10 Best Things to Do
Zurich’s Old Town follows the Limmat towards the lake, with Lindenhof above its lanes and Fraumünster’s stained glass beside the river. Kunsthaus and the National Museum anchor a substantial museum scene, while converted industrial buildings give other neighbourhoods a different character. Boats open up the lake, and Uetliberg offers a hilltop escape from the streets. Lindt Home of Chocolate sits farther along the shore in Kilchberg, a separate excursion from the central sights.
Explore Kunsthaus Zürich
Heimplatz, Switzerland
Kunsthaus Zürich gives art lovers a substantial journey from older European painting to modern and contemporary work. Swiss artists sit alongside international names, with the historic Moser building and David Chipperfield’s light-filled extension adding an architectural dimension to the visit. Allow enough time to move between the two rather than rushing to a single famous painting. The combination of collection, temporary exhibitions and generous public spaces makes this one of Zurich’s most rewarding cultural stops.
Swiss art and modern architecture
See the stained glass at Fraumünster
Old Town, Switzerland
Fraumünster brings together Zurich’s medieval religious history and some of its most memorable modern art. The church’s stained-glass windows by Marc Chagall and Augusto Giacometti reward slow looking, with colour and light transforming the atmosphere around the chancel and transepts. Its origins as an influential convent add depth to what might otherwise feel like a brief architectural stop. Combine the interior with a walk around Münsterhof to understand its place in the Old Town.
Chagall windows in a historic church
Discover Switzerland at the National Museum
City centre, Switzerland
The National Museum gives a visit to Zurich a wider Swiss context. Behind the main station, its castle-like historic building meets a striking modern extension, creating an engaging setting for exhibitions about the country’s people, politics and material culture. The displays move beyond picturesque clichés to explore how Switzerland has changed over time. Leave space for a temporary exhibition as well as the permanent galleries, and notice the dialogue between the two very different architectural languages.
Swiss history beyond familiar stereotypes
Walk to the Uetliberg panorama
Uetliberg, immediate city-edge catchment, Switzerland
Uetliberg changes the scale of Zurich. From this wooded height above the city, the streets give way to a panorama of the lake and, in clear conditions, the Alps beyond. Arrive by the local railway and continue on foot, or make the ascent part of a longer walk suited to your ability. The experience is most rewarding when treated as time outdoors rather than a guaranteed photograph: weather, light and cloud can transform the view completely.
A hillside perspective on city and lake
Take a Lake Zurich cruise
Bürkliplatz departure and Lake Zurich, Switzerland
A Lake Zurich cruise lets the city unfold from a different angle. Departing from the waterfront, the route gradually exchanges dense urban façades for open water and lakeside neighbourhoods. Choose a shorter round trip for a relaxed addition to a city day, or a longer sailing if the journey itself is the plan. The appeal is simple: room to slow down, watch the shoreline and appreciate how closely Zurich’s identity is tied to its lake.
Seeing Zurich from the water
Explore Zurich Zoo and Masoala Rainforest
Fluntern, Switzerland
Zurich Zoo occupies a green hillside setting in Fluntern, with major habitats making it a substantial outing rather than a quick stop. The Masoala Rainforest brings visitors into a humid tropical environment, while the wider grounds introduce other landscapes and species. Allow time to explore slowly and use the interpretation to connect animal encounters with conservation questions. It is particularly useful for families seeking a change of pace from the Old Town and museum galleries.
A varied day of wildlife and habitats
Visit Museum Rietberg
Enge, Switzerland
Museum Rietberg offers an unusually harmonious combination of art, architecture and landscape. Collections from Asia, Africa, the Americas and Oceania sit within a setting of historic villas and a modern extension that extends largely below ground. The surrounding park makes the approach part of the experience and offers a welcome pause after the galleries. Choose this museum for a broader cultural perspective and a quieter rhythm than the city’s busiest central sightseeing stops.
World art in a parkland setting
Walk the Old Town to Lindenhof
Old Town, Switzerland
Lindenhof is a small but revealing destination within an Old Town walk. Climb through the surrounding lanes to the tree-shaded square, where the outlook takes in the Limmat and the opposite bank’s historic buildings. The site’s Roman and later political history gives the view a deeper context, but its present appeal is equally clear in the everyday life around the benches and chess tables. Pause here rather than treating it simply as a photograph to collect.
A historic viewpoint above the Limmat
Spend an evening at Zurich Opera House
Sechseläutenplatz, Switzerland
Zurich Opera House makes the city’s cultural life tangible through a full evening of performance. Its position beside Sechseläutenplatz and the lake gives the arrival a sense of occasion, while the programme ranges across opera, ballet and concerts. Choose the production first and let the surrounding restaurants and waterfront complete the evening. A performance offers a richer encounter with this landmark than an exterior visit alone, especially for travellers willing to plan around a particular cast or work.
Opera and ballet beside the lake
Discover Lindt Home of Chocolate
Kilchberg, nearby lakeside excursion, Switzerland
Lindt Home of Chocolate turns a visit to nearby Kilchberg into an introduction to one of Switzerland’s best-known crafts. The interactive museum follows cocoa from its origins through the development of chocolate and Swiss production, with tasting adding a direct sensory dimension. A dramatic fountain anchors the entrance space, while separately booked workshops offer a more hands-on experience. The contemporary building makes the visit appealing to design-minded travellers as well as enthusiastic chocolate eaters.
Swiss chocolate history and tasting