narrow cobblestone streets.
I eventually ended up at the lindenhof, a hilltop gathering place, built on the site of a former Roman fort. It offers spectacular views overlooking the city & river. It also has giant chess boards, which were in full and enthusiastic use during my visit.
The view from the lindenhof: beautiful! (below)
There was one thing I kept noticing all over Zürich: fountains! It seemed that every block had some type of fountain, from elaborate to quirky. Many other European cities have an abundance of fountains, remnants from the days when it was the main water source for the population. However, Zürich was the first city I’ve seen that continues to actively use these fountains. The water is fresh and clean, perfectly potable. No need to buy bottled water, just fill up as needed!
And so ended my time in Zürich. I hoped on a train, ready to explore my next Swiss destination: Interlaken!