Z�rich (original) (raw)

Alternate uses: Zurich (disambiguation)

Z�rich is the largest city in Switzerland (population 364,558 in 2002) and capital of the canton of Z�rich. The city is Switzerland's main commercial centre, and home to the country's largest airport.

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 roman name for the town was Turicum and in the local dialect it is called Z�ri (pronounced tsyri SAMPA).

Geography

Situated where the river Limmat leaves the Lake Z�rich, surrounded by wooded hills. The river Sihl meets with the Limmat at the end of Platzspitz, which borders the Swiss National Museum (Landesmuseum).

Sights

• Grossm�nster (great minster) (near Lake Z�rich, in the old city), where Zwingli was pastor
• Fraum�nster (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 Fraum�nster, 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 Grossm�nster)
• Old town on both sides of the river
• Bahnhofstrasse (shopping avenue) starting at main train station
• Landesmuseum (directly opposite Z�rich's main train station.)
• Art Museum (Kunsthaus Z�rich)
• Zoological garden

Industry and commerce

UBS, Credit Suisse and many private banks have their headquarters in Z�rich. Commercial center of Switzerland.

Sport

• Federation Internationale de Football Association
• Swimming in the lake, in the river or in several outdoor swimming pools (June-September)

Education and research

• ETH Zurich
• University of Zurich

History

• 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).

Famous children of Zurich

• Conrad Gessner
• Gottfried Keller (poet)
• Conrad Ferdinand Meyer (poet)
• Johanna Spyri, author of Heidi
• Huldrych Zwingli, reformer

Airport

• Zurich International Airport

External links

• Z�rich Tourism
• Stadt Z�rich, official site in German.

General view showing Grossm�nster church