A Stopover Walk Through the Old Town of Zurich

December 4, 2021April 11, 2023 Koen 1 Comment

In this destination report, we take a walk through the old town of Zurich and visit some of the city’s sights during a stopover.

Zurich stopover

The gorgeous arrival views from my LOT Polish Airlines flight into Zurich were quite promising for my stopover in the city.

My flight had landed at 10am and my onward train connection would not depart until 6.40pm, which left me with plenty of time to explore Zurich during this stopover.

As it was a sunny spring day, I decided that I wanted to spend as much time outdoors as possible during my stopover to soak up the sunshine and views.

Fortunately, Zurich is quite compact and has a walkable city centre, making this easily doable.

From the airport, I took one of the frequent suburban trains to Zurich Hauptbahnhof (main station) where I started my walk through town.

zurich airport landing — *Zurich Airport arrival view. ©Paliparan*

swiss airbus a321 zurich airport — *A Swiss Airbus A321 at Zurich Airport. ©Paliparan*

zurich hbf hauptbahnhof — *Zurich Hauptbahnhof (HB), the city’s main train station. ©Paliparan*

Into the city centre

From Zurich’s main railway station it’s a short walk into the old town (called ‘altstadt’ in German).

The shortest route is by exiting the station through its southern entrance and walking down the Bahnhofstrasse (train station street).

The Bahnhofstrasse is one of Zurich’s main shopping streets and quite inviting for a stroll since its almost fully pedestrianised apart from the trams running up and down the street.

About two thirds down the Bahnhofstrasse you find another important Zurich square, the Paradeplatz.

This square is the historic financial heart of Zurich and some major Swiss banks such as UBS and Credit Suisse still have their headquarters here.

On the corner of Bahnhofstrasse and Paradeplatz you can find Confiserie Sprüngli, a luxury confectionery manufacturer which is a Zurich institution.

This area being the heart of banking operations you can find plenty of more luxury shops and restaurants around here.

Although some of these restaurants looked inviting I decided to walk on as the prices are so high that you need to sell a kidney to be able to afford to dine here.

zurich bahnhofstrasse — *The Bahnhofstrasse connects the train station with the city centre and the shores of Lake Zurich. ©Paliparan*

paradeplatz zurich — *Paradeplatz. ©Paliparan*

zurich trams — *Zurich’s trademark blue-and-white trams running down the Bahnhofstrasse. The café on the right is Confiserie Sprüngli, a luxury Swiss confectioner. ©Paliparan*

zentralhof zurich — *Around the Paradeplatz you can find plenty of appealing cafés and restaurants such as this outdoor eatery on the Zentralhof square. ©Paliparan*

St. Peter’s Church

If you would walk further down the Bahnhofstrasse, you will eventually end up at the Bürkliplatz square on the shores of Lake Zurich.

Instead of walking directly to the lakeshore, I however walked into one of the side streets which led up a hill to the Church of Saint Peter, one of the four main churches of Zurich

The Church of St. Peter, a Protestant church, is famous for having the largest church clock of Europe.

church st peter zurich — *Walking up the hill to the Church of St. Peter. ©Paliparan*

square zurich — *The square in front of the Church of St. Peter. ©Paliparan*

church st peter clock — *The Church of St. Peter has Europe’s largest church clock face. ©Paliparan*

rooftop view — *Looking over the rooftops towards the Grossmünster, one of the other main churches of Zurich. ©Paliparan*

Along the Limmat

The old town of Zurich is situated on both banks of the River Limmat.

The River Limmat has its source at Lake Zurich and streams right through the centre of Switzerland’s largest city, eventually flowing into the River Aare (itself a tributary of the Rhine) after 35 kilometres.

There is a promenade along both sides of the River Limmat and with its fine views over Zurich’s old town it’s a great place for a stroll.

