By far the best way to see a city is to walk it. Particularly the compact old towns of Europe. Today I’m walking Lindenhof & the City. Not everyone has the ability, stamina or perhaps enthusiasm for this endeavor, walking from dawn till dusk (and often into the night as well). I love it. Whenever the opportunity arises, I’m there.
It’s true that some cities are not designed to be easily walk-able (i.e. Dubai) and there are cities where the sights are just simply too far flung to make walking between attractions feasible (i.e. Canberra). In Zürich, however, walking is by far the best option. I don my walking shoes and set out.
Die Altstadt – Lindenhof and Zürich City
On the west side of the Limmat is the Lindenhof and Zürich city. Home to banks and bankers, shops and shoppers, chocolate and chocolate lovers. This buzzing hub of activity serves both business and pleasure as it teems with commuters and sightseers alike. In the late afternoon and evening, commuters travel home from work using all manner of transport – pedestrian, bikes, scooters, trams, buses, cars and trains. All, except the trains, are visible from where I stand on Bahnhofstrasse, for the trains you have to descend into the Bahnhof (train station) proper, just across the square. There are very few cars and the lack of traffic is hardly surprising given how cheap and efficient the public transport is. The pedestrian traffic on the other hand throngs but in a courteous, and considered manner which strikes me as very Swiss.
I make my way down Bahnhofstrasse, browsing the shops and milling with the crowds in all their various pursuits. There are various things to take in along Bahnhofstrasse other than the shopping. The first is the wide, tree lined avenue with its historic buildings yet modern vibe. As I move south along the street there is a small park, Pestalozzianlange (park) with a monument to Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi (1746 – 1827), a Swiss educator, philosopher, philanthropist and politician. The park is on the site that used to serve for the city’s executions, a sobering thought for this small green patch on a sunny day.
As you make your way further south towards Paradeplatz, the shops become fancier until we’re squarely into designer and luxury boutique status. Here I content myself with window shopping or . Paradeplatz boasts both UBS and the Credit Suisse headquarters which cements it firmly as banking ground zero to me. Also on this city square is the very lovely Savoy Baur en Ville hotel and the famous Confiserie Sprüngli, chocolate shop and cafe.
The Savoy looks like a nice place to stop for a drink but if you’re in the mood for coffee, the selections at the Confiserie Sprüngli look positively mouthwatering. I contemplate having a coffee but the hot chocolate sounds too good to pass up, even for this dedicated coffee fiend. There are all sorts of sweet treats to choose from to accompany the hot chocolate, a raspberry macron seems to be the most modest after having been into the Lindt & Sprüngli shop next door and already spending a fortune on chocolate. From here it’s not much further on down to Bürkliplatz where I complete my length of Bahnhofstrasse and wander back up to Paradeplatz where I take a right and wander into Münsterhof, the square on which the Fraumünster Church sits.
There are a myriad of little streets from here and I head up Storchengasse which leads to the Storchen Hotel on the river at Rathausbrücke (Town Hall bridge). The little Weinplatz is full of lingering lunch time revellers but I continue on up Strehlgasse and climb the steep steeps of Pfalzgasse to Der Lindenhof (the lime trees courtyard).
This delightful little park within the city could easily be missed. It’s tucked up on a hill and is the center of what was medieval Zürich although settlement here dates back to as early as the pre Roman period. During Roman times, around the 1st century BC, it was the site of the Roman Vicus (settlement) Turicum. In fact, Turicum remains an alternate name for Zürich still.
During the middle ages, the remains of the Roman camp were fortified and the area became the centre as of the town as the population spread. Today it’s a rather unassuming park with (more) spectacular views of the Limmat and the east side of the Altstadt (old town), looking back across to the university (Hochschulen ). There is little visual link to the historic value of the site.
I make my way back down the steep steps to river level and walk along enjoying the buzzing vibe of the streets back to Bahnhofstrasse. From there I head further west, sou’west, along Pelikanstrasse towards the canal known as the Schanzengraben. This canal was part of Bürkli’s (for whom Bürkliplatz is named) construction of the city’s quay project in the last part of the 18th century. This part of the city is more sedate than the area around Bahnhofstrasse, cafes spill onto the streets in a lazy fashion and the leaves are just starting to turn, giving bursts of color in unexpected spots.
I turn south along the canal and follow the row of covered boats all lined up along the bank like little children all tucked up in bed for the nighttime. I’m guessing these ones may be tucked up for the impending winter months.
There’s not much else to do along here, I walk for a while and enjoy the views and the quiet, peaceful scenery. As I emerge back down on Bleicherweg, one of the restaurants has spilled onto an otherwise unassuming pathway and the late lunches have turned into afternoon drinks which are being celebrated all the way along.
From here I walk back towards Bahnhofstrasse and emerge again on Paradeplatz. This whole area is only small, perhaps around 2 square km. Add to this the cobbled streets, parks, platz, restaurants and shops and this particular old town is clearly modern and relevant whilst it maintains its natural beauty and charm at the same time. Given its small size it’s easily walk-able and most of it is primarily pedestrian anyway which means that even if you had a vehicle, you’d have to leave it behind. In my opinion this adds to the complete charm and the experience of the city and particularly this historic area which can be celebrated for the past and the present alike.
Good To Know
Whilst old town Zürich is a rich hub of culture and history, the fantastically efficient and cheap public transport across both the city and the country made Switzerland an appealing place to take off and discover.
Still, if it’s city you’re after, check out more of Altstadt Zürich here:
- Lake Zürich & Rapperswil
- Walking Zürich -Zürichsee
- Walking Zürich – Rathaus & Hochschulen
- Grossmünster
- Fraumünster
Would I Return?
Yes. Not usually one for the cold, if there is one place I can think that would be worth soaking up the winter it’s Switzerland. Skiing is most certainly on my list and many of the resorts are easily accessible from Zürich. Not that I would turn down a trip at any time of the year, given half a chance.
3 Replies to “Walking Zürich – Lindenhof & the City”