Zurich

Zurich is the capital and the largest city in Switzerland. The name is derived from the Celtic dur, which means 'water'. Being the capital of Switzerland, the city is a leading financial center. It has been considered as the global city with the best quality of life anywhere in the world. The city is the country's main commercial and cultural center.

Tourist Attractions: The museums, churches and other attractive places in the city draw the tourists from far and wide.

Transportation: The transportation facility in Zurich is well designed, making it the hub of rail, road and air traffic. Zurich Main Station, Zurich Oerlikon, Zurich Stadelhofen, and Zurich Altstetten are the main railway stations that serve the city. The Cisalpino, InterCity Express and the TGV high-speed trains runs through the city. The major international airport at Kloten helps the tourist to reach the city comfortably. A1, A3 and A4 motorways also pass through the city. The public transportation facilities are the S-Bahn (local trains), trams and buses. The transport network also includes boats, funicular railways and cable car.

Hotels: Zurich offers many world-class hotels and resorts to the tourists who reach the city from other parts of the world.These hotels provide facilities for the guests to relax themselves and enjoy their sumptuous food. Savoy Baur en Ville, Baur au Lac, Dolder, Alden Splugenschloss, Eden au Lac, Park Hyatt Zurich, Widder, Marriott, Ascot and Swissotel are some of the hotels situated in the heart of Zurich from where people can enjoy the charm of the city. In addition to this, the city also offers bars, restaurants, lounges and clubs for nighttime leissure.

Places of Attraction: Churches stand as the landmark of the city. Grossmunster Fraumunster and St. Peter with the largest clock face in Europe are the churches where pilgrims from the entire globe gather with much faith. Zurich is also known for its museums that exhibit the major cultural as well as historical artifacts of the country. Museum Barengasse that displays the history of the city in the 18th century, Kunsthaus Zurich- one of the largest collections in Classic Modern Art in the world, Museum Rietberg, Antique Asian Art, Museum Bellerive, Museum for fashion, architecture and design, Kunsthalle Zurich, Migros Museum, Museum of Design Zurich, Swiss National Museum, The Swiss National Museum, Johann Jacobs Museum that exhibits the history of colonial Fine Food and coffee, Johanna Spyri Museum, Haus Konstruktiv, NONAM North American Native Museum and Museum of the History of Medicine mesmerize the visitors with the wide collection of age-old artifacts. Zoological garden, Botanical Garden of the University of Zurich, Chinese Garden, Zurich Masoala Rainforest Ecosystem, Lake Zurich, uetliberg a mountain in the Swiss plateau an altitude 813 meters above sea level, with Uetlibergturm TV-tower are the other interesting points in the city.

COUNTRY	Switzerland
LOCATION	Situated at the place where the river Limmat leaves Lake Zurich, the city is surrounded by wooded hills including the Zurichberg and the Uetliberg.
GEOGRAPHIC COORDINATES	Latitude 47º22' N, Longitude 8º33' E
AREA	91.88 sq. km.
POPULATION	376,815 (2007)