With apologies to a couple of friends who made it their home in recent years, Zurich is nice, not more than that. It does not possess a wealth of monuments or significant architecture pieces, counting on being charming rather than impressive. Although I habitually put it on top of the list of European cities I would not mind relocating to (on the strength of both its location in the center of Western Europe and its significant job market in my particular field), I cannot convincingly designate a must-see spot in all of the city.
All of my favorite sights of Zurich are views of the riverbanks of Limmat, which separates the core of the city into roughly the “old town” and the “financial district”. Banks’ buildings may be stately and remarkable in their own fashion, but they are well hidden by the pretty houses and churches that line up the quays, so you probably would not be able to tell which side is which. Not that you need to.
The last picture is of the twin towers of Grossmünster, the dominating feature of Zurich’s skyline.
Climbing up one of the towers for a commanding view over the city, the lake and to the surrounding mountains is one thing I would recommend to any visitor to Zurich.
I don’t plan to go back to Zurich anytime very soon, but surprisingly, looking at the pictures, I feel a bit of a pull…