Zurich Attractions+alps PDF
Zurich Attractions+alps PDF
A Complete Guide to
All Zurich Attractions
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Lindenhof Hill
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Fraumunster
The Fraumunster church dates back to the 9 th century when the abbey for
women was established by Louis the German specifically for his daughter
Hildegard. Here women were given refuge and were protected. The
abbess of the Benedictine convent became quite powerful and the tradition
as a Frau-munster or women's church continued. In 1045 the king made
the convent even more powerful by granting the abbess permission to mint
coins, hold markets and collect tolls. In 1218 the abbey was granted
independent status and the abbess would even choose the city mayor. The
convent lost its power during the 1300s and by the 1500s it was dissolved.
In the 16 th century the narrow archway on the outer corner of the church
was deliberately small to inhibit vein women from entering with elaborate
clothing like the fashionable wide hooped skirts. Today the church is an Evangelical Reform Church.
Zurich's beautiful Fraumunster church is best known for its five stained glass windows which were the creation of Marc Chagall.
The windows are situated in the choir and were created in the 1970s. Each window makes use of a specific color and illustrates
a Biblical story. Chagall was also responsible for the church's rose window. In the north transept is a 9 meter high stained glass
window by Augusto Giacometti who created the artwork in 1940. In the former convent cloister are frescoes by Paul Bodmer
depicting Zurich's saints.
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St Peter Kirche
The site of this church has long been regarded as holy; originally a temple
to Jupiter stood here; then a small 8 th or 9 th century church; a 10 th
century church which was replaced in 1230 by a late-Romanesque church;
a Gothic-style nave was added in 1460 and the church we see today was
built in 1706.
The church tower once functioned as the town's watchman's tower; the
man on duty would have to look out of the window every 15 minutes to
check that no fires had started. The church tower was used as a
watchman's tower up until 1911. The church steeple bears a clock which
has the largest clock face in Europe, the diameter is 8.7 meters. Within the
tower are five bells which date back to 1880; the heaviest bell weighs more than 6,000kg. The church interior has three aisles in
the Baroque-style and a Romanesque choir. The choir walls bear the faint remains of medieval frescoes. The 15 th century choir
seats have beautiful carvings which were brought here from various convents throughout the city. Above the pulpit Baroque
acanthus decoration surrounds a verse in German which includes the name of God written in Hebrew. The baptismal font dates
back to 1598. The church is lit by crystal chandeliers which were modeled on those that hung here in 1710.
Zurich's first mayor, Rudolf Brun is buried here and outside the front entrance is the grave of Johan Kaspar Lavater. Lavater was
an 18 th century preacher who gave popular sermons here and he was also a well known theologian. Leo Jud is another famous
Swiss theologian who worked in this church.
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Grossmunster
Legend has it that this church stands on the site of three ancient graves.
The graves were believed to belong to three 3 rd century saints who
refused to renounce their faith even after being tortured with boiling oil and
being made to drink molten lead. Finally having still not renounced their
faith they were beheaded on the site where the nearby Wasserkirche
stands. Then the invincible saints picked up their heads and climbed a hill,
dug their own graves and jumped in. When Charlemagne's horse
happened to stop at the martyrs' graves the site of the church was chosen.
The church was completed in 1230 and dedicated to the three martyrs who
are also the patron saints of Zurich.
During the period of religious reform Huldrych Zwingli (1484-1531) preached in the Grossmunster. He promoted religious
freedom and in his effort to fight idolatry he has many of the church's valuable paintings and treasures removed. A fire in 1763
prompted the reconstruction of the church's Gothic towers, interior redecoration in the Baroque-style and restoration of many of
the beautiful elements of the design. Further restoration in the 19 th and 20 th centuries gave the church its Romanesque
appearance.
Highlights of the church include its two towers; visitors can climb 200 steps in the north tower to get views across the city. The
church doors bear Romanesque carvings on the north portal and bronze panels with Biblical scenes on the southern portal. The
interior has retained its simple, unadorned style as championed by Zwingli. The pillar capitals show some of the original
decoration which depicts Charlemagne discovering the martyrs' graves. There are also some of the original frescoes in one of
the side chapels. More historic frescoes can be seen in the undercroft chapel. Stained glass windows by Augusto Giacometti
were added in the choir in 1933. The church crypt is the largest in the country and holds the 15 th century statue of Charlemagne
which once topped the south tower. While the original statue is in the crypt you can see a replica on the tower. Visitors can also
take a look at the adjacent cloister (1170-80) where there is a display of Romanesque capitals.
