Aerial view of Zürich ()
Switzerland is known to be a world-class skiing destination, but there is so much to do there when the snow on the ground has melted, and the sun is high in the sky. I recently spent a week in Switzerland and experienced all it had to offer when it was warm out. My first stop was Zürich.
Zürich is known as one of the most expensive cities in the world, but that shouldn’t keep you from visiting if given the opportunity. With a gorgeous beam from the sun and a nice breeze, we found just meandering outside in Zürich to be the lovely price of free.
One of the first things we did was grab a cup of coffee and stroll from our hotel to the Lindenhof. For history buffs everywhere, you will be interested to know that the Lindenhof was used as an ancient fort and then an early Medieval royal residence. Everyone else will just be interested to know that this is a place where you can sit or stand and get a gorgeous view of Lake Zürich and the city itself.
View from the Lindenhof | Photo by Tamala Malerk
After the Lindenhof, we made our way to the main part of town, filled with shops and more things to see. We perused bookstores, took pictures of beautiful opera houses and churches, and walked around the lake. We even stumbled upon a farmers’ market with a multitude of items, from clothes and shoes to vintage military hats and taxidermied animals. Pro-Tip: The only thing I would have done differently was pack water and snacks in our bag because it was pricey staying hydrated and fueled out there. Along the lake, we got stunning views of the boats navigating the water, beside sunbathing and swimming spots. All of this was nestled around green spaces and cute little gardens, perfect for a light picnic.
We began day two in Zürich with more of an agenda. We began the day with a 1.5-hour boat tour on the lake (which was interesting because it was a people-watching opportunity as residents used it to ferry themselves around Zürich). The tour offered onboard food and drinks and it was wonderful to just sit and drink coffee while cruising along the water.
After the boat tour, we walked over to the Landesmuseum where we got to take in their amazing permanent exhibits on Switzerland’s history and collections highlighting Swiss craftsmanship and artistry. The astounding temporary exhibits are also great, including one on sleighs (where you can take a selfie) (until April 2023), another on Swiss biking (until October 2022) and an exhibit on Anne Frank in Switzerland (until November 2022). My personal favorite was looking at all the ancient and royal jewelry on display, including the different clothing and costumes, plus the elaborate sleighs and the Anne Frank exhibit.
We ended our day walking to and down the Bahnhofstrasse where all the luxury stores are in Zürich. I marveled at all the watches, designer bags and clothing and I had to explain to my husband what people found so special about red-soled shoes. Unfortunately, since we timed it to simply window shop at all the fancy stores, we were on the street too late to go to the Beyer Clock Museum.
Two days in Zürich gave us a great taste of the largest city in Switzerland, and allowed us to explore all around, but also left plenty of reasons to go back again. After Zürich, we made our way to Lucerne. Keep your eyes peeled for “Sunny in Switzerland” Lucerne and Interlocken where you can read all about watching the sun set behind the mountains, eating McNuggets in my fifth country and accidentally stumbling upon the “nude positive” part of the beach.
