city guides

For business travelers, Zurich offers plenty of diversions if you have a couple of hours to spare between meetings. You might drop into the FRAUMÜNSTER ABBEY on the left shore of the Limmat River and admire the MARC CHAGALL STAINED-GLASS WINDOW; or take a stroll down the BAHNHOFSTRASSE TO BÜRKLIPLATZ, where, on a clear day, you can look east across LAKE ZURICH to the mountains beyond. In the winter, a bag of roasted chestnuts from the city’s ubiquitous GREEN MARRONI STANDS are a must, as is a COFFEE OR HOT CHOCOLATE at one of the city’s famous chocolatiers (try Schober in the Niederdorf area, or Sprüngli on Paradeplatz).

In the summer months, the city makes the most of its abundance of water, with OPEN-AIR LIDOS and well-maintained parkland filled with sun-worshipping locals. A particular favorite is SEEBAD ENGE (also a sauna in winter), which turns into a bar at night. Alternatively, pick one of the city’s many open-air cafés and bars, such as TERRASSE AT BELLEVUE, which offer another taste of the increasingly international flavor that Zurich has adopted in recent years. “The city is emancipating,” says Naville. “In its free time, it is clearly aiming to become more Mediterranean in its approach to life.”