The quiet little town of Zurich

A blue sky with scattered clouds on the lake in Zurich
Beautiful sky in Zurich on the lake

Last week we spent a couple of days in Zurich. Our first impressions were good – friendly people, safe, quiet, really beautiful, affordable for us (more affordable than London, we instantly noticed), but perhaps not affordable if we were to live there.

I liked Zurich from the moment I stepped in it, but I think we walked away wanting a little more of Switzerland. Our collective gatherings from friends and colleagues is that the Alps are a must-see and that Bern is much more interesting. We obviously came in summer and were only prepared for a short trip. I might have been quite biased towards the large amount of ducks and swans on the lake, and the fact that the weather was so lovely when we arrived.

Beautiful view of the lake with a boat in the distance
Isn’t it beautiful?
Close up of three swans on the water
Close up of swans on the water
A large group of swans and ducks on the water
So many swans and ducks!

We went exploring on our first afternoon. There were a few boutique shops, but a lot of commercial clothing stores. We walked near the water and across many bridges. We found a park to sit in for a while. Despite having a nice time, it was really odd that the streets were so deserted at only 8:00pm or so. I think it made us feel a little uncomfortable, since it was just so boring and dull.

Medium shot of a bridge in Zurich with a tall clock tower
There are many clock towers
One of the many bridges in Zurich
One of the bridges in Zurich, over the river

We spent some time in Lucerne, but the train from Zurich to Lucerne (return) was so expensive – 100Fr. That’s about $140 in Australian dollars, which would have been fine if the train was not just some super-slow vehicle travelling only fifty kilometres. :( We heard two boys, whom I think were still students, discussing the cost of travel and living. They also said the train was expensive…

Wooden bridge in Lucerne
It was raining after we crossed the wooden bridge in Lucerne
Old town of Lucerne over the river
The sky was indeed gloomy
View down the stairs leading to a bridge over water in Lucerne
The streets of Lucerne

However, we did buy some chocolate from Lucerne for our friends and families, which seems to have been kept safe in my suitcase despite the heat in Italy so far. 🍫 We survived the rain in Lucerne, though my oxford flats took a hit again. I’m thinking of returning them to the store I bought them from, which is a real shame because I really like them. I’ve already contacted customer service but I haven’t heard back from them yet.

We also saw the stone lion of Lucerne, a generally nice and peaceful place. We saw many tourists, and they all had umbrellas because of the rain. There was more to explore up the mountain like some rocks and flowers (with an admission fee) but it didn’t seem that interesting and I don’t think we missed out on much, especially since it was raining.

The stone Lion of Lucerne
The famous stone Lion of Lucerne

It was Nick’s birthday while we were in Zurich and I got him Scooby Doo pyjamas, because he was in dire need of some new ones, and he loves Scooby Doo!

We had some hearty Swiss meals during our visit and discovered some lovely spots of green and great views. But I think overall, Zurich wasn’t a terribly interesting spot. It was nice to visit but I think we will definitely plan for other towns in Switzerland next time.

Nick holding up a large mug of house beer
Nick drinking beer
Rosti potato and perch fillets
Mmm a hearty rosti (potato) and perch fillets
Some swans and part of the pier in Zurich
Some swans and part of the pier in Zurich

Comments on this post

Vienna was kind of similar too. It wasn’t very busy compared to London and many cafe and restaurant close at 9pm or 10pm which I’m totally not use it. Things close around 12am in London and there’s loads and loads of people walking around till past midnight.

I read online that Zurich is the largest tiny in Switzerland so naturally you’ll expect it to be packed with people.

What’s your last stop in Europe?

Our last stop was Milan but we were only there for a night. ;)

Wow, Zurich looks beautiful! Love the birds. I remember seeing white swans in England and thinking how strange it was :P I prefer our black swans ;)

Ohh I am jealous that you went to Lucerne, I really want to go there! There’s a train trip you can take from there to Interlaken, and then from there, a small little cog railway trip! There’s also a town nearby called Meiringen, which claims to be the place where meringue was first created :D
Pity the train was so expensive and weather not so great in Lucerne, though. :( But at least Swiss chocolate is good!

Zurich definitely seems pretty quaint! I would find it as eerie as you did if it was that quiet around 7pm and no one was around!

That said the pictures you took are amazing! They honestly remind me of where I live and all the duck ponds we have around here. We just don’t have quite the historical, stone places they have!

Well I’m glad the food was great anyways (that always seems to make up for it somehow xD)!

Zurich looks beautiful but I’m surprised to hear that it isn’t very interesting. It does seem odd that the streets would be so quite at that time of night. Lucerne also looks beautiful. I’ve never heard of it before.

I hope Italy is proving to be a little more exciting! I love it there, and your Instagram snaps are certainly making me jealous.

Zurich looks so beautiful! I love how vintage the buildings look; it makes me feel like I’m looking at the view of the 1600’s XD. $140 to travel in the train is expensive!!! At least everything else seemed cheap!

It’s a bummer that your oxford’s didn’t make it through. Hope customer service can be a good help! The stone lion looks ~legit~~~. I need to go visit that in person!!