A day in Zurich

I have a soft spot for Switzerland and am always happy to visit whenever I have the chance. Several branches of my family can be traced back to Swiss people who emigrated to the United States before the Revolutionary War. I’ve done some genealogical work there and even found a Swiss “cousin” from the region where my Englar family lived. I’ve been to that region (the cantons of Appenzell) a few times as well as other parts of Switzerland, a picture-perfect country. I recently had the opportunity to pass through on the way to Egypt and enjoyed a day in its largest city, Zurich.

A few from our hotel of the Limmat River

The trip of which this short stop-over was a part, came about from an email from Going (formerly Scott’s Cheap Flights). Going is a subscription service which notifies you about airfare deals – cheap and premium both. A notification about excellent business fares to Egypt caught my eye and flights were quickly booked. These flights were on United Airlines in conjunction with their Star Alliance partner SWISS. I am generally an American Airlines and oneworld alliance fan but must say I really enjoyed this flight very much. The flight was United from Washington to Zurich and SWISS from Zurich to Cairo and vice versa. United’s international business class is called Polaris and both the hard (the seat) and soft (everything else) products were very good. The Polaris lounge at Washington Dulles airport was luxurious and spacious but our enjoyment was short as it was a very, very long way from our gate. I think I drank the fastest martini ever there. On the plane, the seat was spacious and private, with each seat having full aisle access, a nice privacy screen and excellent bedding from Saks Fifth Avenue, including a small memory foam pillow. The charming amenity kit was from the travel company Away, shaped like a small suitcase, and was full of products to assist with sleep. The food was of a very high quality and the service was generally good, though the food was not the highlight for me for this flight. We got a good amount of sleep and landed in Zurich just before 8:00 am.

A few photos from the Niederdorf neighnorhood

We’d booked our one night stay (using Marriott Bonvoy points) at the Zurich Marriott Hotel on Neumuehlequai. Initially I thought that this hotel was a little out of the central city but it turned out to be the perfect location. We were lucky that a room was available for us when we arrived, even though so early in the morning. A modern hotel with all the amenities you would expect, the location was close to the train station and museums as well as shopping and even swimming in the Limmat River (in spite of the cold water, I saw several *nude* swimmers in the river). After getting settled, we walked into the Niederdorf area of the city, on the east side of the river, it’s one of the oldest sections of town and full of restaurants, bars, and more local shopping options – as well as some of the major tourist sites of the city. We popped into a few shops as we just wandered to our lunch destination, the divine Kronenhalle restaurant.

The wonderfully cozy Kronnehalle restaurant

The Kronnenhalle is a Zurich institution dating back to 1924 when the owners rehabilitated a derelict hotel. Long a haven for artists and intellectuals, the restaurant is filled with numerous pieces of art, many given to the owners in exchange for their delicious, traditional food. We were delighted to sit in the large Brasserie room, at a table under the famed portrait of the founder Hulda Zumsteg, with its cozy atmosphere and large fresh flower arrangements. In addition to all the fine art, the walls are decorated with various shields from the traditional business guilds of Zurich. The cuisine is traditional Swiss with a bit of a Mediterranean flair. I loved my avocado a la vinaigrette and sea bass while my spouse had a more traditional veal sausage salad and steak “Café de Paris” with frites. It was a wonderfully long, lazy lunch with crisp service. Very highly recommended.

The beautiful city - including Rathaus and Grossmunster

After lunch we meandered a bit again through Niederdorf, taking some photos of the Rathaus (townhall), Grossmunster church, and beautiful scenery along the river. A little shopping in one of the flagship stores of the Swiss menswear brand Strellson. We crossed the river to the Lindenhof area for a little more strolling and photographs and a final shopping stop at one of my favorite chocolatiers, Confiserie Sprungli, a Swiss institution for almost 200 years. The shop was all decorated for Easter and I picked up some gin truffles for us and a number of assorted boxes as gifts. The last stop was a walk through the main train station to check out a temporary art exhibit and then back to the hotel for a quick rest before dinner.

Easter treats from Confiserie Sprungli

The Lindenhof area - including art at the train station and a view of the Swiss National Museum

We were so delighted that our cousin and his wife had agreed to drive in to meet us for dinner and we chose a restaurant very close to our hotel, Restaurant Drei Stuben. A lucky choice for us, it was just a few minutes-walk and had all the wood-paneled charm of a county inn with very fresh, seasonal food. I didn’t recall what we ate and didn't take photos of the food (was trying to be more “present” with my family) but I can vouch that it was extremely delicious! I do know that I had a Negroni Sbagliato (a Negroni cocktail with Prosecco) which was complex and refreshing at the same time. It was a really wonderful evening and nice end to a full but leisurely day.

Family time at Drei Stuben

We departed the next day for our flight to Cairo. Zurich Airport is large but well organized, full of loads of shopping options, and managed with Swiss efficiency and precision. A very easy airport to travel through and spending time in Zurich is always a pleasure.

Idyllic scene in the heart of the city