Although it may certainly sounds strange, I actually don't even know how or why Switzerland popped into my head. Specifically, I was thinking about Geneva, but somehow at the "last moment," I changed that plan and decided on Zurich.
I’ve actually been to both of these cities. I’ve even been to Geneva a couple of times, and once, many years ago when I was travelling around Europe with an Interrail pass, I spent a night there. The second time, I went to Geneva on a "private" one-day trip from Chamonix in France, where I was with some hikers. That was actually my beginning in hiking, so I wasn’t fit enough nor did I have any technical knowledge, so I decided that while the other members of the hiking club were climbing Mont Blanc, I would take a day trip to Geneva and walk around there.
While writing these stories about my stay in Switzerland in late autumn 2024, I felt inspired and decided to go through some of my old photos. Although I inherited a strong love for photography from my father, people used to take significantly fewer photos back then and you wouldn’t know how they would turn out until the film was developed. At least that was the case for me. As it happened, my old photos from Geneva are not at all interesting to me today, but I managed to find something from Zurich. There's nothing special about it, but still, it's interesting for me to include at least one photo from Switzerland taken a few decades ago.
Zurich in October 1989
As for Zurich, I spent only a few hours there during that Interrail trip, leaving my backpack at the station's luggage storage and taking a short walk around the centre. The only impression that stayed with me was that everything seemed perfectly clean and sorted out, even around the train station area, which isn’t always the case around the world. But this is Switzerland.
Now, after many years, when I think about it a bit more, my brief stay in Zurich with four nights actually made quite a lot of sense. Probably even more than Geneva.
Still, my plan wasn’t to stay in Zurich the entire time, so I came up with what I thought was a pretty interesting itinerary and plan for exploring. I had to keep in mind that I was travelling in the second half of November, which, to begin with, meant shorter days. And here are marked all the places I went to in November 2024:
Another aspect was that it would be colder, while the forecast for that short period even predicted occasional snow. But I thought to myself, if snow makes sense anywhere, it’s Switzerland.
With that in mind, I took an early flight from Belgrade on that very first morning. However, the weather that day was quite favourable – it was mostly sunny and dry.
Approaching Zurich airport
For my stay in Zurich, I rented a very modest, but functional room. However, I was absolutely delighted with my choice. The room was located right in the centre, very close to the train station, and on top of that, the hosts let me into the room two and a half hours earlier than the scheduled check-in time. This made it much easier for me to start my sightseeing. In fact, they were very kind and accepted my bag as soon as I arrived, which was around 10 in the morning, and then sent me to have a coffee while the room was being prepared. I really needed that coffee to wake up, so everything worked out perfectly.
Additional waking up in Zurich
When I entered the room, I left my things there and just took a few small items that I thought I may need throughout the day, and then I headed out for a walk. Very close to the building where I had rented the room, there is a bridge over the Limmat River, which actually flows out of Lake Zurich. From there, I had a wonderful view of some of the central parts of the city.
Centre of Zurich
A few days before the trip, I started following the weather forecast for Zurich to prepare and plan my daily outings better, and according to the forecast, the first day was supposed to be completely cloudy. However, although dark clouds occasionally gathered, as will be seen in my upcoming photos, there was actually more sunshine. It was quite cold, though, but it was dry, and I really appreciated that.
To begin with, I headed towards a place where there’s a nice view of the Limmat River and some parts of Zurich. I think it’s always nice to start with a good view.
The spot is Lindenhof, a plateau located on top of a hill, which is dotted with trees. In the summer, it must provide a pleasant shade, but in November 2024, that wasn’t the case and there was no need for it because the sun wasn’t very strong after all.
Lindenhof
Due to its excellent strategic position above the Limmat River, both the ancient Celts and the ancient Romans had their settlements in this area. This becomes quite clear when you reach the small stone wall at the end of the plateau and look towards the old parts of Zurich on the right bank of the river.
Zurich, view from Lindenhof
After a brief stop at this spot, I began to descend from the hill and I could see on some buildings that preparations for Christmas were already well underway.
