Versão em português aqui.
We started our Swiss itinerary in Zurich, in my opinion the most charming and enchanting “big” Swiss city. I’d already been to Geneva and spent a couple of hours in Bern, but Zurich has totally stolen my heart with its beautiful streets and elegant nightlife spots.
It’s so vibrant, but quiet at the same time, it’s clean and organized, historical and modern. It’s a destination for those looking for good restaurants and nice boutiques, a run around a beautiful lake, having a good time in the many elegant bars of the city.
The city’s highlight, in my opinion, is the Old Town, with its narrow streets, plenty of small boutiques and charming bistrôs. In this area you can find the Central Train Station – the Stadelhofen – and the famous Bahnhostrasse, the main station street, with its eletric silent trams, worldwide well-known magazines and the main Swiss banks.
I had read some criticism about the city before going there, that it was too comercial and nothing touristic, more business oriented. In fact you can see that it can be true, but it’s exactly why it is so clean and well-preserved, the restaurants and hotels are so classy, people are well-dressed and happy hour bars are so elegant. For me it’s everything I want to see in a “big” city.
Big in quotes because this beautiful city has just 400 thousand souls, but it’s quite huge for the Swiss concept of small villages. Try to stay next to the Lake and the Old Town to best be amazed by this city, with its history and richness blended with the well-known European charm.
