Zurich

Zwingliplatz

Old Romanesque church, symbol of reformed Zurich, where reformer Huldrych Zwingli was appointed the people's priest in 1519. Go up the tower for a great view of Zurich, though the stairs can be quite small and steep.

Kämbelgasse 2· Cheap

Old Gothic church (former convent) with window paintings made by Marc Chagall. No photos or videos allowed inside.

A small canal that used to be part of the city fortifications between Limmat and Sihl. From the main station, go to Gessnerallee, find the stairways down to the tiny creek, and walk all the way to the lake.

One of the busiest and best-known shopping streets in the world. Highly refined. Certainly a must-see for every tourist in Zurich!

The hill in the heart of the old town. A beautiful view of the city and one time location of a Roman fort.

Especially during summer, the lake is a beautiful place to spend the evening or the weekend. Starting from Bellevue, the boardwalk goes for about three kilometers along the lake towards Tiefenbrunnen.

Central 1· Free

A 19th-century funicular, up the steep hill for a fine view. Starts at tram station Central and goes up to the ETH. Nice terrace up there. During the week, the student cafeteria below the terrace is also open to the public.

· Free

The biggest open air techno rave in Europe. It happens one day each year on the second Saturday of August, during which trucks which function as mobile soundsystems ("Love mobiles") start driving along the lake side, starting from the east…

· Free

If you go to Zurich during summer take your swimwear with you. The clean river at both the public river baths "Oberer Letten" (mainly youngsters) and "Unterer Letten" (also families) is used by the locals to cool down after hot days.

With one of the two old steam ships. There are a few different routes you can choose from, which will vary mainly in the distance. Journeys usually start from Bürkliplatz. Steam ships operate between April and mid-October.

Landesmuseum Pier· Free

Offers views of the old town and Lake Zurich. Operates between April and October.

near Helvetiaplatz· Moderate

A typical Swiss restaurant with good food and cold beer. It is located in the Red Light District (Langstrasse) of Zurich and is not the ideal place to bring children or acquaintances.

Seeanlaga Utoquai

Part of the Restaurant Pumpstation is located direct at the lake promenade (south of Banhof Stadelhofen). From April–October, serves fresh grilled sausages, ribs, and chicken

Theaterstrasse 22

Zurich's most famous sausage stand near Bellevue tram stop. Red or white sausages (Aug 2015), a piece of bread and (hot!) mustard is included.

Limmatquai 16

Pizzas and pastas in a relaxed setting. Check website for more locations.

at the beginning of the Niederdorf, near Central

In this huge and boisterous restaurant you get good value food and rich portions (only try the Jumbo Jumbo Cordon-Bleu when really hungry). Cheap beer. Service can range from very good to poor depending who is working that day.

Niederdorfstrasse 4

A nice Turkish place with remarkably good kebab, friendly service, and possibility to seat conveniently inside.

Oberdorfstrasse 7

A good hotel for the price. The rooms have been decorated with the kind of care that one normally expects in a much more expensive hotel, each with its own theme.

Rosengasse 5

This hotel is relatively cheap. The rooms are clean but spare. Private showers and bathrooms are not available, you share with your floor. What is really great is the location, right close to the Gemüsebrücke and the city centre.for a…

Zurich West· Expensive

This hotel is in a great place if you want to party, next to some great bars and restaurants. The rooms are clean and comfortable. It's also near a tram station, which takes 10 minutes to get to the main train station.

2-kilometre, 15-minute tram ride from the centre· Pricey

A little way out of the centre, but the city is easily reached by public transport (take the S-Bahn to Wollishofen and walk over the hill). A clean and sleek facility, if a little quiet.

Zähringerstrasse 36

A "clean and friendly" place which doubles as a hostel and a one-star hotel. They also have weekly and monthly rates for rooms, and a couple of studio apartments.

Has a lot of members in Zurich. Public transport is very fast and good, so also consider staying in surrounding areas instead of in the city centre. Remember that couchsurfing is about the community and not only a free place to crash.