Last Updated on May 29, 2025
By Marjorie Kean and Jim Ferri
When we planned our 3 days in Zurich trip, we knew we would find a clean, safe, and orderly city. We didn’t, however, expect to find a warm, charming, and amazing city. Making it even more enjoyable is that Zurich is a great walking city. And each of its neighborhoods has its own personality.
Unfortunately, our trip was in early spring, so it was cool, and we were unable to explore the area about Zurichzee (Lake Zurich.) But the city’s many other charms and attractions quickly filled our schedule.
Arrival By Train
We arrived in Zurich by train from Italy, which we’ve found is always a great mode of transportation to get a first impression of any city. It’s also a good way to arrive relaxed if you only have 3 days to experience Zurich. In addition, Zurich’s Hauptbahnhof, became a key element of our visit since we also had booked a hotel within walking distance from it.
Also, the station is the center of the city’s transportation network, as well as a bustling ‘city within the city’ with cafes and shops on the main level augmented by numerous others underground.
More importantly, though, the station is also home to the Zurich Information Center. Whether you’re splurging or on a budget, it provides an enormous amount of free information on where to visit in Zurich and Switzerland, how to get there, and what to pay. You may want to tell them you only have 3 days to sped in Zurich and have them help design an itinerary for you. We became regular visitors and always received good, reliable information.
Old Town Zurich
Zurich’s transportation network is top-notch and on our first day of our 3 days in Zurich, we took the trolley from the Hauptbahnhof to Zurich’s picturesque Old Town. The city’s historic heart, it’s chock-a-block with restaurants, boutiques and historic sites, and is a great area to amble about. With its pleasing, laid-back bohemian feel, it’s also quite different from other areas you’ll visit.
Adding to its allure is its location, clinging to the western shore of the Limmot River as it begins its journey northward from Lake Zurich. Across one of its picturesque bridges is Bahnhofstrasse, famous for its top-designer shops. It’s like two worlds running parallel along the picturesque river.
We wandered its medieval streets of Old Town for the entire morning, admiring the colorful ancient buildings, and the occasional colorful bay window on Agustinergasse, before stopping for a quick visit to the 8th– century Grossmünster Church. Dominating the river’s skyline, it’s a peaceful place, as was expected, and has beautiful stained-glass windows. Three other historic churches are scattered about the city.
Luckily for us, lunchtime found us on Limmatplatz the home to Santa Lucia, a wonderful, highly-rated Italian restaurant. The food was delicious, the service impeccable and the reviews 5-star.
The People
All of the restaurants we visited made us feel like they are family-run. The staff will explain the menu and make suggestions and, equally important, they seem genuinely anxious to please their patrons. One restaurant near our hotel, where we went three times for dinner, made us feel like family and even remembered our preferred wine.
The Swiss are renown for being multi-lingual and everyone we met spoke English. When we got lost, we could ask people on the street and they would take out their phones and Google the address for us. We could do that ourselves, of course, but they were faster. Everyone was so open to help was refreshing.
Swiss National Museum
Zurich’s museums are amazing. The first one we visited was the Swiss National Museum (Landesmuseum Zurich), located in the center of the city. It’s housed in a beautiful 1898 building across from the Hauptbahnhof.
It’s a fascinating place with extensive collections that provide a deep dive into the culture and history of Switzerland. Its Collection Exhibition of Swiss artistry and craftsmanship covers a period of 1,000 years and includes more than 7,000 exhibits. The museum’s collection also comprises over 870,000 objects related to Swiss history and culture, with exhibits covering everything from prehistory to the present day.
Its exhibitions also cover topics such as fashion and music, much of it presented as a teaching vehicle for children. The music venue, for example, encompassed music from the 1950’s up to contemporary artists such as Mick Jagger.
Kunsthaus Zurich
Kunsthaus Zurich, which translates as “Art House Zürich,” houses a superb collection of 4,000 paintings and sculptures, as well as 95,000 prints and drawings, from the 13th century to the present day.
If you’re spending 3 days in Zurich or 30 days, don’t miss this exceptional collection. It includes incredible works by Monet, Picasso, Warhol, Lichtenstein and many others. The building itself is also architecturally beautiful, with large walls, high ceilings and light. It allows one to enjoy each piece separately and feel a sense of tranquility.
The Kunsthaus Museum boasts an exceptional collection of Impressionist paintings. But the standout to me (this is Marjorie now) was Monet’s Water Lilies. The sheer size and magnitude of the painting are impressive. But the fact that it stands alone on a vast wall makes it even more impactful.
Above and beyond the works of art, what made a lasting impression on both of us was the artwork collection of the arms dealer Emil Buhrie. Appropriate works were accompanied by detailed criticism of his ownership of the collection because it was dubiously “purchased” from Jews during the time of the Nazi persecutions.
The historic reality displayed by the museum, along with its approach to the subject through interviews, added great honesty to the presentation.
The lunch bar restaurant at the Museum is a lovely place to break up your visit. It also features a contemporary style and serves excellent food.
When planning a visit to Switzerland, there are many popular places you may want to visit in Zurich and around the country. You can leave the stress behind by enjoying a tour, and a guide can be indispensable for a delightful trip.
As many of our readers have found, with a respected company like VIATOR, the options are nearly limitless. And, importantly, there are no cancellation fees or additional fees of any kind. We’ve joined Viator tours and can vouch for them.
Consider these popular Viator tours.
Travel To and Around Zurich and Switzerland
When Jim is traveling to or from Switzerland by air, he tries to fly into and out of Zurich Airport. It is a facility that’s the envy of many in the industry.
In addition, trains run from Zurich’s Hauptbahnhof directly to the airport’s Terminal B where the train station is below the terminal. Travel time is only 10 minutes, and you can also travel to other Swiss cities from the terminal, as well. Fare is 7 CHF (Swiss Francs), approximately US$8.50. It’s actually one of the best bargains around if you want to save money and time on a 3-day visit to Zurich.
Swiss trains are clean, modern, comfortable and operate on-time. It makes train travel the way to get around. People are courteous, including the train conductors. When we had difficulty confirming our tickets by mobile phone, they were patient and helpful. Not one was rude or discourteous. One even sat down with us and told us her life story, which included living in the US.
If you haven’t yet traveled to Zurich, perhaps now is the time to do so.
And be sure to take the train.
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