{"id":23810,"date":"2026-03-03T09:39:47","date_gmt":"2026-03-03T09:39:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/23810\/"},"modified":"2026-03-03T09:39:47","modified_gmt":"2026-03-03T09:39:47","slug":"the-10-best-things-to-see-and-do-in-zurich-city-centre","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/23810\/","title":{"rendered":"The 10 Best Things To See And Do In Z\u00fcrich City Centre"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s easy to see why Zurich<\/a> is considered one of the world\u2019s most liveable cities. Switzerland<\/a>\u2019s wealthy capital is set around a lake and a river, with the elegant Old Town at its heart, and culture that ranges from traditional chocolate to striking modern art, including stained-glass windows by Marc Chagall.
Walk around the Old Town <\/p>\n

Historical Landmark<\/p>\n

\"UniversityJohn Disandolo \/ Unsplash <\/p>\n

Z\u00fcrich\u2019s Old Town \u2013 known as the Altstadt \u2013 encompasses what was the entire city before 1893. Cobbled and flagstone lanes lead you around landmarks such as the Grossm\u00fcnster cathedral and Fraum\u00fcnster church (see below), rows of towering 17th-century buildings with multi-coloured facades, and a stone bridge across the River Limmat. Join the Zurich Old Town Walking Tour to learn the origins of Switzerland\u2019s biggest city and get the lowdown on famous Zurich citizens.<\/p>\n

See the stained-glass windows of Fraum\u00fcnster <\/p>\n

Church<\/p>\n

\"Fraum\u00fcnsterBryan Dijkhuizen \/ Unsplash <\/p>\n

Pioneering modernist artist Marc Chagall designed the Fraum\u00fcnster church\u2019s five stained-glass windows, during the 1960s. In true form, a different vibrant colour has been used on each long and slim pane of glass. The contemporary windows are all the more striking considering the church\u2019s age \u2013 it was founded in 853 by King Louis the German, for his daughter Hildegard. Its Romanesque chancel and high vaulted transept contrast wonderfully with the modern art. <\/p>\n

Take a tour of the Lindt & Spr\u00fcngli Chocolate Factory <\/p>\n

Shop<\/p>\n

\"LindtYves Scheuber \/ Unsplash Live out your Charlie and the Chocolate Factory fantasies at the Lindt Chocolate Factory<\/a>, where tours take you through the manufacturing process and history of Swiss chocolate. In the Chocolate Production room, you\u2019ll see how the world-famous chocolate bars and pralines go from cocoa bean to the product we know and love. For an extra fee, you can participate in a two-to-three-hour workshop and take your handmade treats home with you. See Munch’s paintings at the Kunsthaus <\/p>\n

Museum<\/p>\n

\"KunsthausB\u00fcrkliterrasse \/ Shutterstock Zurich has become a major destination for art lovers. Its Kunsthaus<\/a> gallery is home to the biggest Edvard Munch collection outside of Norway: the founding father of Nordic Expressionism, Munch masterpieces on display include several portraits, and atmospheric landscapes such as \u201cDockyard\u201d. Works in the eclectic Kunsthaus, span from the Middle Ages to contemporary art, with a focus on Swiss art<\/a>. Look out for paintings by Chagall, Picasso, Monet, Backman and Kokoschka. Walk around the B\u00fcrkliterrasse <\/p>\n

Park<\/p>\n

\"GanymedesGeorge Paolo Silva Mota \/ Shutterstock This gathering spot by the lake is set up for relaxation, as you take in the view over Lake Zurich and across to the Alps. Attached to the exclusive shopping boulevard of Bahnhofstrasse<\/a>, the terrace\u2019s tree-shaded benches are a welcome spot to rest your legs after browsing designer fashion brands. The viewpoint also features one of the most famous statues in the city, Ganymede, depicting the Greek God Zeus as a young boy. Become a Culture Tripper! <\/p>\n

