The city of Zürich started life as a Roman customs post by the name of Turicum. Expansion thereafter was slow, but merchants trading in textiles gradually increased the financial clout of the town, and in 1218 it graduated to the status of a free city under the Holy Roman Empire. In 1336 the increasingly powerful merchants and artisans formed guilds that took over the governing of the city. Zürich's reputation as a cultural and intellectual centre began after it joined the Swiss Confederation in 1351. From 1519 Huldrych Zwingli helped things along with his teachings during the Reformation, and he became a key figure in the running of the city until his death on the battlefield in 1531.

Zürich's intellectual and artistic tradition continued during WWI with the influx of luminaries such as Lenin, Trotsky, Tristan Tzara, Hans Arp and James Joyce. In 1916 the Dada art movement was born in Zürich, with Hugo Ball creating the 'artist tavern' known as Cabaret Voltaire. Around the same time, Carl Jung was honing his psychoanalytical theories in the city. On the financial side, Zürich's international status as an industrial and business centre is thanks in no small part to the efforts of the energetic administrator and railway magnate Alfred Escher (1819-1882); throughout his life, he was also a strong force in politics. In 1877 Zürich's stock exchange was founded, and it is still the most important in the country.

In recent years, the Social Democrats have dominated municipal politics. They're officially at the helm of Zürich's administration, but the guilds retain a powerful voice in the running of the city, albeit behind the scenes. Zürich remains Switzerland's commercial and financial hub, and the canton is the country's most affluent.

Like many disgruntled pacifists, Irish writer James Joyce took refuge in neutral Zürich during WWI - although he managed to distinguish himself from most by writing Ulysses, one of greatest pieces of world literature, while here. Joyce returned to the city just before his death in 1941 and is buried in Fluntern cemetery.

Zürichbergstrasse

Zürichberg

Taking a very broad definition of design, this museum comes up with some wonderful exhibitions... For example, looking at how Bollywood film producers love to shoot films in Switzerland; examining dendrites - or tree-shaped structures - that are found throughout nature; or fondly presenting takeaway food packaging.

Ausstellungstrasse 60

Züri-West

telephone or fax: 

Web: http://www.museum-gestaltung.ch

open hours:10:00-20:00

prices:

Many international visitors are mystified that Zürich doesn't make more of the stunning Le Corbusier Pavilion and Heidi Weber museum. Looking like a Mondrian painting set in parkland, with differently coloured square panels, glass and steel, this was the last building designed by Le Corbusier (who died in 1965).

Zürichhorn Pk

N end of Zürichhorn Pk

prices:

Unique Airport (www.zurich-airport.com), roughly 10km (6.2mi) north of the city centre, handles domestic and international flights. The journey from the airport to Hauptbahnhof station takes 12 minutes by train. On average, five trains leave per hour between 06:00 and 24:00. Buy your ticket before boarding. This is a cheaper and quicker option than a taxi into the city which will set you back a hefty sum.The busy Hauptbahnhof has direct trains to Stuttgart, Munich, Innsbruck and Milan, as well as many other international destinations. There are also hourly departures to most Swiss towns. For drivers, the N1 is the fastest route from Bern and Basel; it also services routes to the north and east of Zürich. The N3 approaches Zürich from the south, along the shore of Lake Zürich.

There is a comprehensive, unified and extremely efficient bus, tram and S-Bahn service in the city, which includes boats on the Limmat River (although not cruise boats on the lake). Tickets allow you to switch between modes of transport as you like. There's a 24-hour city pass, and a 24-hour pass valid for unlimited travel within the whole canton of Zürich. Taxis in Zürich are expensive and almost always unnecessary; even high-earning bankers tend to catch the trams.