Photos of Zurich, Switzerland

Part of my 2011 European travel adventures

Zurich (German Zürich) is Switzerland's biggest city, but not its capital city. Nevertheless, it feels like a capital. It's the center of the Swiss banking, insurance and financial services as well as biotechnology, life sciences, medical technologies and IT. The metropolitan area around Zurich is one of the economically most developed areas in Europe enjoying one of the highest standards on the continent. Zurich is definitely rich - not only financially, but also in culture and history.

1. My impression of Zurich

Zurich is one of the most pleasant cities I've ever been to. It's relatively small and compact in its core, but it has a lot of suburbs, that are stretching out all over the region. The prettiest part is along the river Limmat, that's neatly dividing the city in two parts before it disappears in the beautiful Lake Zurich. Living near that lake must be like living in paradise, I do not want to even think about how expensive it must be to have a house with such view and so close to Zurich. The medieval center is relatively small in comparison with Vienna's or Munich's, but completely intact. The city is also very clean and has a very good public transportation. Unfortunately, I only spent 3 days here on business and had little time to explore all the hidden gems the city offers. Nevertheless, I was able to take a stroll around the historic part and that's what I'd like to share with you.

2. My photos of Zurich

This is the Kloten airport inside.

The train from Zurich airport to Zurich main station.

Inside the Zurich main station.

Swiss National Museum building right next to the main station.

Walking from main to the center.

The S-Bahn trains are dominating the roads.

Finally reaching the river Limmat.

Zurich's famous skyline.

Houses near the river Limmat.

The Predigerkirche and the nearby Central Library (Zentralbibliothek).

Seagull's standing in line near the river Limmat.

View on the other side of the river.

Two famous landmarks drew my attention.

This is the St. Peter's Church dating back to the 10th century.

What stands out is the huge clock on the tower.

It happens to be the largest clock face in Europe, 8.64m wide.

Nearby you can find the pointy Fraumünster church, part of the nearby abbey.

The abbey dates back to the 9th century.

This is the famous Grossmünster (Great minster) from the 12th century.

The roundly shaped tops of the towers were added in the 18th century.

3. Zurich lake

A view on the Zurich lake from one of my earlier trips.

4. Zurich in conclusion

Zurich definitely won't disappoint you, if you're into history and a laid-back ambiance. Personally, I'm a big Switzerland fan, I'm fascinated by how well this country is organized and developed, despite being so small, diverse and complex. If you ever come to Central Europe, Zurich should definitely be on your list of cities to visit. I've seen it two times so far and I always had a good time. I hope that next time I can see more of Zurich's outskirts, the whole region is very beautiful.