One Weekend in Zurich

Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland, located in the Northern part of the country near the parameter of the German border. Bisected by the river Zimmat, the city is an esoterica of coloured buildings, winding metropolitan streets and picturesque riverside views. This is the story of one drab weekend in November (pre Covid of course), when I decided to make the most of my “Voie 7″ card and booked an AirBnB for a brief getaway weekend to the wealthiest and most expensive city in Europe. My preferred method of travel is slightly ‘off the beaten track’, however if you are seeking inspiration of how to design an itinerary for a weekend in Zurich then I hope this post will plant a few seeds at least.

First Impressions

My initial response to arriving in any new city is to soak in the atmosphere and judge the aesthetic landscape. Despite early apprehension upon seeing the drab, grey housing estates in the outer districts, once I stumbled into the centre of the old town everything seemed to take on a brighter hue. Quite literally. The buildings are a higgledy collection of pastel blocks, complementary and charming. My first meal (a selection from Co-Op’s finest salad bar) was significantly improved by the panoramic view of the river and row of shops, framed by spindly autumnal branches.

Higgledy piggledy matchbox houses in a row

Things To Do

My priorities when travelling revolve around both nature and city dwelling, and so I tried to divide my time equally between the two in Zurich. Day 1 (Saturday) was all about exploring the city.

Giacometti Hall

Believe it or not, this is a (fully functioning) police station!

One of the most unexpectedly fantastical sights of the entire weekend was the Giacometti hall – or, more simply put, Zurich’s central police station. You enter the building and step into a regular looking police station reception, except – hang on, reception? This is a police station, yet there is a small queue of tourists behind you and a man in uniform asking to see a form of identity. This is because the main hall of the police station is an ostentatious, dazzling beautiful display painted on high, arching vaulted ceilings painted by the Swiss sculptor and painter, Augusto Giacometti. I would highly recommend popping in to see this sight – a municipal building unlike any other!

Cabaret Voltaire (Dada House)

Look but don’t touch

Dadaism was an avart-garde art movement of the early 20th Century, and one of the earliest centres was in Zurich (the Cabaret Voltaire). The Dada movement developed as a reaction to World War I, and it consisted of artists who “rejected the logic, reason and aestheticism of modern capitalist society instead expressing nonsense, irrationality and anti-bourgeois protest in their works” (source). The Cabaret Voltaire museum is a small but phantasmagoric display of boundary-breaking, cutting edge art. Perhaps the nicest touch was sitting in the artsy, spacious bar afterwards sampling the renowned absinthe (served on ice, with water to diffuse).

The Grossmünster Church

Pretty… from the outside at least

Admittedly, I didn’t spend a whole lot of time at this one, as it mostly consisted of posing outside for photos before deciding it was too cold to be standing around posing for photos. However, the impressive monastry church is one of four major churches in the city and it is a Romanesque-style Protestant church well worth a visit (even if just for the photos).

Food and Drink

Haus Hiltl

This restaurant holds a Guinness world record for being the oldest, continuously open vegetarian restaurant in the entire world. The main attraction seemed to be the self service buffet, where you are charged relative to the weight of your food. Despite not being the most incredibly flavoursome vegetarian food I’ve ever sampled, the range was wide and the food scrumptious. The dessert was a particular highlight, with the plum crumble being one of the best crumbles I’ve ever been lucky enough to devour in my life. I’m still searching for that recipe to this day.

Nature Calls

Üetliberg moutain

This photo really does not do the view justice, at all

I decided to end my trip by making the trek into the Üetliberg moutain, a mountain in the Swiss plateau that is known for it’s scenic hike routes and sweeping views. There is a look out tower once you reach the summit (easily accessible by train from Zurich’s main station). I have to say, the landscape and views over the city were absolutely breathtaking and I only wish I could’ve captured the near-mystical quality of the toy-sized city framed by sweeping mountains on the horizon.

To anyone considering a short stay in Zurich I would highly recommend finding a cheap, central AirBnB room and going for it. The city is bustling, beautiful, unique – and I feel like I only just scratched the surface. 

Jasmine
Jasmine

Jasmine is the creator of the Quarterlife Club blog. She is a 20 something year old editor living in London who enjoys writing, is passionate about social issues and can’t say no to a vegan burger or cheeky gin and tonic.

Find me on: Instagram

Share:

2 Comments

  1. 20 September 2020 / 3:14 pm

    Plum Crumble

    Source: Globi kocht vegi, translated by Monika Hilfing
    Makes 800g

    Filling:
    500g plums, or other fruits, e.g. rhubarb, cherries, apricots, berries, apples
    15g sugar

    Crumble:
    55g butter
    45g flour (half-white)
    65g brown sugar
    65g finely ground almonds
    1 tsp ground cinnamon

    Method:
    Preheat oven to 180°C
    Cut the plums in half and pit them.
    Melt butter in a pan.
    Mix flour, sugar, almonds and cinnamon in a bowl. Add the melted butter and crumble the mixture.
    Put the plums in an oven dish and cover with crumble. Bake at 200°C for about 15 min.
    Hint: Delicious with vanilla ice cream.

  2. 18 September 2020 / 9:50 pm

    An eclectic selection of locations, inspiring if it weren’t for covid

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Instagram