After falling in love with Switzerland last year in Geneva, we decided to spend our holiday this Summer exploring more of Switzerland. One of the places we were most excited to explore was Zürich. I had heard how different it is than Geneva and I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect – overall though, we loved it! Safe to say Switzerland is one of our favorite spots in Europe after these subsequent trips and I can’t wait to go back in the future.
We did a day trip to Zürich from Geneva so we just had a few hours to explore but it’s entirely possible to get a great overview of the city in a few hours. Here’s how to spend 3 hours in Zürich and all the places I would suggest you see and all the places to eat to fully enjoy a first time to the city!
Arrive by Train
We arrived by train from Geneva and it was an easy ride and super easy once we got off the train in Zürich. The train station is very centrally located and we walked off the train and right into town. As you depart the station, you’ll arrive into Old Town where you can follow Bahnofstrasse, a main street down the center of the city. This long stretch has shopping and restaurants if you want to stop before continuing on.
Lindenhof
As you head South on Bahnofstrasse, you’ll eventually hit the Lindenhof area of Zürich. This beautiful old area of the city has beautiful old buildings lining cobblestone streets, flying Swiss flags for as far as you can see. As you curve around the tiny streets and up the hill, you’ll arrive to the viewing area at Lindenhof. From here, you can views over the entire city of Zürich and on a beautiful day, I will say the views were pretty spectacular. A heads up for here though, lots of tour groups end up here and when we arrived mid-day, it was pretty packed so you might have to move yourself through the crowds to get to the views. I can imagine this spot in the early morning would be pretty spectacular though.
Striped T-shirt | Jean Jacket | Sunglasses
Niederdorf
As you come down the hill from the Lindenhof area, you’ll find several bridges to walk across the Limmat River to head toward the Niederdorf area. This neighborhood was my favorite and it’s an Old Town area that you could wander for hours! From shops to restaurants, this area was charming and quaint and such a beautiful part of the city. Stop for lunch at the Swiss Chuchi Restaurant and enjoy weinerschnitzel and spaetzle. Truly this was one of the best meals of our entire trip so don’t miss it! And then after lunch, wander to 1842 Café & Conditorei for Apple Strudel and Swiss treats. I promise, you won’t be disappointed!
Back to the Train Station
After your few hours in Zürich, it’s time to head back to wherever you’re staying if you’re doing a day trip. We found about 3 hours was plenty to wander and see most of the old town of Zürich, enough for us to get the vibe of the city and want to come back to explore more in depth!
Headed to Switzerland?