Our second full day in Zurich started cold and grey. We bundled up, Dimple in her knit hood and me in my beanie, and walked out of the Radisson Hotel & Suites Zurich to catch the tram into the city.
Into town by tram
The tram is the easiest way in. We grabbed a selfie on the ride and got off near Bahnhofstrasse, where the trees were already turning gold.
Along the Limmat
From there we walked down to the Limmat river. The old town sits right on the water, with rows of tall pastel buildings, trams rolling along the far bank, and the Fraumünster’s green spire and the twin towers of the Grossmünster above the rooftops. We sat on the stone river wall with fallen leaves at our feet and just took it all in.
St. Peter’s Church
Next we climbed the steps up to St. Peter’s Church (Kirche St. Peter). Its clock tower has one of the biggest clock faces you’ll see anywhere, and with the yellow autumn trees around it, it was one of our favourite photo spots of the day.
Fraumünster and the Zwingli statue
Down the hill, the sky finally cleared and the Fraumünster’s green spire looked even brighter against the blue. Just across the river we stopped by the Wasserkirche, where a bronze statue of Ulrich Zwingli, the reformer, stands holding a Bible and a sword.
Out to the lake
We followed the river to where it opens into Lake Zurich, near Bürkliplatz and the boat piers. The big white lake boats were lined up at the dock, and the view stretched all the way to the hills.
A short lake cruise
We did take the cruise, but only a short loop because the water was low. We still made it count. To warm up, Dimple had a hot apple punch (alcohol-free) and I had a hot rum punch. We shared a slice of the handmade vacherin ice cream cake, made with passion fruit and vanilla ice cream by a pastry shop in nearby Dübendorf, with coffee, while the lakeshore drifted past the windows. Even a short ride is worth it, since it’s the easiest way to see Zurich from the water.
Good to know
Dress warm. Mornings in late October are chilly, but the sun can come out by midday. The whole walk from the river to the lake is easy on foot, with plenty of stops for photos.
Earlier: breakfast at Luigia, the Italian restaurant inside our Zurich hotel