Without friends to stay with or a personal inheritance to while away, it can feel like someone has kicked you in the wallet before you’ve even had a chance to utter “Guten Morgen” (German for ‘good morning’).
Here are a few tips to get the most out of your moola.
Walk: Know that you’ll see more, smell more and do more on foot. The cobblestone streets with winding walkways that open into adorable plazas will be missed if you zip around on the tram all day. But if you use public transport, get a Zurich Card and use it like crazy (almost unlimited travel for 72 hours: 40 CHF).
Enjoy Free Fun: You don’t have to be religious to appreciate the Fraumunster Church with stained glass windows by Giacometti and Marc Chagall. The Wildnis Park Langenberg is also free and boasts boars, brown bear, lynx and more. If plants are your passion, peruse the Zurich University Botanic Gardens— also FREE.
Picnic, please! Restaurants are incredibly expensive so splurge if you will but the cheese section alone in the local supermarkets, such as Migros or Coop, is interesting enough. Grab some Emmentaler or Appenzeller cheese, bread and the required Swiss chocolate, and you’re on your way to gourmet. Besides there are about a million and one scenic vistas to take in while you eat your lunch.
Head down to Lake Zurich to sit along the benches facing the water while you nervously watch the flotilla of swans approach. Or take a short hike up to the University of Zurich where you have a view over the city and on a clear day, the iconic Alps. Also great for peeping on some internationally appealing University students.
Explore the Scenery: Get some time to stretch your legs in the Alps. The incredible system of wanderwegs (walking trails) is worth every step and labored breath. Smile graciously when you're inevitably passed by a couple three times your age. For a real treat, take the S-bahn train (hugging Lake Zurich on its way out of town before opening to expansive pastures) to the nearby town of Glarus where you can stroll the town before taking the well marked loop trail to the Klöntalersee See, a glacial lake warm enough for a dip during the summer months.
While in Zurich it's easy enough to go for broke in a heartbeat with your eyes closed, with a little extra thought and some creativity, you can keep more francs in your fist.
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