The Adventure

Zürich is another city I wish I had more time in. Like Milano, I only arrived later in the evening, and didn’t have the time to fully explore the city as much as I would have liked. Arriving later in the day also meant it was darker out, and I couldn’t see everything as well as I would have liked. I can already say it’s a place that I intend to return to, simply because I feel I didn’t have the time or visibility to actually see what the city offered.

I did as I would always do: walking around without purpose, looking at whatever cool, old buildings I could find. This included several churches (of course), and there were also some cool statues by the river. I remember distinctly walking along a rising and winding cobblestone path by one of the churches by the river. Even in the darkness, the atmosphere of the city was something I was able to appreciate. I don’t think I’ll ever get sick of cobbled pedestrian streets winding through historic buildings.

Another thing I remember is spending a lot of time in the Central Station. This was firstly because the station was massive and hard to navigate, so it took a while to get in and out, but also because it was cold outside. The temperature also contributed to my ability to explore the city. I felt like my time was cut short, not only because it was evening, but because it was simply too cold to be out exploring for too long. That’s definitely my fault, since I came really unprepared with just a hoodie for a mid-December trip, but I guess it’s too late now. When I inevitably visit again, I will either have to come prepared or visit in a time when it’s warmer out. And, either way, I will make sure to visit when it’s still light out next time.

Highlight

For anyone who’s been to Zürich, I hope you saw the Grossmünster. Because I, like always, had no knowledge of what I was getting into before visiting, I stumbled across this church by accident. It was only later in a text conversation with my father that I learned it’s one of the main historical attractions in the city, dating back to around 1100 when construction began. The full grandeur of the church didn’t hit me right while I was there (maybe because it was so dark out), but in hindsight, being so close to a building almost a millennium old is quite exciting. I think it’s one of, if not the oldest, churches I’ve seen. Most of the others, I believe, date back to around 1500, possibly 1400, so finding out the age of this church was surprising and exciting to me. Also, in looking back through my photos, pictures of this church make up the majority of my camera roll from Zürich, so clearly it stood out to me even in the dark.

Cost

Switzerland is not known for being cheap. I spent $54.11 CAD (33.70 CHF) in Zürich, almost half of which was on a single box of 8 chocolates. Switzerland is known for their chocolate, so despite the price tag, I had to try it. The remaining half was spent on much cheaper chocolates (they just weren’t quite as fancy, I guess) and, of course, a Swiss flag for the collection.

Concluding Thoughts

I don’t feel like I have enough experience in Zürich to give it an official recommendation or not. All I can say is that I know I will be back, so interpret that as you will. Hopefully, I’ll have the opportunity to revisit soon, where I can share a more complete account of the city.