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Seegartenstrasse 14 , Zurich, 8008, Switzerland
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of people enjoy staying here
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lively playground for adults and...
Fraumuenster Church by night
Grave of James Joyce in winter
View from the Lindenhof
I love the traditional Christmas markets: we've been to Salzburg a few times, and to Bruges and to Zurich, plus to a few in the UK that model themselves on the European markets. I was a bit disappointed last year with the Zurich markets which I thought were much less Christmassy than Salzburg in particular - there were very few stalls selling purely Christmas items, with lots of stalls selling eg wooden bowls or soft toys, which you can get all year round; though of course the streets themselves were beautiful, with gorgeous decorations and some charming sights such as carol singers.
My husband has a business trip to Zurich in December and I thought it would be an ideal opportunity to go to one of the other nearby markets: I can see that there are markets in Bern, Basel and Luzern, all of which are an easy short trip from Zurich by train. Wikitravel tells me that the Basel one is the largest market in Europe: but that might not necessarily mean that it's a good Christmas market, just that it's the largest market at Christmas time! I would really like a market like the one in Salzburg, selling lots of tree decorations and nativity scenes, interspersed of course with gluhwein and wurst... Does anyone have any experience of those three markets, and could you advise which is most likely to meet my (very fussy) criteria? I have never been to Basel but know that Luzern and Bern are truly beautiful places. And there will only be enough time to go to one of them...
Many thanks
Here are some description of the most authentic Christmas markets:
The traditional Christmas market in Waisenhausplatz square in the heart of Bern is over 20 years old. More than 50 festively decorated wooden huts - all of them different in size and style - are surrounded by a hedge made from pine branches. The wares for sale are colorful and varied, and the culinary offer ranges from hot apple cider and hot wine, to fudge and gingerbread. There is also a large choice of different cafés and food stands. The traditional Christmas market in Waisenhausplatz square in the heart of Bern is over 20 years old. More than 50 festively decorated wooden huts - all of them different in size and style - are surrounded by a hedge made from pine branches. The wares for sale are colorful and varied, and the culinary offer ranges from hot apple cider and hot wine, to fudge and gingerbread. There is also a large choice of different cafés and food stands. The Bernese Christmas market takes place on two different squares, which are within walking distance from each other (max. 10 minutes apart). Going from one to the other gives you a chance of admiring the pretty Christmas lights in the quaint alleyways, enjoying the magic of Advent in the town of Bern.
Mo-We 11:00-19:00, Th 11:00-21:00, Fr 11:00-19:00, Sa 9:00-17:00, Su 10:00-17:00 Uhr
Basel Market: In the heart of the city centre, nestled in the seasonally decorated historic Old Town, is the extremely attractive and atmospheric Christmas market. At around 140 brightly lit stalls and wooden houses, dealers and handicraft workers from across Switzerland and the region offer their wares or demonstrate their skills.
For other Christmas description, you can find all of them under the following link:
http://www.myswitzerland.com/en/event_calendar/event_results.cfm?f2=stxmas
Have a wonderful winter in beautiful Switzerland!
There's no need to pay loads of money for an Internet-connection at your hotel, there are plenty of free wireless-LAN hotspots in bars, cafés, shops and sometimes right by the Limmat.
Also used by locals :-) There's a list here: http://www.swiss-hotspots.ch/
öffentlich = public, free
kostenpflichtig = you have to pay
go SIGHTSEEING! With a map in hand (which you can obtain from the Tourist Office or your hotel concierge), what a better way to discover this lovely city than to go on a walking tour? There are many, many interesting sights to take in whilst roaming this area.... among them:
(1) Sankt Peter Kirche located in a little square atop the hill. This place is notable for its clock face, which happens to be the LARGEST in Europe.
(2) If you're heading down the hill towards the river and.... walking in the lake direction, you'll definitely chance upon the Fraumünster with its marvelous stained-glass windows by the talented Marc Chagall.
(3) At the end of the Bahnhofstrasse and the river, you can catch a glimpse of the Zürichsee Waterfront and the park. An idyllic place to just relax... and do nothing! :-)
Photo Below: Limmat River near the Zürichsee.
I happened to be in Zürich on August 1 - which is the Swiss National Holiday. The Swiss people are proud of their country - justified - and they show it. Thanks to my friend Sonja (yumyum) I got a leaflet with information on the several celebrations. It started with a parade down the Bahnhofstrasse to Bürkliplatz.
I arrived right in time for the parade - and what an unforgettable sight that was! Swiss from Zürich and other cantons marched, dressed in traditional garb, playing Alphorn, yodeling, singing folk songs and last but not least ringing big cow bells. I must admit I was totally overwhelmed by the sounds that you usually only hear in the mountains. Loudest were the cow bells (that's called "treicheln" if I recall correctly), a deafining sound and very impressive.
Afterwards soldiers fired some shots from ancient guns and a speech was given at Bürkliplatz. I understood most of it and thought the speech was very good, with meaning and humor.
SHOPPING.
Avoid the tourist shops. Yes, it is hardly ever the tourist souvenir shops I find terribly exciting. And the things they sell there cost a bomb! What I would humbly recommend is that you head straight to the supermarkets, farmer's markets, museum boutiques, drug stores and specialty shops. These are the places that will offer creative treasure-trove of goodies. Really.
When I find a shopping spot I really like, the address, telephone and fax number is noted in my digital diary. This way, I can return on my next trip, re-order specialties by mail (if necessary) and I can share my best finds with girlfriends when they go off traveling later. And finally, strike when the iron is hot! What do I mean? Well, many times I would buy 2 or 3 of the same item that really catches my fancy. When I go back home to Singapore, these treasured items will be stored inside my gift drawer ready for special occasions and holiday gift-giving! Your friends will definitely LOVE you for being so resourceful and brilliant.
Photo Below: The ESCADA Boutique (a German label) here in Switzerland. Their clothes and cutting is sooo PERFECT, you would definitely make Catherine Zeta-Jones jealous when she sees you wearing one of these outfits! hehe....
The leader of the Russian Revolution, Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, lived in Zurich from 21st April 1916 until 2nd April 1917. A memorial plate can be found at the building where he lived as a subtenant.
Directions:
Lenin's House can be found in the Spiegelgasse 14, just in the heart of Zurich's old town on the right bank of the river Limmat.
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Address: Seegartenstrasse 14 , Zurich, 8008, Switzerland
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