Officially an "expensive street"

Zürich, a world-known Swiss city for chocolate and its luxury shops. But this city is much more than just that. The most expensive stores are located in the main shopping street, called "Bahnhofstraβe" because it goes from the central station to the lake Zürich, in the southern extreme of the old town. 

Photo: Tiffany & Co's display window @ Bahnhofstraβe.

This 1,5km-long street is being included year by year in the top 10 of most expensive streets around the world by several studies. The most famous study is made by Forbes, which puts Zürich's Bahnhofstraβe in a 7th place. But if you keep your eyes open, there is something curious about it: the luxury goes increasing meanwhile you move forward direction to the lake. That means that you can find stores such as H&M at the beginning of the street at central station, but keep going straight and you will start seeing design stores, like for example Dior or Tiffany & Co.

More than chocolate and banks

Photo: View of St. Peterskirche tower and two of its four clocks from Münsterbrücke. 

The old town goes along both banks of Limmat river, which divides the city in two parts and flows into Lake Zürich. The "Altstadt" is full of charm, little alleys, narrow and with no vehicles driving around. 

There are several churches in Zürich whose spires can be seen from high points, but the most important are four: Grossmünster, Fraumünster, St. Peterskirche and Prediger. All of them look quite alike except Grossmünster on the river's right side, which has two towers instead of only one spire. By the way, the legend says it was founded by Charlemagne at the beginning of the 12th century. Crossing the Limmat we find Fraumünster, a parish church built on a former abbey for woman - so its name. A little bit further along the Limmat, we find Sankt Peterskirche with the widest tower clock in Europe - with more than 8m of diameter! And last but not least, the Gothic-styled Predigerkirche rises up also on the right riverbank and it holds the main library in Zürich in its cloister.

Photo: Grossmünster's 12th century cloister from the inside. 

A funicular from 1889

Photo: Views over Zürich from University's terrace. 

One of the spots I liked the most of the city was the area around the ETH (German acronym for the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, the technical university in Zurich), which is up on a little hill on the right side of the Limmat river.

There's such a special way to get to that mentioned area: there still exists the Polybahn, the original red funicular which is running since 1889! Its name is taken from the former school's name - Eidgenössisches Polytechnikum. It is only 176-meters-ride, which goes from Central Polybahn (nearby central station, other side of the bridge) to Polyterrasse ETH and vice versa. You will appear at the back side of the school, in a huge terrasse which offers such fantastic views over the old town.