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Kunsthaus
The art held in this modern art museum spans from the Middle Ages to
contemporary art and comes from across the globe but with an emphasis
on Swiss artists. The collection covers paintings, sculptures, prints,
drawings, photography and video art.
Among the highlights you can see a number of Swiss altar pieces;
paintings from the Dutch Golden Age; Flemish and Italian baroque periods
and the Venetian Settecento. Swiss artists include work by Johann
Heinrich Fuseli, Arnold Bocklin and Giovanni Segantini. There are works in
the Zurich Concrete Art genre and the Swiss Realism genre. You can see
impressionism, post-impressionism, pop art, Medieval sculptures and
Nordic expressionism. The museum holds the largest collection of work by Munch outside of Norway. There are works by
Bacon, Jacques Lipchitz, Twombly, Merz, Beuys, Chagell, Monet, Picasso, Henri Rousseau, Manet, J. M. William Turner and
Alberto Giacometti.
The photography collection includes works by Jean-Marc Bustamante, Maurizio Cattelan, Jeff Wall and Andreas Gursky among
others. There is a collection of rare vintage photo collages and photo sculptures by Herbert Bayer as well as other collages, slide
projections, large format images, installations and photomontages. The video collection consists of artistic pieces rather than
commercial or documentary productions. The videos date back to the 60s and covers innovative pieces up until modern video
art work. There are video pieces by Pipilotti Rist, Peter Fischli and Vito Acconci among others. Within the museum building is a
library of modern art with books, magazines and video art amounting to about 244,000 volumes.
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Landesmuseum
The museum's collection includes art from prehistory through the medieval period and into the 20 th century. The most
prominent pieces are Gothic art, liturgical wooden sculptures, medieval panel paintings and ornate altars. The art offers an
overview of Swiss history and the Swiss identity and culture. There are over 840,000 items in the collection which is divided into
14 sections: archaeology; precious and non-ferrous metals; graphic arts and photography; ceramics and glass; carriages,
sledges and wagons; paintings and sculptures; furnishings; numismatics and seals; jewelry and timepieces; technology and
traditions; textiles and fashion; arms and uniforms contemporary witnesses and special collections. The special collections
include toys, musical instruments, models and antique household items. This extensive museum will give you a complete
overview of the history and culture of Switzerland.
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Museum Rietberg
Unlike other Swiss museums which focus on Swiss art and European art
this museum is devoted to Asian, American, African and Oceanian art. It is
also one of the largest museums in the country. The Rietberg Museum is
situated in Rieterpark a 69,000m² green oasis in the center of Zurich. The
first of the museum buildings opened its doors in 1952 with the core of the
museum's collection which was donated by Eduard von der Heydt. The
museum complex includes several buildings, the Wesendonck Villa, the
Remise, the Rieter Park-Villa, the Schonberg Villa and the newest addition
a subterranean building called Smaragd. The underground Smaragd
building is entered through a glass pavilion (the Emerald) and from the
foyer visitors descend to two underground levels.
Among the fascinating pieces are 6 th and 7 th century Chinese Buddhist sculptures, West African wooden sculptures and
traditional headdresses. There are 15 th century cloisonné enameled vases from China. This is a skilled technique using thin
metal strips soldered on to the surface and filled with a paste of pulverized colored glass. You can see silk saris made using the
ikat technique. There is art from the Japanese Edo period. One of the fascinating sections holds about 20,000 photographs from
Alice Boner's collection. The collection includes historic photos of Indian temples, architecture, sculptures and people. There are
regular temporary exhibitions in the Smaragd building.
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Lake Zurich
Zurich is the largest city on the lake situated at the north-western end. In
the city of Zurich the lake is crossed by Burkliplatz Bridge. Zurich has 11
official swimming areas along the lake many with facilities like toilets,
showers etc. Zurich has a beautiful lakeside promenade, lakeside
restaurants, parks and sports areas. Zurichsee-Schifffahrtsgesellschaft
company runs passenger ships on the lake in addition to several other passenger ferries. There are two historic
paddle-steamers which cross from Gipfeli-Schiff to Sonnenuntergangs-Shiff as well as boat tours.
Lake Zurich's Golden Coast runs from Zollikon to Feldmeilen on the lake's northern side. This stretch of the lake has many
palatial villas and exclusive properties. Rapperswil or Rose Town is known for its beautiful rose garden with over 15,000 bushes;
its medieval castle; the wooden footbridge between Rapperswil and Hurden; quaint Old Town and for the Rapperswil lakeside
promenade. Around the lake are several points of interest like the Alpamare water park in Pfaffikon; the Baroque church of
Lachen and Kilchberg. Lake Zurich's Ufenau Island and Lutzelau Island are also beautiful especially in the summer. The
beautifully clean water of the lake is perfect for swimming and is even used to supply Zurich with drinking water.
