A weekend in Zurich

CasaVersa intern Eliana Rozenchan tells of her weekend in the gorgeous city of Zurich.

When I decided to spend a long weekend in Zurich to visit some friends, I googled “10 things to do in Zurich” and the internet crashed. But I’m an insistent person so I decided to go anyway.

By the time I stepped out of arrivals at Zurich airport, I was already being welcomed with some special local greetings - cows saying “Moo” and birds chirping.

Upon leaving the airport, I quickly understood that things are incredibly organized. After asking for some help, I caught the train to “Bellevue”. The ticket costs 2,60 CFH (US$2.80) , and can be bought on the platform - and every 6 minutes a new train comes. On time!

Bellevue is a beautiful neighborhood with lots of restaurants, bars and good stores (and a great spot to stay on a home exchange!). I walked for over an hour and breathed in the fresh air and saw the activity in the streets. People coming and going, cars driving quietly, and trains passing by. Everything seemed to be happening in perfect synchronization.

It started getting dark and cold at 4:30 pm (I was visiting in late November) so I quickly decided to go for dinner in a Italian restaurant and enjoy the moment. Remember that the official money in Switzerland is the “Swiss franc” but they also accept Euros.

Zurich’s big lake is the perfect spot for duck-spotting.

Zurich is famous for its big lake, which is surrounded by beautiful maple trees – and it is well worth a good walk around its shores. You can take amazing pictures of the swans and the ducks in the lake or sit in one of the benches and admire the view.

Alternatively, you can sit in one divine Swiss coffee houses and try a hot chocolate while admiring your surroundings. I strongly recommend Sprungli Coffee House whose chocolates are terrific! (Bahnhofstrasse 21, 8001 Zürich, open 8am to 6pm, closed on Sundays).

The Fraumünster Church by night - famous for its stained glass windows.

Another cultural trip is to visit Church of Our Lady (Fraumünster) and see the stained-glass windows by Marc Chagall - they are really beautiful and depict bible stories such as Moses receiving the ten commandments and Jesus on the cross. Unfortunately you can’t take pictures, but images of these windows will remain in your mind.

When leaving the church, you have a great opportunity to try typical Swiss food at the restaurant Zeughauskeller, which is about 300m away from Fraumünster (Bahnhofstrasse 28 A). I suggest you to try the potato rosti with any meat you like because it’s so delightful, with a really unique taste. Of course you can include a glass of house red wine, it always helps.

Finally but not less important for those who are chocolate lovers, visiting (and buying) at the Lindt Chocolate Factory Outlet is essential (Seestrasse 204, Enge, open 10am to 6pm). They have all sorts of Lindt chocolates and you don’t need spend more than half an hour there. In the end, you should take a picture hugging the big Lindt bear in the outside. Well, I did.

Zurich is an expensive city, but there are plenty of low-cost activities around. And staying in a home exchange will make your stay much more affordable.

Stay somewhere comfortable on your trip to Zurich with CasaVersa home exchange!