The Münster Bridge is perhaps the most famous of all the River Limmat bridges as it connects the Fraumünster Church on the western bank with the Grossmünster Church on the eastern bank.

limmat river zurich stopover — *The River Limmat streams right through the city centre of Zurich. In the background you can see the Grossmünster Church. ©Paliparan*

zurich altstadt — *The old town (altstadt) of Zurich can be found on both banks of the rivers. ©Paliparan*

limmat promenade — *The banks of the River Limmat. ©Paliparan*

limmat zurich old town — *The banks of the River Limmat. ©Paliparan*

Münster Bridge zurich — *The Münster Bridge with the Fraumünster Church visible at its end. ©Paliparan*

fraumunter church — *The Fraumünster Church. ©Paliparan*

limmat river — *Limmat River. ©Paliparan*

limmat zurich — *Boats docked at some jetties in the River Limmat. ©Paliparan*

koen zurich switzerland — *I was certainly enjoying my sunny walk through Zurich so far. ©Paliparan*

Squares and markets

Directly behind the riverside Fraumünster Church you can find Münsterhof, the largest of the old town squares in Zurich.

This square is surrounded by several magnificent Medieval guild houses.

Just to the south of the Münsterhof is the lakeside Bürkliplatz square, which is home to a farmers’ market on most weekdays (Tuesday to Friday).

Each Saturday a flea market is held on Bürkliplatz and on this sunny weekend day the market was full of Zurich locals taking a stroll between the stalls.

zurich city centre — *Zurich city centre. ©Paliparan*

munsterhof zurich old town — *The Münsterhof is the largest old town square and surrounded by fine Medieval buildings. ©Paliparan*

burkliplatz flea market — *Bürkliplatz flea market. ©Paliparan*

Lake Zurich

One of the main attractions of Zurich is the city’s picturesque setting at the far northern tip of Lake Zurich.

Across the street from Bürkliplatz you can find a large observation deck from where you have some panoramic views over the lake.

This is also the place from where Lake Zurich passenger shuttle boats and cruises depart.

On this spring day the weather and visibility was so good that you could easily see the mountain peaks of the Alps across Lake Zurich.

burkliplatz zurich lake — *The Bürkliplatz lakeshore. ©Paliparan*

burkliplatz observation desk — *Sculpture at the Bürkliplatz observation desk. ©Paliparan*

burkliplatz lake boat — *The Bürkliplatz lakeshore is the departure point for lake cruises and shuttle ferries. ©Paliparan*

burkliplatz ferry boat terminal — *The Bürkliplatz ferry terminal. ©Paliparan*

lake zurich cruise — *Going on a lake cruise is a popular tourist activity in Zurich. ©Paliparan*

zurich lakeshore — *The Zurich lakeshore. ©Paliparan*

lake zurich view — *Great views over Lake Zurich from the Bürkliplatz observation deck. ©Paliparan*

alps lake zurich stopover — *The Alps are clearly visible on the other side of Lake Zurich. ©Paliparan*

A walk along the lakeshore

On a sunny day, it is a pleasure to walk along the western shores of Lake Zurich.

There is a footpath along this side of the lake and it leads you through some lovely parks far away from the traffic and street noises of Zurich.

When you start your walk at Bürkliplatz, you will first come across a large park and botanical garden called the Zurich Arboretum.

Further down the lake you will find several yacht clubs and swimming beaches.

There are pleasant picnic and swimming spots all along the western shore of Lake Zurich and on this weekend day there were plenty of people locals around in the parks enjoying the sun.

lakeshore walk — *Walking along the lakeshore. ©Paliparan*

lake zurich walk — *It’s a lovely walk along the western shore of Lake Zurich. ©Paliparan*

yachts — *Yachts on Lake Zurich. ©Paliparan*

yacht boats — *Yachts on Lake Zurich. ©Paliparan*

lake sunny spring day — *On this sunny spring day it was an absolute pleasure to walk along the lake. ©Paliparan*

lake zurich fountain stopover — *Lake Zurich fountain. ©Paliparan*

lake zurich path shore — *The path along the western shore of Lake Zurich. ©Paliparan*

*Walking through the lakeshore park. ©Paliparan*

burkliplatz lake observation deck zurich — *Back at the Bürkliplatz lake observation deck after a nice walk along the eastern lakeshore. ©Paliparan*

Quaibrücke

If you are after some fine views of both the city and Lake Zurich, you should definitely take a stroll over the Quaibrücke, which translated from German simply means Quay Bridge.

As the main lakeside road as well as plenty of trams go over the Quaibrücke this bridge can be full of traffic but the views on both sides are worth it.

Especially the view towards the old town is great as it takes in all of Zurich’s big churches.

old town zurich stopover — *View from the Quaibrücke towards the old town of Zurich. ©Paliparan*

Grossmünster Quaibrücke — *The Grossmünster Church as seen from the Quaibrücke. ©Paliparan*

lake zurich — *View from the Quaibrücke over the eastern shore of Lake Zurich. ©Paliparan*

Eastern shore

Although it’s different in character, the eastern shore of Lake Zurich is just as pleasant as the western shore.

