Hey Everyone,

I'm not sure what everyone else's opinion is, but I just got back from the Zurich city orientation and I was fairly impressed. What other city in the world gives you a free tour and then free drinks and appetizers? When I was in NYC, the only communication I recieved were parking tickets and jury duty summons...

I'm impressed. What were your impressions?

Ray

I like the positive feedback. I was not even aware of this excuse for an apero.

Ok I guess as a "local" I don't get to know about this sort of thing but could you post more details? How did you find out about it etc... Or could someone clue me in??

I went in August after I arrived - on the advice of some friends who had gone along. We had received invitations from the Kreisburo (different Kreisburos seem to send the invitations more efficiently, I think we decided there) It was useful: a multilingual introduction and walking tour, followed by an apero - a few of us then went on to a bar afterwards and met up a couple of times after.
Though you must register, they don't check (hint: EF event crashing potential)

It's run by the Zurich integration office: link
The public invitation and the dates that it is run are here

As the OP said - what other city??!

The city tour was an hour, and thankfully so because it was raining and cold last night. However, I thought the best part was the happy hour with free Swiss wine and Swiss appetizers. Yum!

You also break up in to "language groups" for the tour. This gives you a chance to meet other new people in Zurich. I was able to make a few new contacts that spoke english - always a plus.

This sounds great .... I have been here for the past 8 years and have never heard of this ... Would have been nice back then ..... I might check this out , actually .

I did go to this about 5 years ago, there was no walking tour but was a unique Swiss musical performance if I recall. And a good drinks session after.

I've never done this but I can state that the walking tour of Zurich done by the tourist office is actually very interesting. You can look at the city in a whole different way.

I can't believe I've got drunk near so many significant landmarks!

amazing really.

This can be a top gate-crashing event: free wine and goodies which most people don't bother with (shyness?) in some pretty impressive civic buildings, so keep your ear to the ground

This is a great idea. A few of my friends were talking about that this morning. I think we might go back in the future to increase our awareness of "the cuture of Zurich" (and the free wine).

Every year Thalwil invites all the folk who arrived in the last 12 months to a free brunch followed by a walking tour through various parts of the town in different smaller parties ending up at the town hall for a free lunch (yes, I know there is no such thing).

I took the tour that went up the church tower - quite a view from there...

Makes keeping multiple residences quite attractive - Zurich for the tour and aperos, Thalwil for a brunch, then Zug maybe for a few francs less tax.

Anywhere else we could be freebie-chasing?

I wonder if Zug do this? I am going to try to check it out, I think that they owe us a glass of wine at the very least

A quick look at the link below doesn't immediately point to aperos or tours, but it looks like it could be of great use to those settling into the central cantons of Luzern, Uri, Schwyz, Obwalden, Nidwalden and Zug.


integration zentralschweiz

I went last night too and thoroughly enjoyed it.

I have kept the brochure with future dates in case I decide to crash in future. The wine was very good for a free, open event.

I found out about this from the city itself; they posted me an invitation after I had been here 3 months.