Zurich, Switzerland: Chocolate, Cheese and Culture

Lindor Milk, the absolute classic of Swiss chocolate, is a popular pick in Lindt's chocolate factory shop south of Zurich. As you savor its smooth and creamy filling you will understand why Switzerland has the highest rate of chocolate consumption in the world. Another delicious Lindt product is the Excellence chocolate with a high content of first-class cocoa butter and flavors as vanilla, chili, mint and orange.

The quickest way to reach the factory shop is the eleven minutes ride with the S-bahn (local train) from Zurich Hauptbahnhof, the main railway station, to Kilchberg. If efficiency doesn't matter to you, make use of the city's free bike scheme and lend a bike at the railway station for a calm tour to Kilchberg along Zürich Lake.

The lake area is popular among the people in Zurich, especially during the summer months. Don't forget to visit the Chinese Garden on Bellerivestrasse in Zurichhorn park, set in the attractive Seefeld zone. The garden, a gift to the city from Zurich's twintown Kunming in southwest China, offers a peaceful and calming atmosphere.

Bahnhofstrasse, lined with jewelry, watch and fashion shops, is one of the most exclusive shopping avenues in the world. The renowned pedestrian street starts at the railway station and continues to the lake. Globus' terrific food hall, the department store Jelmoli and Confisserie Sprüngli are well worth a visit. Sprüngli is the city's oldest pastry shop located on the square Paradeplatz in the middle of the avenue.

From Bürkliplatz, at the end of Bahnhofstrasse, you have an amazing view of Lake Zürich and the snow-covered mountain peaks in the distance. Skiing is a popular sport in Switzerland and prominent resorts as Zermatt, St. Moritz and Verbier attract thousands of people each year. In Engelberg, less than two hours from Zurich, the season runs from December to early May.

In November, thousands of people will gather at Bürkliplatz to attend Zurich's annual Whiskyship festival.. Last year over 6,000 visitors came to try the selection of Scotland's finest blends and single malts. The festival is held on six deluxe ships in the water and this year a floating casino and a golf course will offer further enjoyable activities.

Zurich isn't bigger than a single district of Paris and easy to explore on foot. Spring is a good time for a visit; early enough to avoid the packed tourist season and late enough for the cold weather to have passed by. The city has a considerable amount of galleries and about fourteen of Zurich's 50 museums are devoted to art. The Swiss National Museum, situated in a park near the railway station, and Kunsthaus with its modern art collections and nonstop exhibitions are the most visited.

Zurich's old town is divided in two contrasting halves by the river Limmat. Lindenhof, the oldest part of the city, is on the west bank of the river. Its quiet square offers a marvelous panorama over the rooftops on both sides of Limmat. The trendy Niederdorf district is on the east bank of the river. The area is filled with hip clothing shops and antique book stores. As it gets darker the restaurants, clubs, and bars attract people who dig the energetic nightlife. Zurich has a dynamic club scene with styles to suit every taste, including salsa, hiphop, reggae, R&B, techno and pop.

As a multilingual country Switzerland takes the best from the German, French and Italian cuisine. Cheese fondue with the traditional ingredients kirsch and a mix of fresh cheeses, typically Emmentaler and Gruyère, is one of the country's famous specialties. The dish is best combined with pieces of crusty bread. Book a table in restaurant Walliser Keller on Hotel Zurcherhof , one of many places where you can order an appetizing cheese fondue.

The majority of visitors agree that the Swiss stereotypes are true. Nearly everyone ski, the cows that nourish the grasslands of the Swiss countryside all have bells, you can find cuckoo clocks and Swiss army knives in pretty much every shop, and they do eat a lot of chocolate and cheese.