In this city trains are punctual, streets are clean and everywhere is safe. Moreover, it has great natural surroundings, classy watches and glorious chocolates. We wandered around Zurich thinking, “Nowhere can be this perfect.” If you visit this capital of perfection maybe you will be the one to spot an imperfection in it.
You may think that we have chosen a strange day to visit a new city and get to know a new culture, but Mondays, generally eulogised by employees, feel like Saturdays in Zurich. You get this feeling the minute you land in the Zurich Airport. This very busy airport which provides access to the economic capital of Switzerland is full of signs reminding one of this fact. But when you cover the 53 kilometers between the airport and the city you start sensing a different feeling of peace. Although you see a high number of people in suits, because this is after all an important financial center in Europe, your feeling about Zurich does not change.
A QUIET LAKE BUT HECTIC NIGHTS
Named after the Lake of Zurich, which extends all along the city, the city seems to breathe together with the lake. In November the lake presents you with poses that could inspire you to become a painter. In the summer swans are accompanied by a soft breeze, while in the winter apparently the lake is famous for its quietude. The lake of Zurich offers a different kind of beauty in each and every season. New flavors and new joys await you in this impressive city, where the Limmat River joins Lake Zurich. Dining places deserve special mention. The Zeughauskeller is decorated in a very traditional way; four large wooden beams create a castle-like atmosphere and the walls are covered with a chronological display of armoury from past to present. The customer profile on the other hand is very international. As for the food… if you wish to taste traditional Swiss cuisine, you should try Burgermeister Schwert (veal with a special sauce, on a sword) or Bratwurst. If you are vegetarian, a mixed salad with French sauce or potatoes served with blue cheese (Gnocchi) are among the main alternatives that come to mind. But if you say, “My time is precious. I want to both see the city and eat,” then you need to catch the tram that leaves at 19.00, because on this tram you will taste great flavors, as well as take a tour around the city.
After dinner, do you wish to witness the city’s transition from evening to night? In many houses lights go off after 22.00, but a considerable part of the city gravitates towards the new streets and from there to pubs, bars and night clubs. Nightlife in Zurich is hectic, colorful and entertaining.
CATHEDRALS, MUSEUM HOUSES AND CHOCOLATE OF COURSE
Following a breakfast where you can taste many different kinds of cheeses, you take your first steps with the vitality required to get rid of the first day’s sense of unfamiliarity and you realize that the image of “well-established city,” encountered in so many European cities, is valid for Zurich as well. Another feature which we believe will attract your attention is the fact that you will encounter statues at every step. These statues, generally situated around a fountain, certainly contribute to the unique atmosphere of the city.
The Zurich Cathedral (The Grossmünster) is another building that contributes to the the city’s unique ambiance. Dating to the 8th century, the cathedral is famous for its Romanesque and Gothic styles, as well as for inspiring the tourists who enjoy the view from the church. Another historical building, the Fraumünster stands out with its stained glass windows colored by Chagall in 1970.
Houses too are very loquacious in Zurich. A few words from the houses are enough to understand the order and the value of the city. Two or three century-old buildings are so well-kept they look brand new, and this arouses our curiosity to see these houses close-up. Among them are those that have been visited by so many personalities throughout history. The houses of many famous people, such as the Czech author Franz Kafka, of the German author Bertold Brecht, of the Russian politician Vladimir Lenin and of Albert Einstein, who marked a new era in physics with the Theory of Relativity, have been transformed into museums. And if you are an afficionado of such things, when you visit these houses you can also discover much gossip concerning these famous personalities.
After all these cathedrals and museum houses it’s time for lunch, so you can try out the Versuva style fillet, a specialty of Zurich that is made of steak fillet, wine and cream. And of course you cannot possibly leave Switzerland without having tasted its world-famous chocolate. As in all other cities in Switzerland, in Zurich too one can find chocolate of all kinds and sizes, and of flavours ranging from caramel to strawberry.
