Discover a charming itinerary, excellent addresses and tour ideas to make the most of your stay in Zürich.
Whether you only make a short 24-hour stopover in Zurich, or whether you stop for a weekend to discover its charms, you'll find something to flatter your senses. A few hours are enough, but a few days... That's better! Come, stroll with me, and you will spend a wonderful day in Zürich!
Arriving in Zurich
There you are, you've arrived at Zürich Central Station with stars in your eyes. You have been able to admire Niki de Saint Phalle's beautiful angel at close quarters in the main hall and of course taste Luxemburgerli, the Swiss macaroons of one of the most renowned Swiss chocolate confectioners, Sprüngli (believe me, they are worth every precious cent of Swiss francs spent).
So what do we do now? Here's my plan of action for your visit to Zurich, with some great addresses and ideas for a visit!
Breakfast in Zürich
Are you more of a brunch or coffee and croissants guy? Before you head out to the old town... Coffee and croissants! That's how we start our days around here. So if you want to be fashionable here, why not stop by the Café Noir, a little less than ten minutes from the train station. This small, quiet and pleasant establishment offers you a succulent home-roasted coffee. It is one of the most popular coffee shops in the city, and you can also buy your own original ground coffee here. Crowded? Take it to go!
Discover the treasures of Niederdorf, Zurich's old town.
Required? In an hour and a half, you'll be lost and lost again in the heart of Niederdorf and back at the station (in time!), ready to embark again for other mysterious destinations.
If you stop by train at the Hauptbahnhof (the main railway station, named Zürich HB), you are literally a stone's throw away from the old town of Zürich, Niederdorf. With a hundred narrow streets that cross each other in a very elegant way, it offers you a thousand surprises: monuments, beautiful walls, elaborate signs, and small shops with pretty shopfronts, various snacks and the observation of people passing by.
Have a coffee in the high place of Dadaism, at the Cabaret Voltaire.
Nothing, of course, prevents you from strolling a little longer within these beautiful walls. Why not stop, for example, for a cup of coffee (a ristretto) at Cabaret Voltaire? Yes, in Switzerland, we love our coffee!
A gourmet break at the colonial store H. Schwarzenbach
A few steps away from the Cabaret Voltaire, you will discover an institution of another kind: the colonial store H. Schwarzenbach, which, set up there since 1864 (just that?) imports food from the four corners of the world for the finest pleasure of our taste buds. Going there is already a breath of fresh air from two centuries ago! The store retains its old-fashioned accents, which couldn't be more in tune with today's tastes. A taste for a few dried or dried fruits will certainly not ruin you and, if you have travelled there, will offer you a welcome return to other lands by the taste. I couldn't resist the mangoes from Thailand, do you think! And ah, what a trip...
Experience the Zurich rush hour at Paradeplatz
Zürich is also its serious, terribly hurried and well-dressed people, mixed with its joyfully frivolous and I don't care people. The most delicious mixture! To see them all, to let yourself be exhilarated by a completely Swiss rush hour, start at lunchtime (11:30) from the main station (Zürich HB) and walk down Bahnhofstrasse until you reach the emblematic Paradeplatz.
There you will discover an impressively designed square, which is particularly popular with banks (it is the most expensive district in the Swiss Monopoly), but also a jumble of trams and people passing each other in all directions. The world loves them, the beautiful trams of Zurich.
Lunch in a trendy brewery with the people of Zürich
Why not end the morning with a trendy lunch? Restaurant Korner, just a few steps from Paradeplatz, has adopted the gourmet burger concept. It offers a delicious, home-cooked and daily (of course!) minced meat (100% Swiss Highland beef), local products, a selection of exquisite sauces and, to top it all off, a trendy but heterogeneous atmosphere between ties and trainers. The people of Zürich are all there.
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