• Take the Polybahn, a 19th century funicular, up the steep hill for a fine view. Starts at tram station Central and goes up to the ETH. Nice terrace up there. During the week, the student cafeteria below the terrace is also open to the public. 
• Go skiing by train - buy a snow'n'rail ticket (train & skipass) at the Hauptbahnhof during winter months, train out in morning, back in evening. Flumserberg is the closest large ski-resort, popular with people from Zurich, with a good range of runs for beginners and experts. 
• Take a trip on the Zürichsee with one of the two old steam ships. There are a few different routes you can choose from, which will vary mainly in the distance. 
• Go up Uetliberg, a hill overlooking Zurich. You can hike up, or take a train from the main station. Enjoy the 360 degree view from a tall viewing tower (not for vertigo suferrers!). This is also the start of the planetenweg (planetary walk), an 8 mile walk along the ridge with models of the planets along the way. These are scaled down in true porportion to the solar system. To look at Zürich from the other hills, go to the Irchel (Tram station Milchbuck) or Käferberg (Bucheggplatz, walk up the hill and keep left of the forest). 
• Go club-hopping Zürich has proportionately the largest number of clubs per capita in Europe. Pick up a free copy of the 20 Minuten (20 minutes) paper and start exploring. 
• Dance at the Streetparade currently the biggest open air techno rave in Europe. Starting at 2 pm, trucks which function as mobile soundsystems start driving along the lake side, starting from the east at Utoquai and ending at the west at Hafen Enge. Every year this event attracts nearly a million visitors. After the Streetparade the party doesn't stop, there are open air parties along the route until midnight and club parties at various locations in town until late the next day, to keep the party going. 
• Enjoy the fireworks of the Swiss national holiday on August 1st.

Unlike many of its European neighbours, Switzerland does not have a long tradition of non-European migration, a fact that is noticeable by the lack of ethnic restaurants on Switzerland’s streets. However, what the country lacks in this field, it more than makes up for with the abundance of European-influenced restaurants from every corner of the continent. 
Visitors to Zurich will find good quality cafés and restaurants in every corner of the city, with the two areas with the widest choice being Niederdorf and Bahnhofstrasse. Niederdorf is the liveliest area in the evenings, with literally dozens of bars, cafés and restaurants, which spread out onto the pavements in the summer months, while Bahnhofstrasse is more popular with the lunchtime crowd. One slightly unusual restaurant to look out for is ‘Blinde Kuh’; this restaurant was the first in the world to be owned and run purely by blind people and the food here is highly recommended, but be aware that meals are served in darkness.

Traditional Swiss food varies from region to region, depending on its proximity to other surrounding countries, with the cuisine of Zurich taking its main influence from the Germanic culture. This influence is evident on the city’s menus, where you will find dishes such as sauerkraut (fermented white cabbage), wurstsalat (sausage salad) and bratwurst (cooked sausage) in abundant supply. Other Swiss favourites include grated and fried potatoes known as rosti, creamy meat and mushroom pies called pastetli and of course the gorgeous melted cheese dips known the world over as fondue.

Visitors to Zurich will find the city is a shopper’s paradise, with the main cluster of shops centred on Bahnhofstrasse in the old town area. A good place to start any shopping trip is the area around Central Train Station. From here, head along Bahnhofstrasse, where you will find elegant boutiques, department stores and specialty shops at every turn. Another shopping street worth a visit is Limmatquai, on the right bank of the river. Here you will find fashionable boutiques and independent shops lining the small and winding side streets.

Emergency #:
Police: 117
Fire: 118
Ambulance: 144
Accident/Emergency: 01 255 11 11
Population: 348000
Driving side: Drive on the right