BY INDER RAJ AHLUWALIA
( THE WRITER IS AN INTERNATIONALLY RENOWNED , MULTIPLE AWARD – WINNING TRAVEL JOURNALIST AND AUTHOR)
NEW DELHI | 30 SEPTEMBER 2025
Every major city has its plusses and minuses, but some seem to have amassed their pluses to good effect.
The first hint of affluence came in the form of elegant lake-side villas that flashed by in the distance as the train curved around the lake and entered the city. Straddling the northern section of Lake Zurich, and rimmed in by green wooded hills, Switzerland’s largest and richest city is a subtle mix of the old and new, the staid and the innovative.
The local natural beauty was good enough for the likes of James Joyce, Gottfried Keller, and Richard Wagner, who all lived and worked here. And it is good enough for millions of visitors today, who throng its streets, patronise its chic boutiques, and transact with its famed banks.
No eyebrows are raised at Zurich’s success story. All the essential ingredients are inherent. A superb location and easy accessibility, supported by excellent transportation facilities that place it within ‘knocking’ distance of major Eruopean networks. The busy Zurich-Kloten International Airport, serviced by over a hundred international airlines. Zurich Main Station’s pivotal junction role for both Swiss and European rail networks. And modern motorways that provide comfortable approaches, have all contributed to the city’s development.
This is a true lakeside city, with The Lake of Zurich reaching right into it, and three rivers and streams flowing lazily within its boundaries. So wherever you look, there is water. And among the ‘must-dos’ is a boat cruise on the lake from where one can also see snowy Alpine peaks beyond. A few hours spent here hold enormous value for tourists.
There are no palaces here. But there are the celebrated guild houses, proud churches, town squares, winding lanes that criss-cross the city, and all those comfortable homes of affluent citizens. Snazzy affairs that cost a minor fortune.
If ever a city rode on money, it is Zurich. The world’s fourth largest stock exchange, the biggest gold trading centre, and the hub of most Swiss banks, including the Swiss National Bank, makes the local money mantra very much a reality. A financial city of some standing, its primary job and income source is banks, insurance companies, machine and textile industries, tourism and trade. The drop of the hammer has also brought the city international fame. Art is a major industry with the city being home to dozens of Europe’s major auction houses.
Shop with delight! The city beckons the rich but doesn’t shun the budget shopper. A visit to Bahnofstrasse with its elegant boutiques and famous couturiers shows quickly enough why Zurich ranks among Europe’s most upscale shopping areas. Hundreds of temptations stare out of decorated shop-windows of giant stores, from exclusive designer labels to less pretentious dresses and cosmetics. Top of the line Rolex watches sit gleaming alongside humble but trendy Swatches. The quality is good and the prices mostly sobering in nature.
Ready for action, I proceeded on a leisurely walking tour of the Old Town. The place is replete with antique dealers, art galleries, and bookshops, and features over thirty museums, including the Swiss National Museum that documents the country’s history. And there are the Opera House, the Tonhalle Concert Hall, and the Municipal Theatre (Schauspielhaus). There are also valuable relics of bygone days in the form of historical buildings like the guildhalls ‘Zimmerleuten’ , ‘Saffran’, ‘Schmiden’, and ‘Waag’, The ‘Rathaus’ (Town Hall), the ‘Augustinsrkirche’ (Church of St. Augustine), and the ‘Church of St. Peter’.
Unwind, and shed your stress. Some forty pubs featuring jazz, gogo girls, and disco dancing late into the night-some even providing folklore entertainment-and the annual international jazz festival hosted in end-October, combine to form a lively entertainment scenario.
The local dining experience is given to good, hearty fare, the food mostly roasted, cooked, braised or baked in butter. There is wide variety, but one doesn’t find any dishes ‘blanched’, ‘sauted’ or cooked ‘al dente’. Much of the credit for establishing the city’s cuisine’s reputation and adapting it to current eating trends while celebrating the traditions of eating well, goes to the goldhalls (Zunfthauser).
Awaiting one’s leisure, are some 1,300 restaurants, from well-known temples of gourmet pleasure to simpler establishments. Served up is a mix of cuisine ranging from international spreads to typical Swiss specialties like ‘Roschti’ (grated, fried potatoes), ‘ZuriGschatzlets’ (sliced veal and mushrooms in a cream and white wine sauce), and ‘Zouftschriibertopf’ (grilled meat, vegetables, and bacon).
If the Swiss seriousness is scaring you off, take heart. You can have fun, especially during the festivals. Some prominent excuses for merriment are the Spring Festival held in April, the Boys’ Shooting Competition in September, and the Zurich Carnival in November.
Zurich is for the purist. By Swiss standards, some find it uncharacteristically crowded and noisy. But it is a commercial dynamo and major tourist centre. And it takes a visit to unravel its depth. I’d say, don’t wait too long to give it a try.
Fact File:
Zurich International Airport is Switzerland’s main aerial gateway.
Local accommodation comes in a wide range, from deluxe hotels, down to budget accommodation in the form of guest-houses.
From authentic Swiss dishes to pure vegetarian and Asian, the cuisine range is vast and exciting.
Though the city is large and spread out, and has taxis, trams and buses, one can walk through the Old Town area.
Several sightseeing tours are available. The Main Rail Station has a tourist office for relevant hotel and sightseeing information.
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