ZURICH AIRPORT (FORMERLY THE ZURICH-KLOTEN AIRPORT)
The Zurich Airport, Switzerland’s largest international airport, was opened in 1953. Situated at a distance of 53 kilometres from Zurich, the biggest city of Switzerland, the airport is also the headquarters of Swiss International Airlines (SWISS), run by Lufthansa. As a result of a comprehensive expansion project completed in 2003, the Zurich Airport now has a new car park, a medium sized terminal and a metro system carrying passengers between this new terminal and the previously existing terminal. The Zurich Airport, which last year was visited by 22,100,000 passengers, has been assigned the code ZRH by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
FLIGHT CARD
WE FLEW FROM IZMIR TO ZURICH WÝTH SUNEXPRESS
SunExpress is an airline company built in 1989 as a joint venture between the German airline company Lufthansa and Turkey’s flagship carrier Turkish Airlines (THY) and which began serving Turkish tourism with charter flights. In 2005 SunExpress began Izmir-based international flights, thus expanding its international flight network. For more information on SunExpress’ flights you can contact the SunExpress call center (444 0 797) or the website www.sunxpress.com.
IZMIR-ZURICH LINE
PASSENGER: Ulaþ Atay (Editor)
www.sunexpress.com
It’s time to go skiing!
When you go to Switzerland, not only its watches, chocolate and lakes, but also its skiing centres should not be missed. The fact that Switzerland is a relatively small country and has a very good quality transportation network means that skiing centres in neighbouring countries are also easy to travel to. Here are some of these skiing centres:
Zermatt: This little town in the Canton of Valais is at a distance of only 10 kilometres from the border with Italy. The town, which overlooks the northern slopes of a large valley, has a stable population of less than 6,000.
Courchevel: Situated on the French Alps, Courchevel is part of the “Les Trois Vallées,” the world’s largest natural skiing area. The world-famous Courchevel is located close to the border with Switzerland and it is also France’s oldest skiing resort.
St. Moritz: This spectacular holiday town, located in the Engadine Valley of Switzerland, is only a few kilometres to the north of the Eastern Alps’ highest summit, the Piz Bernina. An interesting characteristic of St. Moritz is that it is more economical than other skiing resorts.
Chamonix: This famous skiing centre in the southeast of France, hosted the Winter Olympic Games in 1924. Chamonix, which shares with its neighbour Mont Blanc the feature of being the settlement of highest altitude in France, is also very suitable for sports such as rock-climbing, rafting and mountaneering.
Grindelwald: This small village in the Canton of Bern has a population of only 4,000. Well-known for its skiing tracks for beginners and intermediates, Grindelwald is also a centre of attraction for its museums and golf fields.
ABOUT ZURICH
Population: 1,000,680 (metropolitan),
Coordinates: 47° 22' N 8° 32' E (UTC/GMT +1 hour)
Telephone area code: +41 (43/44)
* First of all we must specify that contrary to popular belief, Zurich is not Switzerland’s capital. Bern is Switzerland’s capital, but Zurich is the financial and cultural capital of the country.
* The most practical and economic method of transportation is via a “Nine-Uhr Pass.” This is a ticket resembling our akbil or kentkart. It can be used from nine in the morning until nine the following morning on all means of transportation except for ships. Nine-Uhr can be purchased from any outlet.
* Some restaurants in the city organize fancy-dress balls or competitions at set times of the year and they also make use of interesting decors and architectural styles to entertain their visitors.
* You must definitely walk around Zurich Lake, regardless of how cold it may be.
* The efficiency of the city’s water purification system is obvious from the fact that the inhabitants of Zurich can go swimming in the lake, almost to spite the people of Istanbul. There are beaches around the lake.
* The Zurich Opera, which has not become commercialized yet, provides a great option for people interested in music. Let us remind you that the opera generally presents works from the German school and that you must absolutely see the terrace which overlooks the lake.
* You must not leave Zurich without having seen the Uetliberg Hill. We did not see it, but it is greatly praised, so you must not miss it!
