Page 589 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Europe

SWITZERLAND  587

9 Zürich
Zürich. * 381,000. k 10 km
(6 miles) N. £ @ n Hauptbahnhof
(044-215 4000). ∑ zuerich.com
The dominant position of Zürich
in the nation’s economy has long
been felt – in medieval times the
guilds ruled the city and, boosted
by the Reformation, Zürich
and its inhabitants developed
a talent for hard work and
accumu lating wealth. The stock
exchange, which is one of the
world’s largest, opened in 1877,
and today Swiss bankers control
the purse strings of many
interna tional companies Grossmünster and Fraumünster in Zürich, separated by the Limmat river
and organizations.
Despite this tradition, the city build a customs post and thus Environs
also knows how to enjoy itself, found the city. Fraumünster and Winterthur, 25 km (15 miles)
and the medieval town center, St. Peter’s churches are nearby; northwest of Zürich, is an
which stretches either side of the the latter, with its Romanesque interesting and little visited
Limmat river, is a hive of cafés, cloisters and stained-glass Swiss town. Its history as an
bars, and hip boutiques. On the windows created by Marc industrial center in the 19th
east bank, the warren of streets Chagall, is well worth a visit. century has left a legacy of old
and alleys lies close to the uni- Augustinergasse, which leads factory and mill architecture.
versity, adding to the café culture down from St. Peter’s, is a It also boasts excellent
of this district. Also on the east delightful street with traces of museums; the best of these
bank, the extremely austere medieval storefronts. It is a are the eclectic Oskar Reinhart
Grossmünster domin ates the world away from Zürich’s main Collection am Römerholz and
city. This was the church from shopping street, which it meets; the Fotomuseum.
which Ulrich Zwingli launched Bahnhofstrasse is one of the The nucleus of medieval
the Reformation on the recep- world’s most famous shopping Stein-am-Rhein, 40 km
tive burghers of Zürich in 1520. areas – a wide, tree-lined (25 miles) northeast of Zürich,
Along Limmat Quai, you can see avenue with trams running is unchanged since the 16th
the town hall (rathaus) built out along its length. There are century. Rathausplatz and
on supports over the river, oppo- plenty of high-priced emporia, Understadt, at its heart, are lined
site one of Zürich’s guildhalls. especially towards the southern with buildings covered
On the other side of the river, lake end, but interesting and in colorful frescoes, with oriel
there are a number of interesting reasonably priced shops and windows and window boxes.
sights. Lindenhof, a small hill, department stores can be
overlooks the city and was the found here or in the streets
site chosen by the Romans to nearby. At No. 70, Orell Füssli is
Switzerland’s largest English-
language book shop, and
nearby on Löwenplatz, you
will find coffee and chocolate
delights at the celebrated
Confiserie Sprüngli.
Just behind the main train
station at the top of
Bahnhofstrasse, housed in a
suitably Schloss-like building,
the Swiss National Museum
contains a comprehensive
collection of art and artifacts
detailing the history and
cultural diversity of the country.
E Swiss National Museum
Museumstrasse 2. Tel 044-218 6511.
Lively flea market at a lakeside park in Open Tue–Sun. & 7 Oriel window and frescoed facade of the
Zürich’s old town ∑ nationalmuseum.ch Gasthaus zur Sonne, Stein-am-Rhein

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