Sign up to our newsletter for insider tips and hidden gems.<\/p>\n

\"girl Visit the Grossm\u00fcnster cathedral <\/p>\n

Church<\/p>\n

\"Grossm\u00fcnster,Claudio Schwarz \/ Unsplash <\/p>\n

According to legend, Zurich\u2019s 13th-century landmark cathedral is built on the graves of the city\u2019s patron saints, Felix and Regula. Further along in the Grossm\u00fcnster\u2019s history, it was the breeding ground of the Swiss-German Reformation movement in the first half of the 16th century \u2013 a tale that\u2019s told in the Reformation Museum, located in the cloister. Stand-out features of the building include stained glass windows by Sigmar Polke and bronze doors by Otto M\u00fcnch. <\/p>\n

Hear classical music at Tonhalle <\/p>\n

Concert Hall<\/p>\n

\"TheManuel N\u00e4geli \/ Unsplash <\/p>\n

This exquisite concert hall is one of the most prestigious in Europe, and is the home performance space of the Tonhalle-Orchester, Switzerland\u2018s oldest symphony orchestra (established 1868). Around 100 musicians from 20 countries play here, performing over 100 concerts per season. On the Tonhalle\u2019s calendar there\u2019s a show on almost every night, from classic Schubert to an evening of \u2018literature and music\u2019. <\/p>\n

See the sights on a river cruise <\/p>\n

Building, Museum<\/p>\n

\"Bellevue,Rhiannon Elliott \/ Unsplash Board one of the tourist boats outside the National Museum<\/a> to see Zurich\u2019s Old Town from a new perspective, as you cruise past the Grossm\u00fcnster and the Town Hall all the way down to Lake Z\u00fcrich. A round-trip takes about an hour. Some of the boats have been fitted with glass roofs, so that you can enjoy a leisurely ride in any weather. Look through a giant telescope at Urania Observatory <\/p>\n

Museum<\/p>\n

Check out the starry view from Zurich\u2019s magnificent telescope, which has a magnification power of 600 \u2013 allowing you to see the details of the moon and bands surrounding Jupiter. It\u2019s one of the highlights at Urania Observatory<\/a>, which offers guided tours during the week, covering all sorts of astrological themes, from galaxies to interstellar clouds. Once you\u2019re finished, take in another great view at the Jules Verne Bar<\/a>, which has a 360-degree view over the city. Visit the Swiss National Museum <\/p>\n

Museum<\/p>\n

The palace-like Swiss National Museum sprawls along the river peninsular, behind the main train station. Built in 1898 in the style of French Renaissance chateaus, its fairy-tale appearance features turrets, towers and courtyards. Inside, exhibits delve into Swiss history from the Middle Ages to modern times, including displays on Gothic art, traditional furnishings, an Armoury Tower and a coin cabinet. <\/p>\n

Trips and Tours in Switzerland <\/p>\n

Historical Landmark, Architectural Landmark<\/p>\n

\"AerialDenis Belitsky \/ Shutterstock <\/p>\n

From train journeys that\u2019ll have your jaw on the floor to lake cruises, mountain adventures and unique city exploration, there\u2019s so much to a Swiss adventure, especially when you embark on one of the many amazing multi-day tours in our Switzerland collection.<\/p>\n

About the author \"Lena <\/a> <\/p>\n

Lena was born in rural Germany and showed a passion for philosophy and linguistics from an early age. Her journeys would lead her from being a trainee in a Greek diving centre to an English teacher in Thailand, to finally becoming a student of politics and languages at Royal Holloway. In recent years Lena has focused on developing her personal and academic skills through her very own Ted Talk and internships in journalism and TV presenting. Lena’s multiple talents and curious personality have led her to seek out ever new challenges and travels, not setting herself any limits. <\/p>\n

If you click on a link in this story, we may earn affiliate revenue. All recommendations have been independently sourced by Culture Trip. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It\u2019s easy to see why Zurich is considered one of the world\u2019s most liveable cities. Switzerland\u2019s wealthy capital…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":23811,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[6],"tags":[10803,15159,15157,4124,197,15163,15162,15158,901,15160,17,9329,5483,51,15161],"class_list":["post-23810","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-zurich","tag-activities","tag-bustling","tag-centre","tag-city","tag-europe","tag-numerous","tag-offers","tag-scenic","tag-shopping","tag-streets","tag-switzerland","tag-town","tag-zrich","tag-zurich","tag-zurichs"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23810","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23810"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23810\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23811"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23810"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23810"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23810"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}