Zurich

Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in north-central Switzerland, right at the edge of Lake Zurich.

Zurich has been an important place for thousands of years. People lived there more than 6,400 years ago. The Romans later founded the town and called it Turicum. During the Middle Ages, Zurich became very important. In 1519, it played a role in the Protestant Reformation led by Huldrych Zwingli.

Today, Zurich is a major hub for trains, roads, and airplanes. Zurich Airport and Zurich's main railway station are the busiest in the country. The city is also a key financial center with many banks and companies. Zurich has many museums and theaters, such as the Swiss National Museum, Natural History Museum, Kunsthaus, and Schauspielhaus Zürich.

Name

Zurich is a big city in Switzerland. In English, we write it as "Zurich." In German, the local language, it is written "Zürich." People sometimes call it "Züri" when talking about their city.

The city's name comes from very old times, from around the year 200 AD, when it was called "Turicum." Over many years, the name changed until it became "Zurich." In old books from the 1500s to 1800s, it was sometimes called "Tigurum."

History

Main article: History of Zurich

For a chronological guide, see Timeline of Zurich.

Early history

People lived around Lake Zurich during the Neolithic and Bronze Age. Later, people from the Celtic La Tène culture lived near Lindenhof, a hill by the lake. The Romans built a small fort there around 15 BC. They called the place Turicum, and it became a place where people paid taxes. Over time, it grew into a small town.

After the Roman Empire fell, a German tribe called the Alemanni moved into the area. A big castle was built there, and later a church and a special place for women called a convent were founded. By the year 1045, the leader of this convent had the power to run the city.

Zurich became very important in 1218 when it became a free city. Walls were built around it, and stone houses were made. In the 1300s, the leader of the convent lost some power, and new leaders were chosen by the people.

An important book of poems called the Manesse Codex was made in Zurich between 1304 and 1340. It shows how rich and proud the people were.

In the 1200s, the first group of Jewish people lived in Zurich, but they were treated badly and had to leave the city in 1349.

Archaeological findings

A woman’s dead body from around 200 BC was found during building work in 2017. She was about 40 years old and had nice clothes.

Old Swiss Confederacy

In 1351, Zurich joined a group of cantons called the Swiss Confederacy. This group of states worked together but were mostly independent. Zurich was an important leader for a time but was removed for a short while because of a disagreement over land.

A leader named Zwingli started big changes in religion in Zurich in 1519. These changes spread to other places too.

During the 1600s, Zurich built strong walls around the city to protect itself. Later, during a big war in Europe, Zurich said it was a republic and changed its government.

In 1798, big changes happened and Zurich lost some of its power. In 1839, people tore down many of the old walls.

Modern history

Zurich became an important place for trains when the first railway in Switzerland opened there in 1847. New buildings and streets were made, and many people moved to the city.

In the 1930s, Zurich had problems with drugs, but in the 1990s, new ways to help people were tried, which worked well.

The coat of arms of Zurich shows white and blue and has been used since the 1300s. When Zurich became a canton in 1803, it kept this design.

Politics

City districts

Main article: Districts of Zurich

Zurich has grown a lot over time. It started smaller, near the old town, but grew in 1893 and 1934 by joining nearby areas. Today, Zurich is split into twelve districts, called Kreis in German, numbered from 1 to 12. Each district has its own neighborhoods.

• Altstadt (District 1) has the old town on both sides of the Limmat. Its neighborhoods are Hochschulen, Rathaus, Lindenhof, and City.
• Kreis 2 is along the west side of Lake Zurich and includes Enge, Wollishofen, and Leimbach.
• Kreis 3, called Wiedikon, lies between the Sihl and the Uetliberg and has the neighborhoods Alt-Wiedikon, Sihlfeld, and Friesenberg.
• Kreis 4, known as Aussersihl, is between the Sihl and the train tracks near Zürich Hauptbahnhof and includes Werd, Langstrasse, and Hard.
• Kreis 5, called Industriequartier, used to be an industrial area but now has modern homes, shops, and schools. Its neighborhoods are Gewerbeschule and Escher-Wyss.
• Kreis 6 is near the Zürichberg hill and has the neighborhoods Oberstrass and Unterstrass.
• Kreis 7 is near the Adlisberg and Zürichberg hills and is home to some of Zurich’s wealthiest families. Its neighborhoods are Fluntern, Hottingen, Hirslanden, and Witikon.
• Kreis 8, called Riesbach but known as Seefeld, is along the east side of Lake Zurich and includes Seefeld, Mühlebach, and Weinegg.
• Kreis 9 lies between the Limmat and the Uetliberg and has the neighborhoods Altstetten and Albisrieden.
• Kreis 10 is east of the Limmat and south of the Hönggerberg and Käferberg hills, with neighborhoods Höngg and Wipkingen.
• Kreis 11 is north of the Hönggerberg and Käferberg and between the Glatt Valley and the Katzensee (Cats Lake). It includes Affoltern, Oerlikon, and Seebach.
• Kreis 12, known as Schwamendingen, is in the Glattal valley and has the neighborhoods Saatlen, Schwamendigen Mitte, and Hirzenbach.

