with its diverse cultural offerings, creative gastronomy scene and high quality of life. With its ideal location in the center of Europe and at the foot of the Alps, the city is the perfect starting point for discovering Switzerland.
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In Brief, Zürich, Switzerland.
Facts & Figures
Geography
•Zurich lies 409 meters (1,342ft) above sea level
•The City of Zurich covers a total area of 92 km2 (35 sq. miles), divided into 12 municipal districts
•Lake Zurich is 28km (17 miles) long, up to 4km (2.5 miles) wide and max 143m (469ft) deep
•The highest point in the urban area is Zurich’s “mountain”, Uetliberg, at 871m (2,858ft) above sea level
Climate
•Zurich enjoys approximately 1, 600 hours of sunshine per annum
•The mean maximum temperature in summer is 2 3° C (7 3 °F)
•In winter, average temperatures range between –2 and 5° C ( –28 and 41 °F)
Population
•With a population of over 4 50,000, Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland
•Over 1.6 million people live in the Canton of Zurich
•The spoken language in Zurich is the Swiss German dialect; High German is the official written language
Quality of Living
•Zurich has already been recognized several times by Mercer Human Resource Consulting as the city with the best quality of life in the world. T he analysis was based on such criteria as safety, cleanliness, cultural activities, gastronomy and nearby recreation areas
•Pleasant -tasting drinking water flows from almost all of Zurich public fountains. The majority offer the same high -quality mix as the local tap water : 70% lake water, 15% ground water and 15% spring water
Accommodation
•In the greater Zurich region, 160 hotels offer overnight accommodation - from budget accommodation to luxury hotels
•In 2024, the Zurich tourist region recorded over 7.3 million overnight stays; the greater region recorded even more
•In an international comparison, Zurich’s hotels are of a very high standard
•The majority of hotels ( 37.5%) are of 4-star standard , closely followed by 3 -star hotels (33.75%). 9% of accommodation providers are five -star hotels
In Brief, Zürich, Switzerland.
History
15 BC: Roman Conquerors
In the area where the Linth glacier once covered the landscape between the Uetliberg and Lake Zurich, the Romans conquer the Celtic settlement and found a customs post there known as Turicum –which is later to become the city of Zurich.
300 AD: Felix and Regula
Legend has it that Zurich’s first Christians, Felix and Regula, were persecuted for their faith, and died a martyr's death. After being decapitated, it is said that they picked up their heads and carried them to the place where they wished to be buried – the site where the Grossmünster stands today.
1336: Era of the Guilds
A group of craftsmen storm the Town Hall, overthrow the aristocratic city council and establish the Constitution of the Guilds. They introduce the legendary spring festival, Sechseläuten, which is still celebrated every year.
1519: Reformation
Huldrych Zwingli comes to Zurich to work as a lay preacher at the Grossmünster Church, and makes it the starting point of the Reformation in Zurich, and later in all of Switzerland.
18th/19th C: Economic Upswing
Liberal Zurich experiences an economic upswing, with factories, publishing companies and book printing firms settling here. The City on the Limmat becomes the European center of the silk industry, and also attracts avant -garde writers and artists.
1855: Modern Switzerland
The father of Switzerland’s modern -day public transportation system, Alfred Escher, creates the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology ETH. A year later, he also founds the Swiss Credit Institution –now Credit Suisse.
1946: Zurich Airport
Construction work begins on Zurich International Airport, with the first aircraft taking off two years later. Today, Zurich Airport is directly connected to 185 destinations around the world and a 10-minute train ride takes you to Zurich’s main station in the city center.
In Brief, Zürich, Switzerland.
Did you know …
Municipal Districts and Quarters
The City of Zurich is divided into 12 municipal districts and 34 quarters.
Drinking Water Everywhere You Go
Zurich has the highest number of public fountains in the world ( over 1’200 ).
Food hotspot
Creative pop -ups, local products and fine dining - the city's gastronomy offering is diverse and huge.
Large St. Peter
St. Peter’s Church in Zurich’s Old Town has the largest tower clock face in Europe (8.7m/28.5ft in diameter).
Birthplace of the Dada Movement
The Cabaret Voltaire in Zurich is the birthplace of Dadaism. In 2016, Zurich celebrated the centenary of the Dada movement; moreover, Manifesta, one of the most important biennials for contemporary art, was also being held here the same year.
Important Employer
The Zurich metropolitan region accounts for around a fifth of Switzerland's total value creation and jobs. Almost a third of Swiss banking institutions have their headquarters in the Limmat city itself or in the canton of Zurich.
Innovation center
In addition to the financial sector, Zurich has also established itself as an important center for ICT, life sciences, cleantech, creative industries and tourism. Numerous international companies have set up headquarters and research centers here.
Cosmopolitan and Multicultural
In 2024, the foreign resident population accounted for around 33 percent of the total population of the city of Zurich and is made up of many different nationalities.
Roots in the Reformation
The Reformation in the 16th century gave rise, among other things, to the Anabaptist movement. Nowadays it exists in the form of Amish, Mennonite and Hutterite communities, which are principally to be found in the USA.
James Joyce on Zurich
“This city is so clean that if you were to spill your minestrone soup on the Bahnhofstrasse, you could eat it up without a spoon”.
Contact
Zürich Tourismus
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Gessnerallee 3
CH -8001 Zürich
T +41 44 215 40 96
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Zürich Tourism
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