Walking Around Zurich

(NOTE - Yesterday we flew back to Mexico City, but I have at least another week's worth of posts describing our wonderful trip!)

After we visited two of Zurich's most famous churches (the Grossmünster and the Fraumünster), we then spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around Zurich, especially the "Altstadt" or Old Town which is built on the banks of the Limmat River.  Besides the towers of the previously mentioned churches, another church dominates the Old Town... St. Peter's Church.  Although a church has stood on the site since around 1000, the current building dates from 1706.  We did not go inside (it was closed at the time) but its clock tower is in many of my photos.  It has the largest church clock face in Europe.

The Old Town is a picturesque web of narrow streets with little plazas and fountains and interesting shops and restaurants.  Since it was a Sunday, almost all of the shops were closed.  However, there was a touristy souvenir shop that had special dispensation to be open.  We stopped there to buy some trinkets to take home as gifts.

Some photos of our wanderings in the "Altstadt"...

We walked up a hill known as the Lindenhof.  It was the site of a fortress when Zurich was an outpost of the Roman Empire called Turicum.  Today the park at the top of the hill provides nice views of the city.

We then walked down to the shore of Lake Zurich, a long glacial lake that extends 25 miles to the southeast from the city.

 

The Zurich Opera House on the shore of the lake

We next headed up the Bahnhofstrasse (Train Station Street).  The avenue is lined with luxury stores selling designer clothes and Swiss watches.  It is one the most expensive shopping streets in the world.

At the end of the street is Zurich's main train station.  From there we took the train back to the home of my cousin Brigitta.