Zurich is a great walking city. I am averaging over 20,000 steps each day, and still have more to see.
You’ve got to love a city where the public transportation seems to outweigh private cars. The trams run everywhere, and the ones I have seen are usually crowded.
In my search for souvenirs, I discovered another whole city under the train station. On the street level you have all of the train platforms and a few shops and eateries. Take the escalator down and you enter a huge mall. I checked the web site and found there are over 50 eateries (many are duplicated because it’s so expansive), pharmacies, clothing stores, perfumes and cosmetics, electronics, books, groceries – over 200 total establishments. Even in Switzerland, you can’t get away from Dunkin Donuts!
In need of a watch? I have never seen so many watch stores. While the Swiss did not invent watchmaking (that goes to Germany), Geneva, Switzerland was a very early center for the craft. When the wearing of jewelry was banned under Calvin in the 16th century, the goldsmiths and enamellers of Geneva turned to making elaborate watches adorned with precious stones, thus establishing Geneva as the center of the luxury watch world. It looks like they still take their watches seriously here. But no bargains to be found, the watch makers set their prices to be the same around the world.
Water fountains are everywhere in the city. Some are very plain and others elaborate. You will also see people filling their water bottles from the fountains – the 1200+ fountains throughout the city are continually monitored to ensure the water is of drinking quality.