* Do not forget to set your watches back by 1 hour. That is to say if you are departing from Turkey.
* Zurich, which frequently competes with Toronto, Canada for first place in the list of most livable cities in the world, offers clean air, safety and a punctual, quality public transportation system. But as a consequence of its attribute as “the country’s biggest city,” as in many other parts of the world, it also hosts many colorful characters, from prostitutes and beggars to drug addicts and drunks.
* Once you come to this city, traffic jams and the sound of car horns become a thing of the past.
* Last of all we need to say that the inhabitants of this city throw away their rubbish in special rubbish bags and that in the early hours of the morning all streets are cleaned with detergents by municipal workers.
RHEINFALL: EUROPE’S NIAGARA
As you know, Switzerland, where people go to ski in the winter, has quite a harsh climate. Still, in spite of this harsh climate, the country also enjoys quite a few sunny days. If you are lucky and the weather is good, you can take a boat trip from the harbour to Rapperswill; here you will find pretty shops, colorful and ornate shop windows, and cafes lining the shore… Another place you could visit is Pfaffikonesee; that is, if you wish to feed the ducks and lose yourself in silence. From here, you can go to Europe’s largest waterfall, the Rheinfall (referred to as “the Rhine Falls” in sources and tourism leaflets in English), take the train from there to go to Schaffhausen, and from there take the bus to go to Rheinfall. This enormous waterfall, which has an average height of 23 meters and a width of 150 meters, flows between the Canton of Schaffhausen and the Canton of Zurich and has an average flow of 700 m3 . The highest ever flow was measured in 1965 (250 m3) and the lowest in 1965 (95 m3).
One of the best indicators that Switzerland is one of the world’s most advanced democracies concerns this waterfall. The decision to build a hydroelectric power station on the Rheinfall was approved in 1948. Four years later, just as construction was about to begin, a petition signed by 150,000 Swiss citizens led by Emil Egli put an end to it. The protest was so resounding that nowadays there is only a small energy unit on the Rheinfall and the waterfall makes its contribution to the economy via tourism.
In order to enjoy the view better, you need to go down some stairs consisting of 300 steps. The view is extraordinary, but you will need to climb back up.
At this point we would suggest eating at the Wallis style “Käse Fondue.”
EXPENSIVE BUT CLASSY
Considering the scarcity of historical monuments in Zurich, you can dedicate the rest of your time in this city to shopping. If you leave the lake shore behind and follow the road leading to the right, you will reach the Bahnhofstrasse, where you will find all brands, from Gucci to Jemoli. But prices here are quite high in spite of the variety and high level of competition. If we consider that this is where Silk&Cashmere first opened a store, Zurich is unquestionably a city of great appeal for “true” shopping afficionados.
Index
Following a breakfast where you can taste many different kinds of cheeses, you take your first steps with the vitality required to get rid of the first day’s sense of unfamiliarity and you realize that the image of “well-established city,” encountered in so many European cities, is valid for Zurich as well. Another feature which we believe will attract your attention is the fact that you will encounter statues at every step. These statues, generally situated around a fountain, certainly contribute to the unique atmosphere of the city.
After all these cathedrals and museum houses it’s time for lunch, so you can try out the Versuva style fillet, a specialty of Zurich that is made of steak fillet, wine and cream. And of course you cannot possibly leave Switzerland without having tasted its world-famous chocolate. As in all other cities in Switzerland, in Zurich too one can find chocolate of all kinds and sizes, and of flavours ranging from caramel to strawberry.
SunExpress is an airline company built in 1989 as a joint venture between the German airline company Lufthansa and Turkey’s flagship carrier Turkish Airlines (THY) and which began serving Turkish tourism with charter flights. In 2005 SunExpress began Izmir-based international flights, thus expanding its international flight network. For more information on SunExpress’ flights you can contact the SunExpress call center (444 0 797) or the website www.sunxpress.com.
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