Zurich and Surroundings

Holidays by Destination Europe Switzerland Zurich and Surroundings 

Zurich Tourism

The country's most expensive and largest city, Zurich also manages to be one of its prettiest, retaining a medieval old town with steep alleys, and offering trips along its river and lake where there are also designated free swimming spots. The Kunsthaus is probably the best art gallery in the country with a wide range from Rubens and Rembrandt to Giacometti and Warhol. There is also the EG Buhrle private collection of Impressionists and Post-Impressionists including Manet, Van Gogh and Cezanne. The Schweizerisches Landesmuseum is a pretty thorough trawl through Swiss history, or Museum Rietberg is a fine collection of non-European art.

However, nearby Winterthur or Baden both have their own attractions as well as much cheaper accommodation. Winthur offers one of the finest private 20th century art collections and a fine Kunstmuseum with works covering Van Gogh, Monet and Rousseau among others, a good Post-Impressionist art collection, a Technorama with lots of stuff on water and flow patterns etc (best for kids) plus a fine Fotomuseum. Baden has attractive old buildings, a wooden bridge and public pools, connected to the spa springs. Here again there is a good collection of French Impressionist art, at the Langmatt Foundation.

Attractions for children in the area include the Knie Kinderzoo in Rapperswil with a variety of animals including a petting zoo, dolphin show and play area. Alpamare on the lake at Zurichsee is an in and outdoor water theme park with plenty of slides and wave pools etc. In winter Zurich is home to the Conelli circus at the edge of the Limmat river.