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Zurcher Spielzeugmuseum
A collection of over 1,200 European toys from the 18 th century to the early
20 th century are on display in this small but delightful museum tucked
away on the 5 th floor of a building in one of Zurich's oldest areas. The toys
reflect the life, trends and times of each historic period. The toys from each
period are unique in the fashions worn by the dolls, the forms of transport
(steam engines, wind-up cars, railway sets), wooden toys, doll's houses,
paper dolls, toy soldiers, tin figures, play kitchens, children's books, Pewter
figurines, teddy bears and board games. Although the majority of pieces
are from Europe there are a few examples of toys from other parts of the
world. Take into account that the museum only opens at 14:00 to 17:00
Monday to Friday and from 13:00 to 16:00 on Saturdays. In an age when
kids are focused more on digital images toys are fast becoming a thing of the past and this museum can be quiet nostalgic.
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Zurich Opera House
The Zurich Opera House replaced the Aktientheatre which burnt down in
1890. When it first opened the Opera House was called the Stadttheater
Zurich and was designed by Ferdinand Fellner and Hermann Helmer. The
Stadttheater opened its doors in 1891 and operated until 1925 when it was
renamed the Zurich Opera House. Up to this point the theatre had been
used for all the performing arts but in 1925 a new theatre was constructed
for theatrical performances only and the Stadttheater became a house for
opera, concerts and ballet.
The theatre was renovated and rebuilt in the 80s but locals protested and
even rioted against any significant changes being made to the original
structure. The building retained its neo-classical exterior of white and grey stone. It is adorned with busts of famous playwrights
and composers including Wagner who spent time in Zurich during his exile from Germany and Mozart, Weber, Shakespeare,
Goethe and Schiller. In the auditorium the design is neo-rococo and can seat 1,200 in the audience which makes it the smallest
of the big European opera houses. The auditorium has exquisite decoration on the walls and ceiling with private boxes
surrounding the horse-shoe shaped ground level of seating on three levels.
You can attend opera productions, ballet, concerts and festivals at the Opera House. It is possible to take a guided tour of the
Opera House on several Saturdays throughout each month. Tickets for the tours and performances can be bought at the box
office. The tours take you to the make-up, props and costume departments and show you around the backstage area, foyer and
auditorium. The Opera House is home to the restaurant Belcanto.
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Urania Observatory
While here you can take a peek at the night sky through the 30cm Zeiss
refractors telescope which weighs 20 tons. Using this powerful telescope
you can see some of the planets, binary stars, star clusters and galactic nebulae. From the elevated position you also have a
great view out across the city, the lake and the Alps. The observatory is also the location of the Jules Verne Bar. The bar is part
of the Brasserie Lipp Restaurant just below the observatory level and from the bar you have 360° views of the city.
There are 90 minute German-language guided tours Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 21:00 and if the weather is bad they
show simulations on big screens. There are free guided tours for children (over 6 years old accompanied by an adult) on the 1 st
Saturday of each month at 15:00, 16:00 and 17:00.
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Uhrenmuseum Beyer
Address: Admission: Bahnhofstrasse 31, 8001 Zurich Phone Number: 43 344 63 63 Admission: CHF8 adults, school children and students CHF3,
children under 12 free
Opening Hours: Store Mon-Fri - 9:30am-6:30pm, Sat 9:30am-4pm. Museum Mon-Fri 2pm-6pm
Web: http://www.beyer-ch.com/en/museum/portrait/portrait-museum.html
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Zunfthaus zur Meisen
This former guild house is situated on the bank of the River Limmat in the
Old Town. The building was home to the vintners, tavern owners, saddlers
and painters guilds in the 18 th century. It was constructed in 1757 in the
style of a baroque city palace. It is considered the most beautiful of
Zurich's guild houses. The décor features exquisite Baroque stucco
ceilings; tiled tower stoves by Leonhard Locher and Hans Jakob Hofmann
and frescoes by Johann Balthasar Bullinger.
Today the Zunfthaus zur Meisen is home to one of the Swiss National
Museum's six branches dedicated to porcelain and ceramics. The museum
takes up the halls on the first floor while the rest of the building is used for
hosting events.
