Travel ideas, things to do and pictures of Zurich Switzerland.

Zurich is considered the financial capital of Switzerland. Zurich has been constantly ranked as one of the best cities in the world . There were several parameters that they took into consideration while ranking cities, Political and social environment , Economic environment, Socio-cultural environment , Health and sanitation, Schools and education , Public services and transportation , Recreation, Consumer goods , Housing and Natural environment.

Swiss banks are famous for their stability, privacy and protection of clients' assets and information. UBS and Credit Swiss, two major Swiss banks have their head offices in Zurich. If you wish to have a high paying Swiss bank job, Zurich is the ideal place for you. Swiss don’t have a youth gang culture and there is a noticeable absence of public vandalism. All young men are required to undertake military service. This is to divert their energies and train them in responsibility - including exercise and fitness, obedience, shooting and personal confidence. Recently they passed a referendum, according to which if a immigrant does crime, his whole family will be deported. They are very strict in controlling illegal immigrants. In this September (2009) more than a dozen of Gambian men were deported back by the Swiss authorities.

Another interesting thing that I noticed in Zurich was, there are large numbers of international communities there. There are international schools too. There are also clubs for international community. If you are a church going catholic, this is also an English parish there with a Scottish priest with more than 2000 regular parish members.

1. The Great Church (Gross münster) - It is a 12th-century Romanesque ex-cathedral with a fascinating history of Catholic saints and Protestant preaching. It is a twin three-story tower and the view from the north tower (about 200 steps up) provides marvelous views of the city.

2. Zurich Art Gallery(Kunsthaus Zürich) - It is located in Heimplatz 1 and is one of the most important art museums in Europe. It is devoted mainly to the 19th and 20th centuries, although the range of paintings and sculpture reaches back to antiquity. It is one of the most sophisticated museums in the world, both in its lighting and its display of art. The admission fees is 18 CHF.

3. The Church of our Lady (Fraumünster) - A Benedictine convent was founded on this site in 853 AD. The main attraction of the Fraumünster is the set of five stained-glass windows.Best seen in bright morning light, the windows are 10 meters high and each has its own color theme.

4. Botanic Garden - The garden contains several rare species from New Caledonia and Southwest Africa. It is located at Zollikerstrasse 107 and is owned by University of Zurich. You can visit the garden for free.

5. Thomas Mann Archives - Thomas Mann is famous for his works such as as Death in Venice and The Magic Mountain, died in Kilchberg, near Zurich, in 1955.

6. Zoological Garden - The Zurich zoo is one of the best knows zoos in Europe. It has about 2,200 animals. It has an aquarium and an open-air aviary. The Africa house there has the ape house, terrariums, elephant house and the giant-tortoise house. You can also see red pandas, otters, and snow leopards, and a house for clouded leopards, tigers, Amur leopards, and Indian lions. There is also a replica for the tropical rain forest which mimicks the temperature, light levels, and humidity of Madagascar. It is located in Zürichbergstrasse 221 and has admission fees of 22 CHF. But if you have kids under 5, it’s free for them.

7. Zunfthaus zur Meisen - It is one of the city's famous old guildhalls with a wrought-iron gatehouse.

8. Swiss National Musium (Landesmuseum ) - Museum offers an overview of the Swiss culture and history. It is located near the Zurich central station ( Hauptbahnhof) and contains works of religious art, including 16th-century stained glass from the Tanikon Convent and frescoes from the church of Mustair. Prehistoric section is also exceptional. The prehistoric section is also very intereting. Some of the artifacts are from the 4th millennium B.C. You can also see Roman clothing, medieval silverware, 14th-century drinking bowls, and 17th-century china, as well as painted furniture, costumes, and dollhouses of various periods. The admission fees is around 5 CHF.

9. St. Peter's Church (St. Peter Kirche) - It has the largest clock face in Europe: 9m in diameter; the minute hand alone is almost 4m long. Inside, the choir is Romanesque, but the three-aisle nave is baroque. It is located in St. Peterhofstatt 1 and the admission is free.

10. Urania Observatory - It is located halfway between Bahnhofstrasse and the Limmat River on Uraniastrasse. You can have a panoramic view not only of Zurich but also of the lake and the distant Alps. The admission fees is 10 CHF

11. Zurich Hill - Go up Uetliberg, a hill overlooking Zurich. You can either hike up, or take a train from the main station. You can enjoy a 360 degree view from a tall viewing tower. This is also the start of the planetenweg (planetary walk), an 8 mile walk along the ridge with models of the planets along the way. These are scaled down in true proportion to the solar system.

12. Zurich Lake - If its summer, zurich lake is an ideal place to spent your evening. The water is very clean and during summer temperature goes beyond 20 degrees. Swimming in the public baths and beaches is very popular.

13. Swiss Federal Institute of Technology – Popularly knows as the MIT of Europe. The new building of ETH with steel pillars is one of the most expensive buildings in Switzerland. It is located in Hoenggerberg, a small hill located in the northeast of Zurich city. It is also said that Albert Einstein studied here. (well, the professors here failed him and he has to move to another place to get a job)

14. Weinplatz – This is a popular city square with a landmark fountain. Weinplatz also has a scenic view of the Rathausbrücke and the Rathaus.

There is an airport in Zurich. Its about 30 minutes journey in train from the city center. If you are looking for a hotel to stay, there are lots of advertisements on this page for cheap hotels in Zurich. When you travel to Zurich, don't forget to taste Swiss Chocolates. I wish you a nice vacation in Zurich.