Where you find parks and grassland at the western shore, you can find a wide lakeside promenade here.

It’s a perfect place to sit down for a while on the quays and to enjoy the views, which was exactly what I did.

With a quartet playing some traditional Swiss music, it certainly made for a wonderful atmosphere.

There is a Migros supermarket just behind Zurich’s neo-baroque Opera House which stocks cold beer and wine in the fridge.

Plenty of locals seemed to have the same idea as me, buying a drink and a snack in the supermarket and enjoying it at the lakeshore.

Migros supermarkets are anyway a lifesaver as they have a good selection of relatively cheap ready made meals and drinks, ideal for those who are on a budget in expensive Switzerland!

zurich opera house — *Zurich Opera House. ©Paliparan*

*Sechseläutenplatz, the square in front of the Opera House. ©Paliparan*

*Flowers on Stadelhoferplatz, another square on the eastern shore of Lake Zurich. ©Paliparan*

Stadelhofen station — The Santiago Calatrava-designed Stadelhofen railway station is just one stop away from Zurich’s main station by suburban train. From this station, the eastern lake shore is just a few hundred metres away. ©Paliparan

Quaianlagen zurich — *The Quaianlagen – the quays on the eastern lakeshore in the city centre of Zurich. ©Paliparan*

quays zurich — *Locals enjoying the sunshine on the quays. ©Paliparan*

zurich lakeview — *Fabulous view from the quays on the eastern lakeshore. ©Paliparan*

passenger boat lake — *Passenger boat on Lake Zurich. ©Paliparan*

feldschlösschen beer — *Enjoying a cold Feldschlösschen beer at the quays. ©Paliparan*

lake zurich swans — *Swans in Lake Zurich. ©Paliparan*

Grossmünster

After relaxing a bit in the sun with a beer it was time to slowly head back in the direction of the train station, this time walking on the eastern (right) bank of the River Limmat.

The main sight here is arguably the Grossmünster (Great Minster) Church, which is clearly recognisable by its twin towers making it one of the most iconic landmarks in the Zurich skyline.

The Romanesque Grossmünster Church was founded by Charlemagne according to legend and used to be a Catholic monastery church.

Pastor Huldrych Zwingli initiated the Swiss Reformation from the Grossmünster in the early 16th Century and the church has been Protestant since.

zurich old town stopover — *Zurich’s old town as seen from the right bank of the River Limmat. ©Paliparan*

street — *Street on the right bank of the River Limmat. ©Paliparan*

Grossmünster zurich — *The eastern bank of the River Limmat is dominated by the Grossmünster Church. ©Paliparan*

zwingliplatz zurich — *Zwingliplatz, the courtyard in front of the Grossmünster Church. ©Paliparan*

zwingliplatz view — *From the Zwingliplatz you have a fine view over the River Limmat and the Fraumünster Church at the other side,. ©Paliparan*

Old town streets

Personally, I much prefer the old town streets on the eastern side of the River Limmat over those at the other side.

Where the streets to the west of the river are mostly commercial and dominated by shops, those on the eastern bank are full of attractive cafés and restaurants.

The eastern part of Zurich’s old town is a nice area to explore and the further away from the river you get, the more picturesque the cobbled streets become.

If you are looking for a nice terrace to have a drink or a meal, this certainly is the area to look for it.

zurich old town street — *The picturesque streets of the old town of Zurich. ©Paliparan*

old town fountain zurich — *Old town fountain. ©Paliparan*

cafes restaurants old town — *The eastern half of the old town is full of appealing cafés and restaurants. ©Paliparan*

old town terrace — *On a sunny and warm day, the terraces in the old town quickly fill up. ©Paliparan*

zurich old town — *Zurich old town. ©Paliparan*

old town street — *Old town street. ©Paliparan*

old town zurich terraces — *Full terraces in the old town of Zurich. ©Paliparan*

Lindenhof

There was one main sight remaining which I wanted to see in the old town of Zurich – and fortunately it was right on my way back to the train station.

From the Lindenhof, located on the west bank of the River Limmat, you have perhaps the best views over the old town of Zurich.

