Zurich - Sightseeings & Informations

Zurich is the second largest cities in Switzerland, stretching along the banks of the Limmat River. Since the 10th century, Zurich received the status of a city, and in 1218 it received the status of a free city.

Some interesting facts about history of Zurich

• 57/58 BC the Romans came to Zurich and founded the Turicum customs station, where travelers and goods were dispatched before crossing into the province of Raetia. 
• In 1218, after the death of the last of the Zähringers, Zürich’s ruling family, Zürich became a free city. Although it was under the emperor’s rule, Zürich was allowed to govern itself.
• In 853 AD, Charlemagne’s grandson, Louis the German, built a “Pfalz”, or palace, on the Lindenhof and gave an existing women’s convent with its own jurisdiction as a gift to his eldest daughter, Hildegard. Thus the Fraumünster abbey was founded.
• Zurich prospered in the 11th and 12th centuries thanks to the Fraumünster, which as a convent for aristocratic women attracted princesses from all over Europe. Under the Frankish kings, Zurich also grew to become the most important market town, with trade connections reaching from northern Italy to Holland. Thanks to the relics of Zurich’s patron saints, Felix and Regula, the city was also an important pilgrimage site.
• In 1218, Zurich gained its freedom from the Empire after the extinction of the main line of the Zähringer family, the imperial bailiffs responsible for Zurich. Zurich was placed under the direct control of the emperor, but was allowed to govern itself.
• In 1351, 60 years after the founding of the Helvetic Confederation, Zürich was the sixth canton to join.
• In the 16th century, as moral decline reached its peak and the council could not bring the population to its senses, Ulrich Zwingli became the priest of Grossmünster Church. He started the Reformation, which spread from Zürich to all of German-speaking Switzerland.
• In the time following the Reformation, many religious refugees came to Zürich. Thanks to them, Zürich developed into a center of the textile industry.

Zurich is the largest city but not the capital of Switzerland

With the city’s population topping 400,000 inhabitants and 1.3 million people within the canton, Zurich is the hub of Switzerland. Approximately 30% of Zurich residents are foreign nationals.

However, the central city of Bern became the official unofficial federal capital in 1848, when Switzerland became the country we know today.

How to spell Zurich in Switzerland

Switzerland has four official languages: German, French, Italian, and Romansh. As a result, you’ll see several spellings for Swiss cities throughout the country, which can be helpful to learn, for example Zurich :

• Zurich – French and English spelling
• Zurigo – Italian spelling
• Turitg – Romansh spelling
• Zürich – German spelling
• Zuerich – German spelling without the umlaut
• Züri – The city’s nickname in Swiss German

The biggest church clock face in Europe

Located in the heart of the Old Town, St Peter’s Church stands adjoined to a medieval watchtower built for the local fire brigade. A clock face with moving dials was slapped on the tower in 1366, and for centuries the beautiful façade served as the standard for local Zurich time. With a diameter of 8.64m, the dials of this Zurich landmark hold the record for Europe’s largest church timepiece.

Clean water from the fountains or tap

Switzerland has some of the cleanest drinking water, whether from the tap or from public fountains. Drinking fountains are a part of the Swiss standard. Zürich has got 1224 public water fountains. The reason is that back in the day, each stone mason apprentice had to sculpt a statue in order to pass the master exam, resulting in numerous decorated fountains. Have a look at the photography project documenting the 1224 fountains of Zürich.

The Dada movement was born at Cabaret Voltaire in Zürich

During World War I, it is no coincidence that a number of artists, poets, philosophers and revolutionaries found refuge in neutral Switzerland. And so, a theater of the absurd was inaugurated at Cabaret Voltaire in Zürich's old town in February 1916. They discussed their outrage towards the atrocities of war and their mutual disgust with societal values of the time. From those meetings, Dadaism — both an artistic genre and a protest movement — was born. Dadaism is defined by outlandish, abrasive and even grotesque manifestations of art, theater and public discourse. Some claim the Dada Movement as the precursor to surrealism and post-modernism.

Until its demise in 1922, Lenin used to be a regular at this venue that performed songs, dances and poetry - Dada style. Today, Cabaret Voltaire is a center for contemporary art with a souvenir shop and a café.

The highest point in Zürich is Üetliberg at 871 m a.s.l.

By the way the 126-meter Prime Tower used to be Switzerland's tallest building until it was surpassed by Basel's 178-meter Roche Tower in 2015.

Zürich’s history firsthand at the Swiss National Museum

The Swiss National Museum has a permanent free exhibition "Einfach Zürich!" A free admission ticket You can get at the welcome desk. The three-room exhibit contains 60 typical artifacts. Check their program for some really interesting tours.

Musli comes from Zürich

In 1904 a doctor Max Bircher-Benner founded a clinic focused on raw nutrition. This doctor was convinced that the sun would infuse healing powers into plants, hence making them therapeutical for his patients. Bircher-Benner prescribed twice daily meals made of apples, oats, nuts, lemon and condensed milk. "Bircher Müsli" in German or simply "Muesli” in English was born!

Lake Zurich has frozen over twice in recent history

Within the last century, Lake Zurich froze over twice completely in 1929 and in the winter of 1962–1963. For a solid layer of ice to cover over 88 square kilometers, winter temperatures must remain well below freezing for weeks on end.

Find more useful informations at the official web of Zurich.

You can find also interesting facts and tips at the site of Switzerland Tourist Board.