Zurich 2021

 Zurich - A Swiss City Trip Part I

  Last summer, I had the spontaneous idea to travel to Zurich for a weekend trip. It was one of the cities, I always wanted to visit and since it was just a two hours journey from Freiburg, I definitely had to take the chance. Most of Zurich's sightseeing places are located within the area on either side of the Limmat river, between the main railway station and the Lake Zurich, where I joined a boat trip around the river. Due to the high water level, it was only possible to join a short round around the lake and the cloudy weather prevented me from having a spectacular Alps view, but nevertheless, I really enjoyed it. The boat tour was worth to do and I was quite surprised, because it wasn't that expensive with 8.50 CHF.   

  The tour around the Lake Zurich was definitely the biggest highlight, but nevertheless, Zurich had many other wonderful places to see. Probably the most famous view of Zurich is the one from the Quay Bridge (Quaibrücke), from where it is possible to have an amazing panoramic view of the Old Town and the Limmat river. On the left side of the river, it's possibe to see the Bauschänzli, an artificial island and town square, which is one of the last remains of the Baroque fortifications of the city, and the Fraumünster, a church, which was built on the remains of a former abbey for aristocratic women. In 1970, five large stained glass windows designed by the artist Marc Chagall were installed in the choir of the abbey, depicting five Biblical stories. Moreover, many medieval houses and worth seeing alleys could be visited on the left side of the river On the right side of the river, it was possible to see the Water Church (Wasserkirche), a small church built on a small island in the Limmat, the Grossmünster, a Romanesque-style Protestant church, inaugurated in 1220, which is the main sight of Zurich with its two towers, and the Limmatquai, a nice street along the river with restaurants, coffee shops and gift shops.

  After a long tour through the city, it was time to relax in the beautiful Chinese Garden, a gift by Zurich's partner town Kunming, as reminiscence for Zurich's technical and scientific assistance in the development of the Kunming city drinking water supply and drainage. The garden is dedicated to the "Three Friends of Winter" - three plants that brave the cold season - pine, bamboo and plum. In 1993, the garden was built under the direction of the Zurich garden department and garden experts from Kunming, followed by its official inauguration in 1994. After entering the main gate, I directly had the feeling of being in Asia. After crossing the cave of the artificial mountain, I had an amazing view to the pond, the island pavilion and the main sight and heart of the garden, the water palace. The mountain itself represents the meaning of the landscape - mountain and water - and is contrasting Yin and Yang.

  On Sunday, I had a relaxed morning in the university district of the city. The district is located above the old town on the right side of the Limmat. Close to the main building of the Swiss Federal Institute od Technology (ETH), I enjoyed some time in the Rechberggarten, one of the most beautiful preserved Baroque gardens. The garden belongs to the late-baroque Rechberg complex - together with the Rechbarg Palace, the orangery and the greenhouse. The viewing terrace gave the garden a wonderful and special atmosphere. Then, I went to the Polyterrasse, from where I had a spectacular view of the whole city. Before leaving the city, I had a lunch in a restaurant called "Kantorei", where I had my most expensive lunch so far. For 70 CHF, I enjoyed "Züricher Geschnetzeltes" with a side of a Swiss rösti, a chocolate soufflé with yogurt ice cream and berries, white wine and a milk coffee. Even if I paid a lot, I really enjoyed a really tasty menu, before heading back to Freiburg.