Visit Zürich

City Centre

In the city centre

In the heart of Zurich, medieval architectural melds with contemporary style. More than suits populate the city’s financial core – those with an artist’s eye shop with intent in the vintage boutiques and designer stores. Cabaret Voltaire, with its neo-Dada movement (and penchant for political art), is evidence that the city is dedicated to “edge”.

Places to stay from £35 per night

Wollishofen

2 miles from city centre

Searching for confection heaven? Find Lindt. The aromas alone’ll knock you off your feet. Push beyond your chocolate comfort zone with surprising flavour combos (champagne milk truffles!). Then sate your cultural hunger with Rote Fabrik’s interdisciplinary artistic performances and the Rietberg Museum’s international collections.

Places to stay from £40 per night

Wiedikon

1.3 miles from city centre

Get a taste of the “real” Zurich in residential Wiedikon, with its colourful houses and wide avenues. A district on the rise, today’s flavours are young, artsy and alternative. Looking for an evening of music? The Falcone serves infamous open jam sessions on Thursdays. If hunger hits, their noodles are the real deal.

Places to stay from £56 per night

Escher Wyss

1.6 miles from city centre

Hoarders of antique and heirloom delight: Zürcher Brockenhaus’s more than a thrift store. Four floors of vintage wares excite those with the patience to peruse. Continue the cool? Don’t miss Freitag’s flagship (father of recycled bags for the hip and indie), the Kunsthalle (for modern art) or Museum für Gestaltung Zürich (for industrial design).

Places to stay from £49 per night

Zürichberg

0.9 miles from city centre

Pamper yourself at the Dolder Hotel (synonymous with luxury and indulgence). It’s the stuff of dreams with its fairy-tale castle, sweeping grounds, and Alp views –you’ll think you’ve landed in a Zurich long gone. Take your pick: a relaxing spa or a day in the clean, mountain air? The zoo is also in these parts – now that’s an afternoon well spent.

Places to stay from £68 per night

Unterstrass

1.4 miles from city centre

The bookish and bespectacled prevail in this university district where IQs are as high as the levels of caffeine in students’ veins. Pick up some Joyce, brush up on your Modernism or head to Dynamo, the youth culture house. Catch a performance, enrol in a workshop (choose from snowboarding to printmaking) or imbibe at their bar.

Places to stay from £97 per night

Seefeld

0.7 miles from city centre

Simmer through summer on Lake Zurich – catch your breath. Glacial mountains frame a sky known to blush pink at dusk. Swiss sun on the limbs, boats bobbing in clear water: it’s a haven for bathers and outdoor-seekers. Rent a boat on the promenade or skip the dinner of cheese fondue in lieu of a waterside barbecue.

Places to stay from £79 per night