Although I have lived in Switzerland on and off all my life, I just wondered what the must see/do things are in and around Zurich. I'd love to read your top ten list. Thanks!!

The mountains! If it's winter, there are loads of places you can go skiing. Hoch Ybrig and Flumserberg are the closest but there are many, many more. In the summer you can go hillwalking and mountainbiking in the same places. Luzern is worth visiting - very nice. Do the boat trip around the Zurichsee. The thermal baths in Baden are really relaxing. The old town in Zurich is well worth a visit.

Gav

hi Lynn



some of the places I find nice around here, especially from a "hanging out" perspective.



- Beer garden of the "Sonne" in Küsnacht – easy access from Zurich – just a two minute walk from the station. Great view and atmosphere, well, as long as the weather is good. Decent food at normal – for Zurich – prices. Once can almost always get a seat – tip: go there when the Swiss time for dinner is over, i.e. after 20:00. Nice place to end your day if you've been taking out people on a boat trip around lake Zurich.

- Café on top of the Grieder building at Paradeplatz. This is a very nice place if you are in for a drink or coffee like after shopping downtown on a Saturday. Access is via the Grieder – the fashion store – go up all the way to the top floor and you'll find a very nice shady place to sit outside – almost a garden atmosphere. They also serve little snacks and wine.

- "Rimini" bar next to the Swiss Stock Exchange building (Tram stop Selnau). It's a Männerbadi I think during the day which gets turned into a bar in the evening. Very relaxed hang-out during the summer. One can have some drinks and put some food – they sell sausages and other stuff - on the BBQ.

- So far I've only found two places where one can get decent cheesecake – the American style stuff, not the Swiss cheese tarts which actually contain real cheese! Not really something you'd like to have with a cup of coffee… first place is the Café "Schoffel" in the Niederdorf (Schoffelgasse); second is the "Strozzis" near Paradeplatz (in the inner yard of a block of buildings, basically across from the entry to the Baur au Ville). The Strozzis is a little on the pricy side but it's also nice to just go for a after work beer – they have Weizenbeer – and it's centrally located.

- The best view over Zürich – apart from the Uetliberg – is probably from the Restaurant "Sonnenberg" near Klusplatz. It's the FIFA restaurant and again a great place to sit outside and have an excellent meal when the weather is good. It's pricy, though, very, actually, but it's worthwhile going if you have somebody over for a visit.

- If one is downtown and just wants to have a quick rest with a drink or some lunch but still enjoy a view over Zürich, the "Jules Verne" bar at the "Brasserie Lipp" next to Urania is the place to be.



Guess that's it for today – more places to come.

fresh water, safety, down to earth attitudes of people, common sense prevails, expensive, culture, variety, well-kept, understanding and beautiful.

Those are ten things I can think of off the top of my head which help make this "ickle" sanctuary unique.

Anyone who can/will argue these are free to go back to where they came from. And no I am not Swiss. I am still (after 28 years) delighted to be allowed to live as a foreigner and guest in this proud little country. I have nothing against having to pay that little bit more for a service with a smile. "Smile" you say, but nobody smiles in this country, surely! One tip I can offer which I find has helped me live and work in this country for so long...Smile and laugh as much as possible!!!

That's all folks for now

Your Daddy

P.S. I know the question was top ten places to go but everyday I seem to find places which still surprise me here. Come up to Aesch and I'll show you!

Hi,

Well done George!!

I personally also agree with your prespective on Sonne in Kusnacht. It is very nice there. I am lucky to be able to walk from home there...

Anyway, there is also a nice restaurante / bar, just by the lake on wollishofen side. THey have a little terrace facing the lake.
Its called Aqua, used to be the old "61"

Cheers,
Van

Hi Daddy,

Do you live in Aesch BL or Aesch in Lucerne??

Good one George. I've been a few of those places, but it really reminded me about how Zurich desperately needs some more "nice" places, especially by the side of the lake. Such a shame to have such a beautiful coastline and not have more nice cafes by the water!

I did hear that there is a new one opened up by the Piramide (spelling) clinic (you know that big glass pyramid). Has anyone been there yet?

I occassionally go to Bagno Paradiso in Herrliberg which is by the lake. If you can put up with the fact that it's just a place to be seen and get ripped off then it's nice. Mind you, I usually turn up just after a dive looking like a total scruff but I don't care.

I go to the Sonne sometimes, but have had some bad experiences there with respect to service. I know there isn't any, so you can imagine it must be quite an achievement to mess it up! But since there isn't much choice I go sometimes.

Side note: I heard Hotel Ermitage is closing. Never been there though.

Mark

Bagno Paradiso - we've gone there a few times, also in winter (when it is/was Toms Fondue). The sushi is nice in the summer, and even affordable.
Eremitage closing?? Now that would be a shame. You go to the Eremitage to dine in style. It isn't cheap, but the food is excellent and so is the service.

Hi,

Ermitage it is a nice place. There are rumours it wil close due to some financial problems.
They started to do some renovations and it seems as their budget wont cover the costs...

Its a pity, because it is a quite nice place for a drink in summer time (though mind it, ripping off ppl seems to be their favorite sport..)

Ciao.

hi all,

i totaly truly enjoyed Bern and its old town which is made of like three small parts, with many lovely shops, antiques and restaurants... as well you can visit Einsteins old apartament...and the prices are a bit less then here in Zurich...really lovely small city...i am was surprised...as well Montreux which remainds me so much of home...

Bano Paradiso doesn´t exist any more - now called BERMUDA. And yes, it´s a to be seen place but nice and pricewise just as much a rip-off as anything else in Zurich. Weizen is CHF 8 - just the "normal" price.

Not a Top Ten, per se, but a list of things I've done/places I've gone that I have do again or would do again:

Rimini Bar

Barfussbar (Frauenbad by day; open to public with no cover on Thursdays)

The Bar near the Letten on the Limmat

Hamam in Fitnesspark Munstergasse

Beyond Chinese Restaurant (near the HB; best Chinese food I've found so far)

New Asia Market (Forchstrasse near Kalkbreite; best Asian grocery)

Blinde Kuh

Blanket, book, and lake (Zurichhorn or Enge)

Outdoor movies by the lake

Pastorini Spielzeug (favorite toystore; near Hotel zum Storchen)