Zurich (in German,
Zürich) is the largest city in
Switzerland (population 350,000). The origin of the name is most likely the
Celtic word
Turus, a corroborating reference to which was found on a tomb inscription dating from the
Roman occupation in the 2nd century AD. The city is Switzerland's main commercial and
banking centre, and home to Switzerland's largest
airport.
Situated where the river Limmat leaves the Lake Zurich, surrounded by wooded hills. The river Sihl[?] meets with the Limmat at the end of Platzspitz, which borders the the Swiss National Museum (Landesmuseum).
- Grossmünster (great minster) (near Lake Zurich, in the old city), where Zwingli was pastor
- Fraumünster (our lady's minster) first church built before 874; the Romanesque choir dates from 1250*70; Marc Chagall stained glass choir windows; (on the opposite side of the Limmat)
- St. Peter (downstream of Fraumünster, in the old city); with the largest clock face in Europe
- Lindenhof (lime court), near St. Peter; site of the Roman and medieval castle. View over river and old town.
- Guild houses along the river (downstream Grossmünster)
- Old town on both sides of the river
- Bahnhofstrasse (shopping avenue) starting at main train station
- Landesmuseum (directly opposite Zürich's main train station.)
- Art Museum (Kunsthaus Zürich)
- Zoological garden
UBS, Credit Suisse and many private banks have their headquarters in Zurich. Commercial center of Switzerland.
- settlement in the Bronze age
- Roman town
- Free imperial town
- Joined Swiss confederation in 1351 (then not one country but a confederation of eight independent states)
- Zwingli started the Swiss reformation when main preacher in Zurich (lived there from 1518 to his death in 1531).
Fraumünster church
St. Peter
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