In short
Zurich is Switzerland's economic capital without being its political one — that is Bern. It is a city of banks and insurers, but also of art schools and nightlife, which surprises those expecting only the first half.
The Altstadt, on both banks of the Limmat, is the old town. Bahnhofstrasse is the shopping artery. Zürich West, a former industrial district, has been converted into cultural venues and restaurants under the viaducts. The lake begins at the end of the centre.
Arriving and getting around
The airport is ten minutes from the centre by train — one of the most direct links in Europe.
The ZVV network combines trains, trams, buses and lake boats under one fare system. Many hotels issue a free transport card for the length of the stay: ask for it.
Zurich is the Swiss rail hub: Lucerne, Bern and Basel are an hour away or less.
What it really costs
Zurich regularly ranks among the most expensive cities in the world. It is the dominant parameter, eating out included.
Supermarkets, university canteens open to the public and market stalls are the classic workarounds.
When to come
May–September for the lake and the terraces. Winter is cold, often grey, with a persistent lowland fog that residents escape by going up into the mountains.
The Street Parade, in August, is one of Europe's largest electronic music gatherings and fills the city.
What nobody tells you
People swim in the city. The Badis, public baths laid out on the Limmat and the lake, are a local institution; several are free, and the water is of a cleanliness that surprises for an urban river. The Flussbad Oberer Letten lets you drift with the current.
The tap water comes from springs and the lake, and the city's public fountains — more than a thousand — deliver drinking water. Buying bottles makes no sense here.
The Uetliberg, Zurich's mountain, is reached by suburban train in twenty minutes and gives the view over the lake and, on a clear day, the Alps.
On Sunday almost all shops are closed; the main station's shops are the exception, which residents make use of.