Zurich is known for its beautiful porcelain, particularly the Kilchberg-Schooren porcelain which was produced here from 1763 to
1790. Among the museum highlights is a complete 300 piece dinner set created by Kilchberg-Schooren for the Einsiedeln
monastery in 1775. There are ceramic figurines, table center pieces, Nyon porcelain, filigree figures, tableware, faience (fine
tin-glazed pottery on pale earthenware) and Swiss pottery. Displays demonstrate the porcelain production process in
chronological order. The exhibits also show the development of the porcelain art form. Note that the museum is closed from
Monday to Wednesday; from Thursday to Sunday entrance is from 11:00 to 16:00 and children under 16 enter for free.
Also in the building is the Grand Guild Hall, a wonderful example of rococo period; the south and north Guild Halls and the wing
room. Each of these rooms is used for exclusive events.
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Museum of Design
This is the country's leading museum in the field of design and visual
communication. The design themes covered include industrial and
production design, graphic art, photography, typography, posters, applied
arts, furniture, film, new media, jewelry, architecture, fashion, crafts and
scenography. From September 2014 the museum will be housed in a new
location on the Toni Campus while the old location will be remodeled and
reopened as an exhibition space. The new Toni-Areal venue called
Schaudepot or Open Collections will host temporary exhibitions and
present four permanent collections which were previously shown in
different locations – Posters, Applied Arts, Graphics and Design. In all
there are about 50,000 objects. The state-of-the-art museum facility covers
3,700m² and has three climate-controlled zones – wood, general and photography.
The collection has been growing since 1875 and holds several historically significant pieces. The collections are extensive and
pieces have been collected from across the globe. There are more than 330,000 posters from around the world; 10,000 products
and 20,000 packaging designs in the Design Collection; and over 15,000 pieces in the Applied Arts Collection. The Applied Arts
collection includes work by Alexandra Exter, William Morris, Rene Lalique and Henry van de Velde. There are also about 200
historic musical instruments and glass designs by Stanislav Libensky and Harvey Littleton among others. Tours are offered in
German on Wednesdays at 18:00 and on Sundays at 11:00. There are English tours on request and guided thematic tours
which require registration. Contact the museum before your visit.
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Tonhalle Gesellschaft
The Tonhalle concert hall takes its name from the Tonhalle Society and orchestra; it was inaugurated in 1895 with honored
guest Johannes Brahms in attendance. Since 1939 the Tonhalle has shared the building complex with the Kongresshaus. The
larger concert hall can seat 1,455 and is known to have some of the best acoustics in the world and the smaller hall seats 700.
The concert hall faces onto Burkliplatz. The building was designed by Ferdinand Fellner and Hermann Helmer who was also
responsible for the Zurich Opera House. The architecture is protected as an historical monument and so has retained its original
appearance. In 1988 a Kleuker-Steinmeyer pipe organ was added to the Tonhalle. The Tonhalle concert halls underwent
renovations in 2013/2014.
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Thomas Mann Archives
Paul Thomas Mann (1875-1955) was a German novelist, social critic and
philanthropist. As a Jew Mann fled Germany during WWII and following a
brief stay in Switzerland he moved to the USA. After the war, in 1952 Mann
returned to Europe and lived in Kilchberg near Zurich until his death. Mann
may be best remembered for the Buddenbrooks saga, Death in Venice , The Magic Mountain and Doktor Faustus .
The museum houses hand written works by the author, letters, manuscripts, notebooks, diaries, documents and notes he made
on his own works. In all there are about 30,000 pages of Mann's work. The museum also holds photographs, recordings,
newspaper articles and microfiche relating to Mann. In the museum's Memorial Room you can see Mann's writing desk, library,
pictures and the ornaments he surrounded himself with in his Kilchberg study. Mann's personal library has been preserved
which contains many of the author's favorite books, first additions and secondary literature. You can even see Mann's Nobel
Prize certificate! The museum has a reading room and the archives are used for research purposes. Note that the museum is
only open on Wednesdays 14:00-16:00 and Saturdays 14:00-16:00.
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Botanischer Garten Zurich
The Botanical Garden has a large meadow with a pond or water garden
which is home to frogs which fill the air with their singing in the spring.
There are a number of futuristic-looking bubble greenhouses where tropical and exotic plants grow. The planting of the garden
does not conform to the traditional European botanical gardens as there are no systematically planted beds. As most of the
plants here are wild species they have been allowed to grow freely and there is no attempt to show the latest garden hybrids.
Neat paths lead you through the garden and passed the various plants.
