Zurich

Zurich
has had a reputation for progressive thinking and
innovation for centuries. The avant-garde Irish writer James Joyce
found inspiration here, and Zurich’s Cabaret Voltaire was the
birthplace of the Dada art movement in Europe. In the 21st century,
the city’s spirit of creativity has given rise to a thrillingly
diverse and forward-thinking culinary scene, as well as cultural
riches spanning the spectrum of world-class art galleries to edgy
grassroots theatres.

Kunsthaus Zurich exterior, left, and a gallery
space.

Art lovers should start off at the Kunsthaus Zurich,
the largest art museum in Switzerland. An architectural as well as
artistic wonder, the building’s striking extension by David
Chipperfield Architects, opened in late 2021, gave this
extraordinary collection space to breathe, doubling the number of
artworks permanently on show to 700 pieces. The light-filled
extension focuses on post-1960s art, with temporary exhibitions
featuring work by the likes of Yoko Ono, Federico Fellini and
Aristide Maillol, and a permanent Bührle collection, which includes
paintings by Monet, Cézanne, Degas, Gauguin and Van Gogh. The
extension cemented the entire area’s status as the artistic nerve
centre of Zurich, with other gallerists having since set up shop in
the neighbourhood. Zurich has some 100 galleries and museums, from
small indie operators to global players like Hauser & Wirth, which is headquartered
here.

Art isn’t all contained indoors in this famously outdoorsy city,
though; there are around 1,300 works on display in public places.
These are best discovered on two wheels, by taking a guided e-bike
tour curated by Zurich Tourism.

The bike truck at 25hours Zurich Langtrasse Hotel, left, and
the foyer at Kosmos. | Photo Credits: Stephan Lemke & Vera
Hartmann

Best of all, after a day drinking in art, travellers can feast
on some equally creative cuisine. On Viaduktstrasse, a former viaduct transformed into
Zurich West’s most buzzy drinking and dining neighbourhood, you’ll
find Restaurant Markthalle occupying one cavernous archway.
Another must-visit for food-obsessed travellers is the recently,
radically regenerated Europaallee area, a former red-light district
that now houses independent boutiques and design ateliers, as well
as some of the most interesting drinking and dining offerings in
the city. The ever-popular dive bar Olé Olé, next to the gleaming 25hours Zurich
Langstrasse Hotel, is the best place to take the pulse of this
vibrant district. The Latin-themed bar is now run by three young
women, and every night it welcomes an appreciative crowd of local
tech workers, designers and local oddballs. But there’s also
refined dining to be found here, such as the sumptuous Italian
eatery Osso and the Greek wine bar Yamas. Swing by
either, before catching an arthouse film at Kosmos, the local
cultural centre.

Zurich Old Town, left, and Uetilberg Lake. | Photo Credits:
Jan Geerk & Ivo Scholz

In 2022, it’s hard to think of a European city that can match
Zurich’s appeal to the sort of traveller who adores art and
gastronomy in equal measure. And these urbane delights are
backdropped by spectacular mountain, lake and river scenery, an
ever-present reminder that Zurich is a work of art in itself.