Zurich in February

Consult the Zurich tourist board website
https://www.zuerich.com/en
It has better information than the many negative references to the city you have noticed.

Also why not go yourself to Luzern it takes less than an hour to get there.

Its not that its a terrible place to visit, its just that there are so many, more scenic places, to visit that are close by. If you want to see banks and chocolate and jewelry shops, in a cosmopolitan city, than Zurich is just fine. If you've not traveled to Switzerland before, its hard to describe how easy it is to get around by train.

I too have been in the chorus re Zurich, but its not that is some terrible place. It is quite nice if you live there or doing business. Opera, theater, art galleries, restaurants, museums, a pretty lake. Everything a sophisticated European city could want. Its just that Switzerland gets better as soon as you head toward the mountains. It is no coincidence that the piped in sound on the little shuttle train from the remote terminal at Zurich airport is the sound of cowbells clanking, people yodeling, cows mooing. That is what tourists come to see, and they aren't to be found in Zurich. They certainly don't have the sounds of the Gnomes of Zurich counting money.

So, yes there is plenty to see in Zurich, and shops galore. Of course it would help to have a Swiss bank account to pay for those goodies. The Swiss National Museum across the street from the Hauptbahnhof gives a good over view of Swiss history. The Kunsthaus museum has a decent collection of European masters, but the interesting part is the Swiss artists section.

So cheer up, its not as bad as all us churls, and Zurich-trashers say. Enjoy Zurich, and post back so we can all change our minds.

Get the Rick Steves Switzerland guidebook--it has great suggestions and a walking tour of Zurich.

I agree, Zürich is a good, clean, pleasant and attractive 4-star city. The problem is it is a short distance from 6-star mountains, no contest!

If you have a whole day free (or can leave your husband to his business for a day), get a train to Luzern (45-50 minutes, 2 departures per hour), and you have another old town, with boat trips on the lake, and mountains to go up (Rigi, Pilatus or Titlis, train or cable car to the top).

Thank you everyone, for the encouragement and great suggestions. I will definitely do some day trips!