---
type: "Article"
title: "Zurich – Exploring the Swiss city on foot"
description: "On her trip to Switzerland, Justine Tyerman spends two days in Zurich and explores the city with its 2000 years of history on foot. Walk along here!"
resource: "https://travelmemo.com/switzerland/exploring-zurich-on-foot"
author: "Justine Tyerman"
publisher: "Travelmemo"
photo_count: 14
tags: ["City Trip", "Zurich", "Switzerland"]
entities:
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  - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/places/germany"
  - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/topics/city-trip"
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generated: { by: "human:https://travelmemo.com/author/tyermanj", at: 2026-07-04T14:09:37+00:00 }
sources:
  - id: photos
    resource: exploring-zurich-on-foot.md#photos
    title: "Original photography by Justine Tyerman"
    author: "human:https://travelmemo.com/author/tyermanj"
    last_modified: 2017-10-07
timestamp: 2026-07-04T14:09:37+00:00
---

# Zurich – Exploring the Swiss city on foot

> Zurich is Switzerland's largest city with over 2,000 years of history, where most major historic and cultural sights can be explored on foot within a compact, walkable centre along the Limmat River.

## Destination
Zurich, Switzerland, situated at the narrowest point of the Limmat River where it meets Lake Zurich.

## Getting there
The city's main railway station (Hauptbahnhof) sits centrally, adjacent to the Swiss National Museum, and serves as a key arrival point.

## When to go
The article does not specify an ideal season, though it mentions visiting during the Zurich Film Festival, which takes place at the Opera House.

## Why visit
Zurich combines 2,000 years of layered history — Roman origins, medieval trade, the Swiss Reformation, and a world-leading financial centre — with beautiful churches, riverside quarters, and lakeside scenery, all walkable from the city centre.

## What to see
- **Grossmünster** — Landmark church with distinctive 'salt and pepper' towers; served as the centre of the Swiss Protestant Reformation in the 16th century.
- **Fraumünster** — Famous for its 9.8m tall stained glass windows created by Marc Chagall and Augusto Giacometti.
- **St. Peterskirche** — The oldest church in the area, dating to the 9th century, with the largest clock face in Europe at 8.7m in diameter.
- **Swiss National Museum** — Built in 1898 in French Renaissance château style next to the main railway station; covers Swiss history, identity and cultural diversity.
- **Lindenhof** — Site of a 4th-century Roman castle offering elevated views over the Limmat River and Old Town; features a giant public chess board.
- **Schipfe (Artisan's Quarter)** — One of Zurich's oldest quarters on the Limmat riverbank, formerly a centre of the silk industry and boatbuilding from the 16th century.
- **Rathaus (Town Hall)** — Eye-catching building constructed 1694–1698 that sits directly in the Limmat River, connected by the pedestrian Rathaus Brücke.
- **Bahnhofstrasse** — A 1.4km shopping street lined with luxury retailers including Hermès, Gucci, and Chanel, leading to the financial hub of Paradeplatz.
- **Paradeplatz** — World-famous financial centre and home to the headquarters of Credit Suisse and UBS.
- **Augustinergasse** — Historic narrow street close to the Old Town, noted for its colourful painted bay windows.
- **Niederdorf and Oberdorf** — Old Town pedestrian quarters on the east bank of the Limmat with small shops; Niederdorf becomes a lively nightlife district after dark.
- **Lake Zurich** — The rivers Limmat and Sihl flow from the lake; on clear days the snow-covered Alps are visible above it.

## What to do
- **Walking the Old Town** — Most historic and cultural sights lie within easy walking distance of the city centre, including cobbled alleyways and vehicle-free Rennweg.
- **Lake Zurich excursion** — The lake is a popular destination for excursions, particularly aboard two historic paddle-steamers.
- **Evening stroll across the bridges** — Crisscrossing the Limmat's many bridges at night offers views of city lights reflected in the calm river.
- **Visit the Opera House** — One of the world's leading opera houses; also hosts events such as the Zurich Film Festival.
- **Drinking from the fountains** — Zurich has around 1,200 drinking water fountains — more than any other city in the world — many of them works of art.

## Good to know
Zurich has approximately 1,200 public drinking water fountains, making bottled water unnecessary. The city's historic core is largely walkable, with most major sights reachable on foot within a couple of hours.

## Photos

```yaml
photos:
  - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Zurich-Grossmuenster-Lake-Streets.jpg"
    caption: "Limmatquai and Lake Zurich in the background"
    keywords: ["Event", "Food Safari", "Hotel", "Mangosteen Catering", "Marriott Zürich", "http://bit.ly/1HzcAYU"]
    captured: 2015-07-01
    credit: "Walter Schärer"
  - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Gemuesebruecke-Zurich.jpg"
    caption: "Gemuese bridge and minster towers"
    keywords: ["travelmemo.com"]
    captured: 2016-12-10
    credit: "Walter Schärer"
  - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Rathaus-Zurich.jpg"
    caption: "From left Storchen, vegetable bridge and town hall"
    keywords: ["travelmemo.com"]
    captured: 2014-11-26
    credit: "Walter Schärer"
  - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Paradeplatz-UBS-Credit-Suisse-Bahnhofstrasse-Lucy.jpg"
    caption: "Paradeplatz hosting UBS and Credit Suisse mainquarters"
    keywords: ["travelmemo.com"]
    credit: "Walter Schärer"
  - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Bahnhofstrasse-Zurich-by-night.jpg"
    caption: "Bahnhofstrasse by night"
    keywords: ["travelmemo.com"]
    captured: 2016-12-05
    geo: {latitude: 47.3747, longitude: 8.5391}
    credit: "Walter Schärer"
  - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Grossmuenster-Zurich-bridge-Limmat.jpg"
    caption: "Grossmuenster and its famous bridge"
    keywords: ["travelmemo.com"]
    captured: 2017-05-16
    credit: "Walter Schärer"
  - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/National-museum-train-station-Zurich.jpg"
    caption: "Zurich train station and national museum (blue)"
    keywords: ["travelmemo.com"]
    captured: 2016-12-13
    geo: {latitude: 47.3771, longitude: 8.5431}
    credit: "Walter Schärer"
  - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Schipfe-Limmat-Zurich.jpg"
    caption: "Schipfe quarter"
    keywords: ["travelmemo.com"]
    captured: 2016-12-11
    credit: "Walter Schärer"
  - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Schipfe-quai-Zurich.jpg"
    caption: "Schipfe quai"
    keywords: ["travelmemo.com"]
    captured: 2016-12-11
    geo: {latitude: 47.3741, longitude: 8.5422}
    credit: "Walter Schärer"
  - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Opera-house-Zurich-by-night.jpg"
    caption: "Operahouse by night during the Zurich Film Festival"
    keywords: ["travelmemo.com"]
    captured: 2016-12-10
    credit: "Walter Schärer"
  - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Opera-house-Zurich.jpg"
    caption: "Inside the operahouse"
    keywords: ["travelmemo.com"]
    captured: 2011-09-10
    credit: "Walter Schärer"
  - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Justine-Tyerman-Zurich-Film-Festival-2017.jpg"
    caption: "Yours truly starring at the Zurich Film Festival"
    keywords: ["Justine Tyerman"]
    captured: 2017-10-07
  - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Lake-Zurich-boats.jpg"
    caption: "Boats near Bahnhofstrasse"
    keywords: ["travelmemo.com"]
    captured: 2017-06-18
    credit: "Walter Schärer"
  - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Limmat-boat.jpg"
    caption: "Boat on Limmat river"
    keywords: ["travelmemo.com"]
    credit: "Walter Schärer"
```