Switzerland, Zurich - The Limmat Flows Through It

By Timothy Tan - July 30, 2016

Zurich is well-known as the Financial and Banking capital of the world. Contrary to what most people may think, Zurich is not the capital city of Switzerland. The Swiss capital city is Bern, located about 100km south-west of Zurich. Traveling time between the two cities is about an hour by train.

The Zurich International Airport is situated just slightly more than 10km from the city and getting to and from the airport and the city is convenient, affordable and easy. Zurich is also connected to most major Swiss and European cities by rail. The Zurich Hauptbahnhof (a.k.a. Zurich HB) is the largest train station in Switzerland. Personally, I will always remember that it was here at Zurich HB that I had to pay €1.50 just to use the washroom to answer an urgent call of nature! To date, this was and still is the most expensive use of a public washroom for me in all my travels. ;-)

The warmer months of the year in Zurich is between May and September. The months of July and August are generally the warmest where average day time temperature can be as high as between 23 °C and 24 °C (about 74 °F to 75 °F). The cooler months are December and January. Average daily temperatures in these months can go as low as 0.3 °C (about 32.5 °F).

The Limmat flows through the city, Zurich, Switzerland (2009)

Zurich, the capital city of the Canton of Zurich, is bisected by the Limmat river. Because of this, it may seem to first-time visitors of the city that almost everywhere one goes in Zurich, one will encounter some kind of lakeshore setting with an elegant European-styled quay thrown in. Such is the beauty of Zurich that one will instantly fall in love with this vibrant and lively city.

The old-styled European architecture of many of the buildings in Zurich makes this lovely city an extremely photogenic place for any photographer, both professional and amateurs. From the spectacular and grandiose landmark of the Tower of Grossmunster to the shopping area of Bahnhofstrasse, walking tours of the city will always be extremely interesting and spectacular. The cobbledstoned streets of some parts of the city add more gloss to that European feel.

Cobblestoned pavement, Zurich, Switzerland (2009)

One of the most iconic architecture in Zurich is the clockface of the St Peters Kirche. With a diameter of nearly 9 meters, one can't miss this distinct icon from anywhere in Zurich. The church itself sits on a Roman site dating back to the 9th century while the main body of the church building dates to the early 18th century.

Clockface of St Peters Kirche, Zurich, Switzerland (2009)

St Peters Kirche, Zurich, Switzerland (2009)

Shopping-wise, the Bahnhofstrasse is the main shopping street of the cty. High-end shops retailing branded goods are paired with chic restaurants. And as if to further strengthen the argument that this is the playground of the rich and famous, there is the "Walk of Fame" which is a pavement imprinted with the foot and hand prints from the who's who in the entertainment industry. The headquarters of major Swiss banks are also located in this area.

UBS, Zurich, Switzerland (2009)

Credit Suisse, Zurich, Switzerland (2009)

Unable to afford the branded retail goods, I found solace in enjoying a cup of my favourite coffee. Sitting by one of the many sidewalk cafes to sip my cuppa, I told myself that there isn't another city in Europe or the world which I adore or love more at that moment in time.