Zurich, a detail
Here, I wandered a bit to the left and right, and so between some buildings, I spotted St. Peter’s Church, but I didn’t go all the way to it.
Zurich, a detail
Instead, I made my way down to the famous square on the western bank of the Limmat River called Weinplatz. In the square, there is a particularly beautiful fountain featuring a figure of a wine-grower carrying a basket of grapes.
Zurich, a detail
Zurich, a detail
From the square, there is also a very nice view of the eastern bank of the Limmat River, where several significant buildings can be seen. One of them is the cathedral, which stands out with its two tall towers.
Zurich, a detail
A wide bridge, which more resembles a promenade, leads from Weinplatz Square to the Town Hall, built in the style of the Italian Renaissance. The building is practically constructed right on the river itself and this will be more evident in some of the upcoming photos.
Zurich, a detail
Here, I decided first to cross to the other bank of the river, precisely via the Rathausbrücke bridge and from there I took a photo of the beginning of the Limmat River, which, just a few hundred metres further, flows out of Lake Zurich.
Zurich, a detail
I also walked along the street next to the Town Hall and then from the quay, I took photos of the parts of Zurich located along the western bank of the Limmat River.
Zurich, a detail
Zurich, a detail
Then I ventured into the narrow streets of the Old Town, or Altstadt, in Zurich, and continued my walk towards the cathedral.
Zurich, a detail
Zurich, a detail
The impressive Zurich Cathedral is quite a large building located in the heart of the town, meaning it is surrounded by other buildings. What I mean is that it's very difficult to photograph it from up close. From a distance, it can be seen very nicely, but it’s harder to capture when you're right next to it.
Zurich Cathedral
As I was walking around the cathedral, looking up to see if I could catch a good angle, I noticed a bird that had landed all the way at the top of the cathedral's roof. It was quite high up, but I thought it might be a bird of prey, rather than just a regular gray pigeon. So, using my camera, which served as a sort of binoculars, I zoomed in on the bird and was thrilled when I saw I was right. It was a beautiful peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) that stayed on the roof long enough for me to take a couple of photos. The image is a bit blurry, but the bird is still fairly visible.
Peregrine falcon
Very pleased with such a coincidence, I entered the Romanesque cathedral, which is actually called Grossmünster and was built between the 11th and 13th centuries. It is believed to have replaced a church founded at this location by Charlemagne (748-814).
Grossmünster
Grossmünster
I found the stained glass windows particularly interesting. The ones in the central nave were made in 1932, while those on the side walls were created in 2009 and you can clearly see the modern style in them.
Grossmünster, a detail
Grossmünster, a detail
Grossmünster, a detail
In front of the main entrance to the Grossmünster, there is a terrace plateau and from there you can descend to the level of the main street by the river, but you can also enjoy a nice view of parts of the city from the slightly elevated area. I first focused on enjoying that beautiful view.
Zurich, a detail
When I looked to the left, I could see part of Lake Zurich and practically the first bridge over the Limmat River, where it begins to flow out of the lake.
Zurich, a detail
Then I descended to the main street, but before crossing the Münsterbrücke, the bridge that practically connects the Grossmünster Cathedral with another important church, Fraumünster, I went to take a look at another church built between the river and the street, which is probably why it’s called the Water Church or Wasserkirche. The original church was built in the 13th century on a small island in the Limmat River, but over time (in 1839) the island was connected to the mainland. The church was completely reconstructed in the 15th century and that structure is what can be seen today.
Wasserkirche
During the Reformation, in 1524, the church was first converted into a warehouse, while from 1634 it served as a library. However, after its reconstruction in 1940, the church was restored to its original function.
Behind it, you can see the monument to Ulrich Zwingli (1484-1531), who was the leader of the Reformation in Switzerland.
The church has had an addition on its northern side since the 13th century, originally made of wood, which was reconstructed in the 18th century using stone. Part of this structure can be seen in the previous photo and is called Helmhaus. Today, it houses a contemporary art museum.
However, when I wanted to enter the church, which is done through a covered, yet essentially open space on the ground floor of Helmhaus (since this used to be a path continuing from the Münsterbrücke bridge), it was temporarily closed, so I only managed to capture one detail.
