A Visitors Guide to Zurich Switzerland

Switzerland's largest city, Zurich, is one of the few places in the world that actually caters to everyone. Many of the city's inhabitants are multilingual, with the majority of the residents speaking German (or more specifically, Zurich Swiss German, a regional dialect that is quite different from the traditional German language), followed by English, French, and Italian. As a truly global city, a wealth of business, cultural, and educational opportunities abound, making for a richly diverse population of over a million people. According to an annual survey conducted by the consulting company William M. Mercer, Zurich is the city with the highest quality of life on the planet. No wonder, then, that thousands of tourists flock to it each year.

Zurich accommodates visitors of all backgrounds, regardless of their age, race, gender, sexuality, or social class. Children and their families have many options to choose from, including the outstanding Zurich Toy Museum (Fortunagasse 15, 8001 Zurich), which has free admission and features over 1000 antique toys from all over Europe. Zurich is also one of the world's most queer-friendly cities, with a substantial number of bars, clubs, and cultural events-such as the Pink Apple, a gay and lesbian film festival that takes place every May-that cater to homosexual travelers.

As Switzerland's commercial center, Zurich is not the cheapest of places to visit. However there are fairly inexpensive lodging options available, like Hotel Seehof (11 Seehofstrasse, 8008 Zurich, http://www.hotelseehof.cf), which offers doubles from $215 a night. The hotel is small and stylish-containing just 20 rooms, each showcasing the clean, crisp quality of Swiss design-with its own bar (featuring an impressive wine selection) and a restaurant that serves up delicious Japanese food (courtesy of chef Keisuke Takatori). The simple, elegant rooms are the perfect place to rest your head after a busy day of sightseeing and include such modern conveniences as wireless internet access.

A smart and thrifty way to experience the multitude of activities that the city offers is by purchasing a Zurich Card (e-mail contact@zw.ch for ordering information). These extremely affordable one and three-day passes enable tourists to visit 40 museums, utilize Zurich's public transportation, and receive discounts at many local boutiques and eateries. The one-day pass costs about $12 for adults and $8 for children, with the three-day pass coming in at double that rate.

The city is home to over 50 museums, which range in focus from art to technology. One of it's most unique is the Circus Museum (Fischmarktplatz 1, 8640 Rapperswil SG). Circus arts have a long, proud history in Switzerland, with Knie-the Swiss National Circus-setting up shop in 1919. Zurich also provides its visitors with a huge number of restaurants offering cuisine from virtually every country in the world, including Brazil, Korea, and Lebanon. For a taste of authentic Swiss food, head to Adler's Swiss Chuchi (Rosengasse 10, 8001 Zurich) for some of the city's best regional cuisine. And of course, no trip to Zurich would be complete without a pilgrimage to the city's most exclusive shopping district: Bahnhofstrasse (Bahnhofstrasse, 8001 Zurich).

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