The Lindenhof used to be the site of a Roman castle as well as a Carolingian imperial palace (‘Kaiserpfalz’), not a surprise given the strategic hilltop position.

Throughout history, the leafy tree-lined squared was commonly used as an assembly place for the local population, including in 1798 when the inhabitants of Zurich swore an oath of loyalty here to the newly created Helvetic Republic.

lindenhof zurich — *The Lindenhof as seen from the other bank of the river. ©Paliparan*

lindenhof view grossmunster church — *The Grossmünster Church as seen from the Lindenhof. ©Paliparan*

lindenhof view — *View from the Lindenhof. ©Paliparan*

zurich view — *Looking out over the east bank of the River Limmat. ©Paliparan*

Back to the station

Having walked around almost the entire city centre of Zurich, it was time to head back to the station as my feet pretty much had enough of it despite the fabulous views and glorious weather on this day.

To turn back, I simply walked along the picturesque right bank of the River Limmat until the station building appeared on the other side.

Still having some time left until the departure of my onward train to Austria, I searched for a quiet corner in the station to sit down and do some work on my laptop.

lindenhof zurich old town street — *Walking back down from the Lindenhof. ©Paliparan*

river view city — *Heading back to the east bank of the river. ©Paliparan*

river limmat — *View towards the left river bank. ©Paliparan*

Conclusion

I had a fabulous day walking through the old town of Zurich on my city stopover.

Although the gorgeous spring weather certainly played a big role, Zurich’s old town is generally a very pleasant and highly picturesque place to visit.

The picture-perfect old town of Zurich has a couple of interesting sights to see, among which the four main churches and the Lindenhof with its panoramic views are perhaps the most important ones.

However, most of the attraction of Zurich lies in the fact that the city is so walkable and just has a calm and relaxed vibe to it.

Even though Zurich is an important financial and business centre, you will easily forget about this when you walk along the quaint shores of Lake Zurich.

If you happen to visit on a sunny day, nothing beats sitting at the lakeshore with a cold beer and admiring the lovely views – with the Alps as a stunning backdrop.

Given that the city centre is just a short train ride away from the airport – and that the train station is located right at the edge of the old town – you’d be mad not to go for a walk through Zurich if you have a few hours to kill during your stopover or layover.

Trip report index

This article is part of the ‘Across Europe by Train: Interrail in the Age of Corona‘ trip report, which consists of the following chapters:

1. Review: LOT Polish Airlines Economy Class Bucharest to Warsaw (Embraer ERJ-175)
2. Walking Through an Empty Warsaw in Corona Lockdown
3. Review: Four Points by Sheraton Warsaw Mokotow
4. Review: LOT Polish Airlines Economy Class Warsaw to Zurich (Boeing 737 MAX)
5. A Stopover Walk Through the Old Town of Zurich (current chapter)
6. Review: Railjet Train Zurich to Feldkirch
7. An Evening in Friendly Little Feldkirch
8. Review: Nightjet Train Feldkirch to Graz
9. A Short Walk Along the Sights of Graz
10. Review: Emona EuroCity Train Vienna – Ljubljana – Trieste
11. Zidani Most: Europe’s Most Picturesque Train Station
12. Review: Ljubljana to Zagreb by EuroCity Train EC 1211 ‘Sava’
13. Flying With Trade Air on a Let L-410 Turbolet Across Croatia
14. Review: Palace Derossi, Trogir, Croatia
15. A Visit to the Tranquil Island City of Trogir, Croatia
16. Cycling on Ciovo: A Trogir Day Trip by Bike
17. Split: Croatia’s Bustling Seaside City Full of History
18. Review: Croatian Railways ICN Train Split to Zagreb
19. Review: Esplanade Hotel, Zagreb, Croatia
20. Zagreb: A Guide to Croatia’s Underrated Capital City
21. Review: EuroCity Train “Croatia” Zagreb to Vienna
22. Review: Dacia Night Train Vienna to Bucharest

One thought on “A Stopover Walk Through the Old Town of Zurich”

lhrpete
December 11, 2021 at 1:38 pm

It’s years since I’ve been to Zurich but you seem to have done most things in a day Koen except one! Did you not have a hot chocolate at Sprüngli in Paradeplatz? I always think it’s a must when there and for Zurich, their cafe is, or was, surprisingly affordable.

Koen

One thought on “A Stopover Walk Through the Old Town of Zurich”

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