Zurich

Zurich in the fall!

This fall we spent three nights in Zurich and it was such an enchanting city. So clean and picturesque it seriously looked like a children´s storybook. We came in October so all the summer crowds were gone and the city had a more chill vibe, the weather was still good, a bit cold but nothing too bad. This was my first time in Switzerland and all I could think of was good chocolate and cows with bells hahaha we got to see the cows later on but the chocolate was first order of business and oh boy do they have really good chocolate! Turns out that the cows here produce milk with a higher percentage of fat hence the delicious and creamy chocolate.

I also discovered that Switzerland´s best-kept secret is how good their wines are! I hadn´t tried it before and that´s because less than 2% of swiss wine is exported... they know what's good and they don´t want to share it. I usually drink Pinot Noir but decided to try other grapes and these were my favorites;
Red: Gamay y Garanoi 
White: Chasselas and Müller-Thurgau.

​As many of you might already know Switzerland is very expensive in general, but there´s always a way to enjoy it and so worth it. So for accommodation, we chose to stay at an Airbnb rather than a hotel, the decent and good location hotels were definitely out of our price range and I rather drink/eat our budget, haha we all have priorities. Here is the link of the Airbnb we stayed at, it was very convenient,  there was a bus stop was right across the street and the train within a 7-minute walk. 

Here is a summary of our quick 3 nights and 2 days itinerary:
Day 1: 
Walk around the old town Lindenhof, starting at the Zurich Tourist Information/Train Station, walk along Limmat River and marvel at the most beautiful turquoise water you´ll ever seen., climb the stairs to Spielplatz Lindenhof and get awesome views of the city, then continue zigzagging through the narrow streets filled with beautiful pastel color buildings, shops and cafes. We kept walking towards Bahnhosfstrasse the shopping street for some window shopping and stopped by the Strauhof Museum. There are lots of other museums around that you can choose depending on what your interests are. For lunch we went to Milcbar andI was so happy! It was very cozy and quaint and I had delicious mushroom risotto with my first glass of Garanoi and to finish up an apple strudel with warm cream Anglaise. As we slowly make our way to the water end we stopped at the famous Sprungli for a few pieces of chocolate and a much-needed cappuccino. Walk towards Ganymede Statue to seat down and admire views or hop on the 50 minutes Limmat River Cruise for only 4.40 CHF.

We walked to the Opera House which is impressive and then head back on the opposite side of the river to see the Grossmúnster cathedral and wander through the streets following along the route to NIederdorstrasse which is a pretty street to walk on. Franzos is another great option for a coffee stop. We then went to Jules Verne's panoramic which gives 360° view of the city and they have very good although a bit expensive cocktails but they were worth it. We went out for a bit shopping and then went for dinner at Brasserie Lipp. I highly recommend it. Really good food and ambiance. 

Day 2: 
We started off with breakfast at John Baker, rented bikes and went for a bike ride towards Aboertum Park to take in the views and chill for a while. If you are into it nearby is the FIFA Museum, We decided to keep on biking to the highest point in Zurich: Uetliberg only 40 min and being from Costa Rica the climb was not bad at all. You can also take the bus to the top. After we returned our bikes we took the train to Zurich West the trendy district. What was once an industrial area was transformed into the hippest neighborhood with lots of art galleries, design stores, restaurants, and bars. The market halls are located inside Viadukt. We first stopped at Frau Gerold's Garten which is a city garden and a restaurant, this is what you would expect of Switzerland, a yurt with fireplaces, cozy blankets, and shearling seat covers and the fondue, lots of fondue! Needless to say, cheese comma was inevitable but when in Switzerland do as the swiss. 

Walk off some of the cheese and wine, strolled and browse the cool stores at Viadukt, the murals, and the cool and trendy neighborhood. We went back to our airbnb for a power nap and headed out for dinner. For tonight we chose BANK that´s a restaurant inside an old Bank because what could be more swiss than that hahaha but it has a cool botanical vibe and small but varied menu to share, great cocktails and wine. It´s also open for breakfast, brunch, and lunch. We then strolled to some quaint little parks around the area and got ready for the next day´s adventures in Interlaken. 

Our next day we sepnt it in Bern and came back for dinner to Zurich, I´ll write more ind etail in the next post about wahte we did here and at Interlaken but I would like to leave you with another good recommendation for dinner in Zurich: The Artisan kitchen an urban garden with a romantic and cool setting.  


Happy Travels!