Government

See also: List of mayors of Zurich

Zurich’s City Council (Stadtrat) is the city’s executive government, made up of nine councilors who each lead a different department. They carry out laws passed by the Municipal Council and meet every four years for elections. The mayor (German: Stadtpräsident(in)) is chosen by public vote, while the other leaders are picked by the council. Mayor Corine Mauch leads the council from 2022 to 2026. Their meetings happen in the City Hall (Stadthaus), built in 1883.

As of May 2023, the Zurich City Council has four members from the SP (Social Democratic Party), two from the Green Party, two from the FDP (Free Democratic Party), and one from GLP (Green Liberal Party).

Claudia Cuche-Curti has been Town Chronicler since 2012, and Andrea Töndury has been Legal Counsel since 2020 for the City Council.

Parliament

The Municipal Council (Gemeinderat) makes the laws for Zurich. It has 125 members who are chosen every four years. They meet in public and create rules that the City Council follows. These members are not full-time politicians but are paid for their time.

International relations

Zurich works with cities around the world. It has partnerships with Kunming and San Francisco. The partnership with Kunming began in 1982, and they worked together on water systems and created a beautiful garden. With San Francisco, they started in 2003 and share ideas on business, technology, and the environment.

Zurich is also part of groups like Eurocities and helps other cities, such as Tyre, Lebanon, with projects supported by UN-Habitat.

Zurich has many diplomats, with 24 consulates‐general, 40 consulates and 1 Consular Agency as of March 2025.

Geography

Zurich is 408 metres (1,339 feet) above sea level on the lower, northern end of Lake Zurich, about 30 kilometres (19 miles) north of the Alps. It is between wooded hills on both sides. The Old Town spreads across both sides of the Limmat River, which flows from the lake and curves to the west.

The city of Zurich covers an area of 91.88 square kilometres (35.48 square miles), with 4.1 square kilometres (1.6 square miles) of that being Lake Zurich. It includes parts of the Swiss Plateau and is surrounded by hills. The Limmat River runs through the city’s densest area, while the Sihl River meets the Limmat near the Swiss National Museum. The highest point nearby is the Uetliberg hill, which stands at 869 metres (2,851 feet) and offers great views of the city, the lake, and the Alps.

Demographics

Zurich is the biggest city in Switzerland, with 436,551 people. About half are male and half are female. Many people in Zurich were not born there—around 44% of residents came from another country, and 34% have citizenship from somewhere else. The most common countries of citizenship are Germany, Italy, and Spain.

People in Zurich speak many languages. The official language for government and schools is Swiss Standard German, but most speak Zurich German at home. Many also speak English, Italian, French, Bosnian, Spanish, Portuguese, and Albanian.

Zurich has many different religious beliefs. It was once an important place for Protestant Christianity, led by Huldrych Zwingli. Today, around 30% of people are Roman Catholic, and 26% belong to the Swiss Reformed Church. Fewer people join these big churches now. About 25% say they do not belong to any religion. Other groups include Muslims (about 5%) and Jews (about 1%).

Zurich is known for having a high quality of living. It often ranks very well as a great place to live. People in Zurich earn good money, though men usually earn more than women. The city has a low unemployment rate and many job opportunities.

Main sites

Further information: Altstadt (Zurich)

Most of Zurich's important places are found on either side of the Limmat River, between the main railway station and Lake Zurich. You can find old churches and houses, and famous shops on Bahnhofstrasse. The Lindenhof marks where a Roman castle once stood, and later a Imperial Palace.

Churches

• Grossmünster: Stories say Charlemagne found graves here and built the first church. The current building started around 1100. In the 1500s, it was where the Swiss-German Reformation began, led by Huldrych Zwingli and Heinrich Bullinger. It has Romanesque architecture with beautiful windows and doors.
• Fraumünster: This church was founded in 853 for noble women. It has impressive stained-glass windows, including works by artist Marc Chagall, and a large choir.
• St. Peter: This church was built on older churches from before the 800s. It has Europe's largest church clock face, made in 1538, and many beautiful carvings.
• Predigerkirche: One of the four main churches in the old town, first built in 1231. It later became a notable Gothic building with a tall bell tower.