Helmhaus, a detail
These two connected buildings, Helmhaus and Wasserkirche, can be seen much better from the bridge or at least from the opposite bank of the river.
Helmhaus and Wasserkirche
From the bridge, I had a great view of the downstream flow of the Limmat River, as well as the parts of Zurich that I had already passed through, which include some of the city's landmarks – St. Peter’s Church, the Town Hall, and the Cathedral.
Zurich
From here, it’s easy to see how the Town Hall is built right on the river, with the river practically flowing underneath it.
Zurich, a detail
When you cross the bridge, it's nice to take a stroll along the promenade on the western bank of the river, even if just for a little while, as it offers another beautiful view of parts of Zurich. In the next photo, you can see well the impressive cathedral, as well as Helmhaus.
Cathedral and Helmhaus
In the immediate vicinity of the river, on the western side, there is also the Münsterhof square. During my visit, wooden huts and decorations were being set up here for the end of the year holiday season, when street markets are organised. Such gathering places are simply called Christmas markets.
Zurich, a detail
Zurich, a detail
In the square, there is another important church, Fraumünster Church.
Fraumünster Church
The church was built on the site of a former monastery from the 9th century, while the concrete edifice seen today was constructed in stages until the 20th century. What stands out particularly about it are the stained glass windows created by Marc Chagall (1887-1985). However, there is an entrance fee to the church. The amount is certainly not large, but for me, it's a matter of principle – with very few exceptions, I don’t pay to enter churches. So, I only took photos of the church from the outside.
Fraumünster Church
Now, my walk around the centre of Zurich took on a more practical aspect. I had previously written about how I exchanged old Swiss franc banknotes for new ones in Bern (see: https://www.svudapodji.com/en/fgs-6/). One of my friends knew about this and asked me to do the same for her when I next visited Switzerland, giving me some old Swiss banknotes. As I’ve mentioned before, I really enjoy having a "task" when I'm abroad. So, I made my way to the nearby Swiss National Bank and soon took care of that as well, while passing through some beautiful and elegant parts of Zurich along the way.
Zurich, a detail
Next, I went to the shore of Lake Zurich and took a short walk along the quay.
Lake Zurich
Quai alongside Lake Zurich
Quai alongside Lake Zurich
As I walked through the centre of Zurich, I passed by restaurants and some of the dishes I saw on the displayed menus inspired me. Moreover, I realised at this point that I was hungry. However, I first finished my walk along the lake and then I returned to a restaurant. Along the way, I took more photos of parts of central Zurich.
Zurich, a detail
Zurich, a detail
Although various meat options are offered in all the restaurants, what really inspired me to eat was rösti or Swiss-style potatoes. An additional reason I chose this dish was that it included the famous Swiss cheese that melts perfectly – raclette. The rest was a delicious garnish.
Lunch in Zurich
Of course, I also had to take care to hydration here.
Refreshment with the lunch
After lunch, I went for a walk, but with a clear goal and intention. Along the way, I enjoyed various picturesque details, as well as the weather, which had become mostly sunny with just a few clouds.
Zurich, a detail
Zurich, a detail
I made my way to the train station and as I approached, I noticed a couple of large birds of prey in the sky. I was impressed that they were flying relatively low above the centre of a large city. As I pulled out my camera and prepared to try to photograph them, they flew a bit further away, but as I moved, I saw one coming back in my direction. Moreover, I realised that a whole drama was unfolding in the sky, as this one bird of prey, which I later learned was a common buzzard (Buteo buteo), was fighting with two crows. I suppose the crows were driving the buzzard away from near their nest.
I managed to take a couple of shots and one of them turned out quite well.
Drama with one common buzzard and two crows
In line with my plan, I headed to the train station, where I caught a local train that goes to the top of a nearby hill – Uetliberg. The next few days were supposed to be cloudy, with some snow, so I decided that I should go to the top of the hill as soon as possible, while it was still sunny and dry, as there is a beautiful view of Zurich and Lake Zurich from there.