Zürich
need to know
(
31%
)
of the city’s population is made up of
non-Swiss people from 166 countries
(
85.1%
)
of the total value of all assets held in
Switzerland are held in Zürich banks
(
€2,717
)
The average saving by couples using
lovehomeswap.com over booking a hotel
easyJet
flies to Zürich from London Gatwick and
Luton. See our insider guide on page 151.
Book online at easyJet.com
easyJet Holidays
Two nights room only at the four-star
Holiday Inn Zurich Messe, from London
Luton on 8 February, costs from £140 per
person. easyJet.com/holidays*
LoveHomeSwap
Properties available in the Zurich area
include an 130-year-old villa with garden.
Sleeps 7. lovehomeswap.com
twinkling lights of the rink provide a pretty backdrop to the
day’s end.
Sunday dawns too soon, as it does everywhere, and
with a pealing of church bells. For Zürchers, the day of rest
means three things: a break from shopping (many retail
outlets are closed), brunch – an institution here – and
escape. It’s the day when people head out of the city – to
ski, visit family or take advantage of the excellent rail
network for a day trip. I’ve taken my Sunday plans from
Debbie, who’s recommended brunch at faux-Eastern
European coffee house Bohemia (
bohemia.
ch
) –
eggs Benedict and coffee, mmm – and
an excursion to Lucerne.
From Zurich’s Hauptbahnhof station,
I’m out on Lake Lucerne on a boat trip in 90
minutes, the clean Alpine wind blowing my
hair into tangles and whipping roses into
my cheeks. The fjord-like landscape of the lake is a dream
of silky rivulets and misty mountains, the bright winter
sun painting them into shadows on the sky. Hamlets nestle
below high peaks like gaggles of goslings beneath protective
mothers, but when we sail closer, the spires and gables
of traditional Swiss villages provide exquisite, eagerly
indulged invitations to get off and explore.
By the time I’m back in Zürich, I’m beyond shattered.
Sleepwalking into Migros supermarket, I select the easiest
hot meal I can find – an oven pizza – and head back to my
borrowed flat for a final night. Drifting off to sleep on the
sofa, in front of a TV show about farmers looking for wives,
a final thought crosses my mind. There’s no place like home.
Fig 6
Enjoy the perfect Sunday
A. Eat brunch
B. Take ferry ride
C. Enjoy mountain view
D. Relax on sofa
Sunday dawns too soon,
as it does everywhere,
and with a pealing of bells
0 5 9
T H E C H A L L E N G E
Z U R I C H
*
FOR T&CS SEE P175