Museums

See also: List of museums in Switzerland

• Zurich Museum of Art: A major art museum in Europe with a large collection of modern art, including works by famous artists.
• Swiss National Museum: Shows objects that tell Switzerland's culture and history, with old artifacts and furniture. It is located in Platzspitz park near the main train station.
• Natural History Museum of the University of Zurich: Opened in 2024, this museum displays animals, fossils like dinosaurs, and plants. It is free to enter and located near the city center.
• Centre Le Corbusier: A museum dedicated to the works of the famous Swiss architect Le Corbusier.
• Rietberg Museum: Features art and cultural items from around the world.
• Museum of Design: Focuses on design, architecture, and crafts.
• Haus Konstruktiv: A museum showcasing modern and abstract art and design.
• Uhrenmuseum Beyer: Shows the history of timekeeping with many old clocks.
• No Show Museum: A unique museum dedicated to "nothing" in art history.
• Guild houses: Historic buildings along the Limmat River, some of which also serve as museums.
• Tram Museum: Shows the history of Zurich's tram system.
• North America Native Museum: Displays items and art from Native American, First Nation, and Inuit cultures.
• FIFA Museum: Showcases memorabilia from the world of soccer, founded by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association.

Parks and nature

• Zoological Garden: Homes to many types of animals, including snow leopards, lions, and pandas.
• Botanical Garden: Contains many types of plants and trees, including rare species.
• Chinese Garden: A gift from Kunming, China, this garden shows important symbols in Chinese culture.
• Succulent plant collection and garden: A garden and research center for succulent plants, located in the Quaianlagen.
• Uetliberg: A hill west of the city that offers great views. You can reach the top by train.

Kunst und Bau (construction permit office)

In 1922, artist Augusto Giacometti won a contest to paint the entrance hall of Amtshaus I. He and other painters decorated the ceiling and walls.

Architecture

Zurich has relatively few tall buildings compared to other cities. Building rules limit high-rises mainly to the west and north parts of the city. In some areas, buildings can be up to 80 meters tall, while in others the limit is 40 meters. Today, Zurich has several tall buildings, including the Prime Tower. The city also features many examples of modern architecture, such as the Swissmill Tower.

World heritage sites

The ancient settlements at Enge Alpenquai and Grosser Hafner and Kleiner Hafner are part of the Prehistoric Pile dwellings around the Alps, a protected UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Economy

See also: Economy of Switzerland

Zurich helps make up about 10% of Switzerland's money each year. Most people in Zurich work in services like banks and shops.

Zurich is very important for money and business. It is one of the strongest money cities in the world and the biggest in Europe. Many big banks and companies have their main offices in Zurich.

Zurich is a great place to live, which helps its economy grow. The city has good schools, safe streets, and many places to enjoy free time. People who live there usually speak more than one language and work hard.

Zurich has two big universities, which help provide smart workers for many jobs. The city also has a big office for Google, employing thousands of people.

Education and research

Zurich is a very important place for learning and studying. Many students go to colleges and universities there. Two of the most famous schools in Switzerland are the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich) and the University of Zurich. Both schools are known around the world.

ETH Zurich began in 1854 and is famous for teaching chemistry, mathematics, and physics. The University of Zurich started in 1833 and is the biggest university in Switzerland.

Other important schools in Zurich include the Pedagogical College, the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW), and the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK).

The city has big libraries like the Zentralbibliothek Zürich and the Pestalozzi-Bibliothek Zürich to help people learn more.

Transport

Public transport

Main article: Public transport in Zurich

See also: Zurich model

People in Zurich like to use public transport. Many visitors ride the tram or bus, and half of all trips in the city use public transport. The city has many ways to get around, including trains (especially the local S-Bahn), trams, buses, and boats. Tickets work for all these ways of traveling. The network also has three special small railways called funiculars.

Zurich is a big spot for trains, roads, and airplanes. The main train station, Zürich Hauptbahnhof, is the busiest in Switzerland and one of the busiest in Europe. There are 28 train stations in Zurich.

Zurich Airport

Zurich Airport is about 8 km north of the city center and is partly in the town of Kloten. The airport has its own train station under the ground, connecting it directly to Zurich and other big Swiss cities. More than 60 airlines from around the world fly here, and it is a main place for Swiss International Air Lines. There is also a smaller airfield in Dübendorf.

