Things To Do In Zurich

Switzerland's main city - Zurich - has got the crowd, noise and stress of any thriving city. But what makes it stand out is the unique activities you can experience here. From a funicular train ride to a variety of museums, plenty of modern and historic architecture along with green escapes too, there are many things to do in Zurich. It has the charm of a small town with the facilities and convenience of a big city - a deadly combination! Visit Zurich to experience the best of Swiss history, culture, art and architecture.

Zurich Lake is surrounded by hills from almost all sides and is indeed a picturesque spot. Apart from its serenity, it offers many activities such as swimming, standup paddle, sailing etc that you can enjoy on the lake. You can also find a secluded spot in the tiny island of Lützelau and Ufenau and have a picnic there. If you explore the locales around the lake you will also find the Alpamare, which is Europe's largest covered water park and the wooden footbridge between Hurden and Rapperswil and a beautiful church near Lachen. You can also visit the Lindt chocolate factory at Kilchberg.

Exploring a new city is also fun, but what makes it more exciting is if you do it in style! You can explore Zurich on a segway or an e-bikeboard! A 2-3 hour tour is enough time to have an enjoyable evening. Visit the lake, the city centre, old town and gape at the beautiful street art, enjoy the hustle-bustle of the shopping streets and take in the aroma of cafes - all the while viewing beautiful architecture. The bikeboard is faster than a segway anyone from 14 years or above is allowed to drive this eco-friendly bike.

If you love animals, you definitely must stop at the Zurich zoo which has over 380 species of animals. They also have different exhibits with natural-like habitats created, such as the Masoala Rainforest and even Australia. Visit the Kaeng Krachan Elephant Park to interact up close with the large mammals. The zoo is open all throughout the year. It is one of the best zoos in Europe!

A river-cruise on the Limmat is an interesting way to view some of the best sights of Zurich's Old Town. The cruise operates between April and October and passes by places like Zurich's Town Hall, Grossmünster Church, historical guild houses, the Lindenhof and more. A roundtrip would take about 50 minutes.

Zurich has some very interesting museums and doing a tour of these museums is a lovely way to spend your day! Apart from the Swiss National Museums, you can also visit the Watch Museum, Fifa World Football Museum, Zoological Museum, Zurich Tram Museum and art museums like the Kunsthaus Zürich, Museum Haus Konstruktiv, Migros Museum of Contemporary Art. There are plenty more to visit depending on your interests.

The Opernhause Zurich, as it is known in German, is the Opera House of Zurich which is a must-visit for anyone who loves the theatre. It is one of the best in the world but a small one compared to other well-known theatres. It seats around 1100 people and puts up about 250 shows every year. They have a huge variety in their programming too - from plays, musicals and ballets. Look up the event list on their website before visiting Zurich so that you can book your seats in advance.

The Botanical Garden is located in the University of Zurich and is also known as Botanischer Garten. It is home to 7000 different flora and fauna. While you can visit it all year round, the best time would be during spring when most of the flowers are in bloom. The garden is not laid out like most other botanical gardens and has a natural feel to it. You will get to experience a variety of colours, shapes and smells and get to see many wild plant species. There's also a small water garden that gets filled with frogs during the spring!

The Dolderbahn is a 1.3km railway track (also known as a funicular) that takes you to the top of the Adilsberg hill. The ride is just about 5 minutes and more like a joy-ride! The hill is a quick getaway from the hustle-bustle of the city and provides few hours of serenity. You can take the train back down or even hike or bike down if you are up for it. There are trains every 10 to 15 minutes that carry about 100 passengers.