I was able to visit Switzerland on a relatively low-budget trip to a notoriously expensive country because I was able to stay with a friend. She had an internship in Baden, around a half hour outside of Zurich. Switzerland is definitely an expensive country to visit, so if you’re sticking to a budget, try staying in a hostel or Airbnb where you can cook and eat some of your meals. Eating out is quite pricey, but it’s definitely a must to try some raclette or fondue while you are here.
Arriving in Zurich
I arrived in Zurich on a Thursday in late October, a little before noon. I flew into the Zurich International Airport from Madrid-Barajas Airport. It took a little time to find the right tram to get me into the city, as the airport is quite large, but I was able to get directions from staff.
The friend I was visiting was working in Baden until the evening, so I had the day to explore by myself. After taking the tram to Zurich HB, the main train station for the city, I stored my duffel in a locker at the train station so I could walk unencumbered.
Zurich is situated on the north end of Lake Zurich and around Limmat River. The city slopes towards the water, and there are numerous pathways and parks near the lake and river. I walked around the streets on the east side of the river to get acquainted with my surroundings.
Self-Guided Tour of Zurich
I spent approximately 3 days in Zurich, with two days primarily exploring on my own. The first day, I wandered and window shopped, the second I was largely occupied by the National Museum, and the third was spent touring around with my friend who had been living in the area for the last 5 months.
I walked as far as the Chinagarten Zurich, which wasn’t open, unfortunately, but usually offers free admission from 11 am to 5 pm everyday. The ‘Le Corbusier House’ is also nearby and admission is 12 CHF (8 for students and seniors). I chose to sit and write in the park, before walking back in the direction of the train station.
I spent some time at Musik Hug Zürich, which sells all types of musical instruments in a multi-level store. It is a very beautiful music store, if you are interested in music or musical instruments I would definitely stop by.
Around 5:30, I met my friend at the train station and ate a hurried supermarket salad dinner with her. Then, we joined her coworkers at an interns’ event near the University of Zurich’s campus. Later, we took the train home to Baden and spent a rainy evening in my friend’s apartment.
Landesmuseum Zürich
The next morning I came back into Zurich alone, by train, to visit the Swiss National Museum, or the Landesmuseum Zürich. General admission is 13 CHF and discounted admission is 10 CHF (usually offered to students, seniors, etc.). I spent 3-4 hours in the museum.
There was exhibits outlining all of Swiss heritage, Swiss geography, European history dating back to the Stone Age and a limited-time exhibit about the Indiennes fabric trade. There was even a small area dedicated to the Swatch company.
Shops and Food in Zurich
Of course I had to buy some Swiss chocolate while I was here, and stopped for a snack. The quantity of chocolate shops is astounding, but for someone with a severe nut allergy, I opted for the safety of prepackaged chocolates. If you are not bound to the same restrictions as I am, I urge you to take advantage of all the high quality chocolate available. One shop even featured a wall of liquid chocolate, similar to a water feature you might see in a hotel.
One thing that surprised me about Zurich was how colourful the buildings were. I came to Switzerland without many expectations, other than my friend’s complaints that produce was expensive, but the hiking was superb. The colourful buildings caught me by surprise, I think, because I was expecting more of the uniformity I noticed in Paris, rather than the uniqueness of Spanish buildings. I really loved the colours though, and my camera roll is filled with pictures of full-coloured streets.
On the evening of the second day, on our way to the train station to meet our friend visiting from France, we encoutered a cyclists’ party. We are not sure what the gathering was, but hundreds of cyclists were circling the plaza in front of the Opera House with loud music and lights around the area. We stayed to watch for awhile, before continuing on, but never found out what the party was about.
Swiss Cheese Fondue
On our third day in Zurich, we did some thrift shopping and explored much of the city I had already seen, as well as more of the west side of the river, where I had spent less time. For dinner, we had booked ourselves a table at a fondue restaurant and made the most of it.
We ate snacks but no lunch, trying to make sure we were maximizing our cheese-consuming potential. Unfortunately, we miscalculated a little. We were so hungry when we arrived that we finished off the pot in 20 minutes and felt the cheese weighing down our stomachs for the rest of the evening. We also received some looks from the other diners and restaurant’s staff, but all in all it was worthwhile.
Despite our discomfort later, it truly was the best fondue I’ve ever had, and possibly one of my favourite meals ever. We ate the cheese with bread and boiled potatoes, but you can order more dipping options if you have the budget for it.
If you are going for fondue in Switzerland I would recommend pacing yourself and ordering a warm drink to help your body digest the cheese.
