Zurich

A highly advanced city, Zurich still offers utmost beauty

Switzerland's largest city is among Europe’s most beautiful, and even today, Zurich retains much of its 19th-century charm. Situated on the northern shore of Lake Zurich, it’s the capital of a canton of the same name. Most of its 380,000 residents speak a form of German called Schwyzerdütsch and are Protestant -- some say Puritan.

Though Zurich is highly industrialized, its skies remain relatively unpolluted because the factories run on electricity. Zurich is also a major center of international finance; the headquarters of five major banks are in the city’s heart. However, Zurich is far from being a dreary city of commerce. It's long been a center of liberal thought, attracting scholars like Lenin, Jung, Joyce, and Mann. The Dadaist school was founded here in 1916. And the increase of visitors in the last 2 decades has spurred the development of a livelier nightlife and entertainment scene.

Altstadt (Old Town) draws travelers with its two giant cathedrals and dozens of streets ideal for exploring. Zurich also has many parks and a particularly outstanding botanical garden. The city is split by the Limmat River, and there’s no finer pleasure here than walking along its quays.

© 2009, Wiley Publishing, Inc.