“Hello everybody!”
There are cities that almost kill you with their location. Zurich, the biggest metropolis of Switzerland on the lake of the same name, is surely one of them. A wonderful little spot on earth, which, especially during a weekend trip, can bring out all the charm of beautiful living, excitingly good food and your soul being enchanted on the lake. The hotel landscape alone can easily compete with Munich in terms of tradition. But the “new additions” such as the new, old The Dolder Grand or the Kameha Grand are also exciting. The former Kameha initiator Carsten Rath had already sent purists into a colourful design nightmare with the predecessor in Bonn years ago, and in Zurich he went one better. The newcomer is not in a prime location – it is located near the trade fair on a wide arterial road – but inside you quickly forget that. As in Bonn, the interior is the work of Belgian designer Marcel Wanders, it is colourful and witty. The highlight is the Space Suite – with a dedicated line to the astronauts of the ISS space station. No joke!
At least as exciting and colourful are the two
25hours Hotels in the city. My favourite is the one on Langstrasse, right in the middle of Zurich’s party mile. Here, business travellers are checked in by colourfully dressed, extremely confident hotel staff. The entiree hotel is lovingly furnished, the bar is a real firecracker and the restaurant “Neni” is as good as usual.
Lago makes location
In addition to the “Neni”, a Zurich original is still available for good food. The Kronenhalle can be described with one word: Classical! Waiters in white jackets, long-running French cuisine and a unique atmosphere. Not cheap, but a must for Zurich newcomers. And another tip for meat lovers: in the middle of the picturesque Old Town, hidden in the small, steep Glockengasse, is the Churrasco, a steakhouse with an adjoining bar and an airy courtyard terrace. The meat is superb and the wine selection to the point. And the city also has exciting answers to the trend theme of street food and pop-ups. If you want to know where you can eat the trendiest and best, you should check out the insiders.
And then it’s simply off to the lake: strip off your jacket here at the latest, take off your shoes and roll up your trouser legs. At the boat rental Lago, for example, you can rent small electric boats without a boat license and take them to Lake Zurich. Afterwards, customers are also allowed to use the lake lounge and gaze at the sunset. With such a bleisure trip one makes an impression on the colleagues.
Kai Böcking …
has a soft spot for Zurich. Because the location of the Swiss metropolis leaves him speechless again and again. And because he, despite the sometimes absurd pricing, is also left without words at the latest in top cuisine.
Fotos: © iStock, © iStock/anouchka