Road traffic

The A1, A3, and A4 motorways are close to Zurich. The A1 goes west to Bern and Geneva and east to St. Gallen. The A4 goes north to Schaffhausen and south to Altdorf, connecting to the A2 towards Chiasso. The A3 goes northwest to Basel and southeast along Lake Zurich and Lake Walen towards Sargans.

Bicycle transport

See also: Swiss National Bike Routes

In 2012, Zurich started a plan to make the city better for bicycles. This plan, called "Masterplan Velo," is part of a bigger plan for the city's future transportation. The city wants more people to ride bikes and make biking safer.

The city plans to build special bike paths and places to leave bikes. One big project is a tunnel under the main train station where people can leave their bikes during the day. The city is also working on telling people about biking and teaching them.

Some people have said the plans are taking too long. The city says they are spending money each year to make things better.

Media

Many big Swiss media companies have their main offices in Zurich, like tamedia, Ringier, and the NZZ-Verlag.

Television and radio

Zurich is home to the main office of Switzerland's national German-language TV network, called SF, located in the Leutschenbach area near the Oerlikon railway station. Another local TV station, TeleZüri, has its office close to Escher-Wyss Platz. Other TV channels like Star TV, u1 TV, and 3+ have their studios in Schlieren.

Zurich also hosts part of Switzerland's public radio station, Schweizer Radio DRS. The city has many local commercial radio stations, such as Radio 24, Energy Zurich, Radio LoRa, and Radio 1.

Print media

Zurich publishes three major daily newspapers that are well-known throughout Switzerland: the Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ), Tages-Anzeiger, and Blick. Each of these papers also has a Sunday edition. There is also a free daily paper for commuters called 20 Minuten.

Many popular magazines are published in Zurich, such as Bilanz, Die Weltwoche, Annabelle, Schweizer Familie, and Schweizer Illustrierte.

Culture

See also: List of annual events in Zurich

Zurich is a city full of culture. It has many museums, galleries, and music performances. It has wonderful orchestras and important theatres. The Zurich Film Festival is a big event that lasts 11 days and shows films from all over the world.

One of Zurich’s biggest events is the Street Parade. This is a huge celebration with dancing and music, held every August.

Zurich has been important for art, too. The Dada movement began here in 1916.

The most famous holiday in Zurich is the Sechseläuten. During this celebration, people parade and burn an effigy called “winter.”

Opera, ballet, and theaters

Further informationon the a cappella choir: Zürcher Vokalisten

The Zurich Opera House is a beautiful building. It has hosted many famous performances. The Ballett Zürich performs here as well.

The Schauspielhaus Zürich is the main theatre in the city.

The Theater am Neumarkt is one of the oldest theatres in Zurich.

The Zürcher Theater Spektakel is a festival that shows many types of performances from around the world.

Food

The traditional food in Zurich has been shaped by its history. Popular dishes include Zürcher Geschnetzeltes and Tirggel. Some well-known restaurants in Zurich are Sternen Grill and Café & Conditorei 1842.

Nightlife and clubbing

Zurich is also known for its nightlife. The Niederdorf area in the old town has many bars, restaurants, and clubs. Another popular spot is Langstrasse in districts 4 and 5. Recently, Zurich West has become a lively area with new bars and clubs.

Sports

Zurich is an important city for sports. It is home to many international sports groups, including the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), which has its main office there.

Association football is very popular in Zurich. The city has two big football teams, Grasshopper Club Zurich and FC Zürich, that play against each other.

Ice hockey is another favorite sport. Zurich's team is called the ZSC Lions, and the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) is also based there.

Cycling is a common way to get around Zurich, with special paths just for bikes. There are also many trails for walking and hiking.

Zurich holds many big sports events. The Weltklasse Zürich is an annual meeting where athletes try to break world and national records. The Zurich Marathon is a popular run through the city. Zurich has also hosted big tournaments like the 1954 FIFA World Cup and the UEFA Euro 2008.

Notable people

Main article: List of people from Zurich

Zurich has been home to many famous people. These people have helped in areas like science, art, and writing. The city still attracts people from around the world who look for chances to grow and create.

Other points of interest

• The Schwamendingen X is a special place where tram tracks cross. Inside the tunnel, trams use island platforms for boarding, which is different from outside the tunnel.

• The Sihlfeld cemetery has a machine where you can get cards and supplies for funerals.

• In Zurich’s Old Town, there is a tavern called “Oepfelchammer”.