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| Zurich
Tours - Excursions |
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Tours
Walking Tours
There are numerous marked trails in the hills surrounding the city that are perfect for strolling or jogging. The walkway along the lakeside is popular with tourists and locals alike. Zurich Tourism (tel: (01) 215 4000) organises tailored group tours as well as standard 2-hour tours of the Old Town. Tours depart from in front of the Tourist Information Office, Bahnhofbrücke 1.
Bus Tours
Zurich Tourism is the finest source for a variety of bus tours of the city, lasting two to two and a half hours and costing SFr32-45. A number of them involve a detour into the countryside. Some also include a boat trip or a cable car trip.
Bus tours depart from in front of the Tourist Information Office or from Zurich-Sihlquai station.
Trolley Tours
2-hour Classic Trolley tours in old decorated vehicles, which include headphone commentary in 8 languages, are also available from April - October, with refreshments provided. Tours depart from Zurich-Sihlquai station. You can prebook via tourist office (tel: 044 215 4000) and several travel agencies.
Boat Tours
Cruises are offered on Lake Zurich by Zürichsee-Schifffahrtsgesellschaft, Mythenquai 333 (tel: (01) 487 1333), departing from Bürkliplatz from April - October. Costs are different depending on the length of the cruise and the cost for cruises with drinks and/or food can go up. Reservations are necessary for those planning to dine onboard (tel: (01) 487 1313, for reservations). A 1-hour river cruise is available.
Excursions
For a Half Day
Winterthur
The canton’s second largest city is
25km northeast of Zurich and can be reached in just 20 minutes
by train from the Hauptbahnhof. There are numerous fascinating
things to be seen and experienced in this Swiss city on
the River Töss. The Sammlung Oskar Reinhart ‘Am
Römerholz’ (Oskar Reinhart Collection at Römerholz),
Haldenstrasse 95 (tel: (052) 269 2740) houses significant
works from European Old Masters and French
Impressionists.
The collection is open Tuesday-Sunday 1000-1700 (Wednesday 1000-2000). The Fotomuseum Winterthur, Grüzenstrasse 44 (tel: (052) 233 6086), has a good series of special exhibits available for viewing on Tuesday-Sunday 1100-1800, and Wednesday 1100-2000.
Open from Tuesday-Sunday 1000-1700, one of the country’s foremost interactive industrial museums, Technorama der Schweiz, Technoramastrasse 1 (tel: (052) 244 0844) is also located in Winterthur. The Winterthur Kunstmuseum, Museumstrasse 52 (tel: (052) 267 5162) is open Tuesday 1000-2000 and Wednesday-Sunday 1000-1700. Visitors can view major 19th and 20th century art. Tempo-drom und Block, Lagerplatz 17 (tel: (052) 204 0700), Europe’s biggest indoor sports park, which includes a 3,000sq metre (10,000sq ft) rollerpark and beach volleyball court, is a 5-minute walk from the main train station. The complex is open Monday-Saturday 1000-2400 and Sunday 1000-2200. Winterthur Tourismus (tel: (052) 267 5151) is located in the train station and provides more detailed information.
Rapperswil
The magnificent little ‘City of Roses’ has a medieval character dating back to 1229, with romantic lanes and restaurants on the lakeside. Located on the northern shore of Lake Zurich, it is approximately 28.5km from Zurich. Zürichsee-Schifffahrtsgesellschaft offers round trips to this little town (tours take approximately 2 hours). Rapperswil is also accessible from Zurich by S-Bahn S5 or S7 (journey time is 50 minutes). The Tourist Information Office, Fischmarktplatz 1 (tel: (055) 220 5757) provides more information.
For a Whole Day
Jungfraujoch
From this mountainous location in the Bernese Oberland (often referred as ‘the top of Europe’) one can see Switzerland’s largest glacier and the amazing Alpine scenery of the region. The view up there is most impressive and practically inexplicable. The cogwheel mountain train from Lauterbrunnen climbs to the highest railway station in Europe at 3454m, on the Jungfraujoch, with eye-catching sceneries on the way up just outside the window.
11 hour bus excursion can be booked through the Tourist Information Office (tel: (01) 215 4000) the last part of the journey is by train. The tour starts at 0830 Wednesday-Sunday from the 24th of April until the end of October. Alternatively, the train journey from Zurich to Jungfraujoch station, with changes at Interlaken, Lauterbrunnen and Kleine Scheidegg, takes about 4 hours and 20 minutes. |
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