Zurich

The economic and cultural heart of Switzerland

Coat of arms:

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The location of the city, as well as a detailed map of it, you can find here.

Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland. It is situated in the central part of the country, on the north-west shore of the lake Zurich.

Recently Zurich has been rated as the city with the highest living standard world-wide, as well as the richest city in Europe. It is the administrative center of the canton of Zurich. Zurich has established itself as an important center of commerce and international banking center. The low tax rate makes it particularly attractive for many foreign companies. Here you can find offices of some of the world’s financial institutions and banking giants. Not surprisingly Zurich is a byword for the high living standard.

shutterstock_517930285On the picture: Zurich /source: Shutterstock.com/

Zurich is defined not only as the financial, industrial and transportation capital but as well as the cultural capital of Switzerland. The city has a rich 7000 years history. It is believed that itas name originates from the Celtic word “turus”. Evidence for this word has been found on a tomb inscription dating from the Roman occupation in the 2nd century. The Romans called the city Turicum. The Zurich Main Station is one of the busiest train stations in the world. Its central location provides access to trains traveling to Spain, France, Italy, Austria, Germany and beyond. In addition, the station is part of the Rail City network and has over 200 hundred underground shops in which travelers can pick up souvenirs, snacks and other trinkets. Train connections between Lausanne and the rest of Europe are efficient, with high-speed trains coming to the city on almost every hour. There are very convenient traint connections between Zurich and the other parts of Switzerland. The French TGVs trains from Paris, the Pendolino trains from Milan and Venice, the ICE train from Cologne and a number of other fast trains travel on the route to Zurich daily.

rsz_shutterstock_382576327On the picture: the Chinese garden in Zurich /source: Shutterstock.com/

Zurich is situated in a very scenic area, characterized by numerous ponds and wooded hills. The largest city in Switzerland stands exactly at the end of the river Limmat of Lake Zurich. In connection with its ancient Roman city Turicum emerged as a commercial center, which provides control over the river. Today Zurich continues to be an important transport hub. Here is located the biggest airport in Switzerland. Zurich is interesting and dynamic city, offering an impressive mix of attractions to its visitors. One of the main attractions if the  chocolate factory Lindt, which is located just 5 kilometers from the city center – in the town Kilchberg. There you can can indulge in kilograms of sweets and it’s quite affordable.

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On the picture: Rennweg street n in Zurich /source: Shutterstock.com/
 
Linderhof is the geographical and historical center of the city. Linderhof is a small hill, located on the west bank of the river Limmat, close to the place where the river separates from lake Zurich. The largest historic landmark in Zurich is the cathedral Grossmünster. It rises in the Old Town, near the river flow. Today its visitors have the opportunity to climb to its highest point to enjoy the magnificent views of the city and suburbs. Another important historic building is the church Fraumünster. It has been built in 874 and is the olders church in Zuirch. In Medieval times its prestige has always been compared to that of Grossmünster. In the church Fraumünster you can see great works of art, especially the stained glass windows.
 
On the picture: the church of Saint Peter /source: Shutterstock.com/
 
Another interesting church is the church of Saint Peter. You can easilty recognize it by the huge clock on its facade, which  is considered unique worldwide. In addition, in Zurich you can visit an impressive number of museums and art galleries, including the Swiss National Museum and Gallery Kunsthaus. In Zurich you can enjoy one of the finest Chinese gardens outside China. The Chinese Garden is a gift from the Chinese sister-city of Kunming to the people of Zurich. It was opened in 1994 and is now operated by Grün Stadt Zürich. The garden is an intense examination of one of the main themes of Chinese culture, the “Three Friends of Winter”: pine, bamboo, and the winter cherry tree, all of which are resistant to the cold season. The inscriptions and paintings indicate the unique culture of Yunnan, where diverse influences of various ethnic minorities blend with traditional Han culture.
 

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