Zurich, Switzerland

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We’ve reached the finale of our Switzerland adventures! Talya and I headed to Zurich for the last stop on our trip. She just had part of a day there, and I had about 24 hours. After checking in to my hotel, we went out to lunch at a place called Roots and Friends, which was a very California-style vegetarian spot on the cutest cherry blossom-lined street.

 

Walking down through the Botanical Garden and along the canal.

 

Since Talya is an opera singer in Berlin, I figured we should at least go look at the Zurich opera house. We couldn’t get in without being there for a tour or a show though.

More cherry blossoms! Springtime in Zurich!

 

We walked all along Lake Zurich and through the neighborhoods.

 

Then it was time for an afternoon cafe break. We also grabbed some fries from a burger spot before we had to send Talya off to the airport!

 

I continued my wanderings up until sunset.

 

 

Gorgeous Old Town with all the cobblestone streets! I loved how empty the city was at dusk too.

 

 

 

And for one final morning in Switzerland, I took one more little walk and enjoyed a pretzel in the town square.

 

 

 

And that was it! I had a lovely week in Switzerland! I had a wonderful time exploring the cities, absorbing the scenery of the Alps, and catching up with Talya.

A recap of my one week Switzerland Itinerary flying in and out of Zurich: one night in Lucerne, one night in Berne, three nights in Mürren (but it would probably make more sense to do Mürren and then Berne in that order), and one night in Zurich.

Finally, here’s a little recap video of all my exploring in Switzerland, one second at a time!

One Day in Zurich, Switzerland

  • The train station is a full shopping mall filled with restaurants, cafes, grocery stores, and more. It’s a great option for budget dining.
  • If you’re looking for the upscale shopping street though, look no farther than Bahnhofstrasse.
  • If you’re looking for the cherry blossoms, hop over one street to Lintheschergasse.
  • Walk through the old town with cobblestone streets and such charming alleys that welcome you to just go wandering without a plan — and without the risk of getting lost. If you need a destination point, aim for Fraumünster Church. I enjoyed sitting in the plaza outside and also opted to pay for the tour inside. The church has stained glass work from Marc Chagall and Swiss artist Alberto Giacometti, but no photos are allowed inside.
  • Another great thing to do look at though no photos are allowed: The Giacometti murals inside what is now a police station in Zurich. You can go inside and have a look, but again, it’s a working police station with a manned front desk and no photos are allowed.
  • Walk along Lake Zurich. We made it all the way down to Zürichhorn, a park with a Chinese garden inside, as well as a Le Corbusier house (which was closed at the time).
  • Stock up on your Swiss Chocolate! Some top boutique chains: Confiserie Sprüngli (they had the cutest chocolate bunnies) and Confiserie Teuscher, and the more modern Max Chocolatier. But also great and a brand that you can’t get in the US is Frey, which you can find in any Migros grocery store. And then of course there’s Lindt, though you can buy that anywhere, and Toblerone, which is actually owned by Kraft now.

That’s it for now! Recap the entire Switzerland adventure below and let me know if you have any questions or tips in the comments!

Anna Wu is a wedding and portrait photographer based in San Francisco. She creates beautiful, soft, and timeless imagery while capturing the most fleeting of moments. View her work at annawu.com, follow her daily adventures on instagram, and contact her to book your own session today.


Switzerland

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