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Zoologischer Garten Zurich
Zurich's zoo was first opened in 1929; it is located in the Fluntern Quarter
and is home to almost 4,000 animals representing 360 species. The zoo is
also home to water creatures in the aquarium and birds in the zoo's
open-air aviary. The zoo is divided in to continental regions so that you can
see animals from around the world. The zoo sections include the Africa
House, Ape House, Terrarium, Elephant House and the Giant Tortoise
House. The Masoala Tropical Rainforest Hall recreates the environment of
Madagascar within a temperature, light and humidity controlled
state-of-the-art building. Visitors can walk through the tropical forest which
covers 11,000m². Special enclosures have been created to allow the
animals plenty of room to move and an area which resembles their natural
habitat. The animals don't get lonely here as most of them are housed with other species which share the same natural habitat.
This method of mixed keeping of animals was formulated at the Zurich zoo by former managing director Heini Hediger. It was
also the first zoo to be run according to scientific principles.
Kids can spend time with domestic animals and livestock in the petting zoo. One of the zoo's special events is the afternoon
Penguin Parade which is held daily if the temperature is below 10°C. There are several restaurants and play areas in the zoo.
There is a mini-train which can take you around the zoo or you can follow the paths and trails. At the entrance you can arrange a
guided tour. The zoo is an active participant in conservation efforts, breeding programs and resettlement programs.
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Bahnhofstrasse
Bahnhofstrasse came into existence after Zurich’s fortifications were destroyed in 1864 and authorities filled in
the ditch which originally stood in front of the walls. The name was then changed from Froschengraben (Ditch
of the Frogs) to Bahnhoffstrasse (Station Street). Despite the fact that this is a largely pedestrianized area, the
street is a very important link to the Zurich tram network with multiple stops along the way.
Pay a visit to the pretty side street Augustinergasse which dates back to medieval times and boasts homes with
beautiful facades.
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Rhine Falls
Boat rides take visitors to the Rhine Falls Basin, the rocks in the middle of the river and then downstream to
meet the national border.
The more adventurous can enjoy fantastic views of the falls by combining their visit with the cool rope park, the
Adventure Park at Neuhausen am Rheinfell. Kids can take part in the age-appropriate ropes challenge course,
while various obstacle courses at all levels rise 5 – 20 meters in the trees. The Panorama Course offers you the
chance to zip-line past the best view of the falls. Picnic lunches can be enjoyed at the many tables and benches
in the park.
A visit to the falls is not complete without a stop at Laufen Castle which overlooks the castle and which is
imbued with interesting history. You can reach the castle by a double glass enclosed elevator.
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Heidi Weber Museum
This lake side museum was commissioned by Heidi Weber, an art patron,
and created by Swizz architect Charles-Edouard Jeanneret-Gris better
known as Le Corbusier. The museum is an exhibition space for Le
Corbusier's work and the building in itself is a work of art representing Le
Corbusier's artistic expression. The museum house represents the artist's
theory of the "house as a machine for living in" and represents ideological
formalism. The exterior is made of steel, glass and brass with bright
colored enamel blocks. The roof of the house is elevated off of the body of
the building and held aloft by thick angular pillars. The museum is a
testament to the artist's work although he did not live to see the building
completed. Le Corbusier was a highly respected philosopher, artist,
engineer, mathematician and architect. The property is considered of great significance as it was Le Corbusier's last and
ultimate work.
Within the house are creations by La Corbusier including furniture, paintings, sculptures and drawings. The museum was
inaugurated in 1967. As a complete work of art both as a building and the works of art the building holds the site is considered a
gesamtkunstwerk or total work of art. It is a listed Swiss heritage site of national significance.
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Friedhof Fluntern
Zurich's cemetery is best known as the final resting place of James Joyce,
the author of Ulysses . Although Joyce was Irish he lived in Zurich from
1915 to 1919 and made another short visit to the Swiss city in 1941 a
month before he passed away. Next to his tomb (grave number 1449) is a
statue of Joyce sitting cross-legged with a book in his hand. Other notable
people buried here include Elias Canetti, playwright and Nobel Prize
winner for literature who died in 1994. Another literary figure buried here is
the author of Heidi , Johanna Spyri who died in 1901. Other names worth
noting are Swiss composer Friedrich Hegar, James Joyce's wife Nora
Barnacle, German feminist and writer Anita Augspurg and German actress
Therese Giehse. In addition to the well known deceased the cemetery has
many beautiful grave stones, tombs and family crypts worth seeing.
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Sammlungszentrum Affoltern am Albis
This is the site of the Swiss National Museum public library which specializes in art history, archaeology, Swiss history, cultural
history, musicology, conservation and restoration. The library holds more than 70,000 volumes. There are public individual or
group tours of the Collection Center where you can see how the museum handles its research, restoration and cataloging.
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