Hello
My spouse is attending a workshop In Slovenia. He’s flying into Zurich will stay for 3 days.
He’s interested in outdoor activity, history , art, architecture and food.
Would Altstadt be the a good fit, he’s 70 not into wild partying and noise, but very fit and active walkerhiker at ease with public transportation and of course it Is Switzerland. I’m assuming there are streets he would want to avoid. Looking for recommendations for an accessible train trip for one of the days. Must see recommendations for landmarks attractions and food and accommodations for one.
Thank you
Posted by
Camano Island, WA, usa
1449 posts
There is an extensive article on Zurich on Wikipedia. They list museums and churches, historic districts and parks. It is a cultural center of art, music and theater. I've become interested myself because I have ancestors from there. I'll look forward to a trip report.
Posted by
Switzerland
383 posts
Hotel recommendations depend a bit on the budget. There are different areas within the "Altstadt." I might avoid the Niederdorf area - although it is picturesque, there are a lot of bars and restaurants and it can get loud at night, especially on the weekend. The Hotel St Josef is nice and a little bit away from the action (uphill!) close to the University, could be worth looking at. He would also be fairly close to the Rigiblick funicular up the Zurichberg, where he take some great walks with wonderful views of the city, lake and mountains
The other side of the river where the train station is would also be ok. It's crowded during the day, but really only along Bahnhofstrasse where all the shops are. Plenty of restaurants and easy to get around the city.
There are also some nice hotels near the Opera House (Hotel Europe is good) or between the Enge and Selnau train stations (for example a more budget-friendly Motel One). Zurich is very small (you can walk from the main train station to the lake in about 20 mins), so you can walk more or less everywhere or otherwise jump on a tram.
The only street I would really avoid is Langstrasse on the western side of town, which is the 'party mile' of Zurich. It's not necessarily unsafe, but just a bit dingy in places and loud.
Accessible train trip for one of the days - most obvious choice is Luzern. About an hour away by direct train and well worth a visit. Beautiful old town, lake/mountain scenery, nice museums, easy access to mountains. Unless he has to be in Zurich for a reason, I might actually suggest staying in Luzern for the 3 days instead. Then he could do a day trip to the mountains very easily (Pilatus, Rigi, Stanserhorn, Engelberg).