10-06-18

Zürich, Switzerland / 2 nights

Well what a breath of fresh air our stay in Zürich has been. We had this city on our route simply because we were passing through it, never did I imagine I would adore it so much. I really knew nothing about the city apart from its name therefore it was such a pleasant surprise to find such a gorgeous location.

Firstly, I had no clue Zürich surrounded a large lake, running like a river for most part of the city and then expanding into the distance. If you read my Milan blog post then you will know how much I love a water feature in any major location. The streets are lined with tall, symmetrical trees in full bloom and in addition, their streets are so clean.

The attribute I loved most about Zürich were its buildings. I felt like I had step foot in a medieval Disney set, to be more precious the, ‘Shrek’ movie. The buildings possess brightly coloured striped shutters on the windows, flags hanging from the alleyway sides and the occasional con-caved window (something I’ve always dreamed of owning in a future bedroom of mine. I’d occupy it with a window ledge sofa)

As we only allocated 2 nights for our stay here, we were lucky that the city is rather condensed into a small area. This meant we were able to explore the whole of the city just by walking and getting lost in its intricate lanes and alleys. Filled with cosy cafes and vintage clothing stores you’re sure to find your days flying by with all the exploring.

One thing I shall warn you with in regards to visiting Switzerland as this also applies to our stay in Lugano is the prices. Everything is super over priced and expensive, not the best news to the ears of a backpacker. Even when I was trying to research cheap eats all the reviews stated that the bill represented Swiss prices. For example, every meal we had weather it be breakfast, lunch or dinner was coming to a minimum of €50. If you want a tip, have a nice lie in, have brunch at midday and then dinner later on, cuts out the cost of lunch 😉

If you are anywhere as food-driven as myself then you will know you can’t visit Switzerland and not have a cheese fondue! One of my absolute foodie favourites – what’s not to like about dunking bread into gooey melted cheese!? The best place for you would be Restaurant Swiss Chuchi. Specialising in raclette’s as well as fondues you will not be disappointed with their traditional Swiss dishes!

A little tip: in regards to the cheese fondue menu it states that they are one person portions therefore we had two portions put into one bowl. This is not at all necessary as we had so much fondue left and had pleasantly satisfied stomachs. Therefore just go for one portion between two and that way save half the price.

The atmosphere of Zürich is really what captured my heart. A large university hub creates lots of young people walking around the city always looking busy with studies or out to have fun and break away from the student life. People cycling through the high streets off to meet friends at the trendy bars filled with cushioned outdoor furniture. A queue forming around a guy who was heating up half a wheel of cheese and scraping the melted layer onto new potatoes. Adolescents out on the lake on boats or pedalos with music speakers and jumping off into the lake. The most brilliant of vibes all being created by these joyous activities. The intimate size of the city indicates a real friendly neighbourhood where everyone knows everyone. Something that you feel you’d love to be part of and you have great luck if you already are.

If you are reading this and you’re from Zürich, what a beautiful and uplifting city you live in.

Peace and love,

Yasmin xo