From its haute fashion hideouts to its quirky indie-street beat, Zürich's summertime scene is sizzling!
Where Switzerland's largest city sits on the northern tip of Lake Zürich, surrounded by mountains and lush alpine meadows.
The vibe Switzerland, with its snow-capped peaks and ritzy ski villages, is a fairy-tale winter escape. But when you ask Zürchers to describe their favourite season, they enthuse about summer in the city. At the first hint of sunshine, tables, chairs and chilled bottles of Riesling-Sylvaner -- the local white wine -- appear on balconies and rooftop terraces. At lunchtime, office workers go wakeboarding, rollerblading and cycling. (Rental bikes are free.) The city's 18 lakeside beaches have a lazy summertime feel and, when the sun sets, the open-air swimming baths along the Limmat River transform into lively bars. And, in August, almost a million revellers dance beside Love Mobiles in the annual Street Parade, the world's most colourful house and techno party. It's no wonder Zürich consistently tops Mercer's Quality-of-Living Reports.
Silk city From the Middle Ages to the Roaring Twenties, Zürich was the silk capital of the world. Merchants imported the raw materials from the Far East and -- with the expertise of Italian refugees -- wove sumptuous clothes fit for royalty. When the Depression hit, Switzerland's textile industry plummeted, remaining in the doldrums until the '80s, when André, Elsa and Maya Stutz opened a textile design salon called Fabric Frontline ( www.fabricfrontline.ch). Their designs have proven to be so popular with fashion labels like Chanel, Christian Dior, Vivienne Westwood, Bill Blass, Olivier Theyskens and the Swiss label Akris that Zürich is once again considered a go-to city for high-end silk. Visitors can buy silk scarves and clothes in the Fabric Frontline boutique on Bahnhofstrasse, or they can pop into the salon at Ankerstrasse 118, stopping off for lunch at the company's Restaurant Seidenspinner.
Uptown girl Say "Switzerland" and most people think of chalets, chocolate, cheese and cuckoo clocks (a German invention). But strolling down Zürich's Bahnhofstrasse, shoppers covet three other Cs on offer: Cartier, Chopard and Chanel. This elegant, tree-lined avenue, with its glitzy designer boutiques and jewellery stores, ends at Paradeplatz, the site of a medieval cattle market and now the centre of Switzerland's private-banking empire. Here, wellshod Zürchers pop into Confiserie Sprüngli for a box of handmade Luxemburgerli, the company's signature cream-filled macaroons. In the café upstairs -- the first venue to allow unescorted women to drink hot chocolate in public in 1859 -- sweet-lovers meet for dessert before heading across the square to Grieder, the city's toniest department store.
Images courtesy of Zürich Tourism Board
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Indie scene Cross the Münster bridge to the Niederdorf district -- with its winding lanes, cobbled streets and medieval guild houses -- and you'll find late-night bars and quirky one-off boutiques like Time Tunnel, a hair salon and vintage shop that sells '50s, '60s and '70s furniture, clothing and accessories. For cutting-edge home decor, try Neumarkt 17, which carries Kurt Thut's iconic Züri Bank bench and Jörg Boner's Dresscode cupboard. Pop into Vestibule, a Parisian-style salon that showcases designs by Cacharel, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Vanessa Bruno and Les Bijoux de Sophie. For a splash of culture, visit Cabaret Voltaire -- where the influential Dada movement was born in 1916 -- and the Kunsthaus Zürich, with its extensive collection of Alberto Giacometti drawings and sculptures.
Funkmeister Züri West -- the city's former industrial quarter -- is the hip new place in town. Once an old shipbuilding factory, the now-renovated Schiffbau houses LaSalle Restaurant, Nietturm Bar, the jazz club Moods and a theatre. The Freitag brothers have set up shop in the area, selling their wildly popular bags made from recycled truck tarps, bicycle inner tubes, used airbags and old seat belts. Can't make it to Zürich? Order a custom bag at www.freitag.ch.
Where to stay Around the corner from the Bahnhofstrasse is the Widder Hotel ( www.widderhotel.ch), nine medieval townhouses linked together into one hotel by Swiss architect Tilla Theus. Ancient beams and 16thcentury frescoes blend seamlessly with vertiginous glass elevators, Bang & Olufsen sound systems and original Eames chairs. Famous guests include Cindy Crawford and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Across the river, near the city's world-famous Zürich Opera House, is the LADY'S FIRST Design Hotel ( http://www.ladysfirst.ch). This airy 19th-century villa was once a boarding house for women; rooms on the fourth floor and in the wellness area are still verboten to men. Try the Lomi Lomi Nui, Herbal or Ayurvedic massage, followed by a snooze in the soothing relaxation room.
Swiss International Air Lines (www.swiss.com) flies daily from Montreal to Zürich year-round. Air Canada ( www.aircanada.com) flies daily from Toronto to Zürich year-round.
Images courtesy of Zürich Tourism Board
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