Banner

Information about Zurich

Facts and Figures about Zurich

Geography
  • Location: in the heart of Europe, in the center of Switzerland, 409m/1342 ft above sea level
  • Total surface area of the city: 92 km2/35.52 square miles, divided into 12 districts
  • Total surface area of the region: approx. 2,200 km2/850 square miles, including Zurich Airport, Rapperswil-Lake Zurich, Baden, Winterthur, Zug
  • Lake Zurich: 28 km/17.4 miles long, up to 4 km/2.485 miles wide, up to 143 m/469.2 ft deep, very good water quality
  • Climate: 4 seasons, approx. 3,500 hours of sunshine each year, pleasant humidity levels
  • Summer: average daily temperature 22 °C/71.6 °F
  • Winter: -2 to 3.5 °C/28.4 to 38.3 °F

City of Zurich
the largest city in Switzerland, with 370,000 inhabitants

Canton of Zurich
1.275 million inhabitants

Languages
Zurich German dialect,  French, Italian

Currency
Accepted currencies in Zurich (in most shops, restaurants, hotels..):

    * Swiss Franc
    * Euro
    * Credit cards like MasterCard, VISA, American Express etc.

Convenient location public transportation
  • Zurich International Airport: direct flights to more than 150 destinations,
    10 minute train ride from the city center, nominated for Europe’s best airport in 2007
  • Zurich Main Station: frequent connections to Swiss tourist destinations and European cities
  • The world’s densest public transport network: urban railway serves the Zurich region every half or quarter of an hour, buses and streetcars every few minutes

History of the city of Zurich
  • Towards the end of the 20th century, new, urban life is breathed into former industrial districts – Zurich develops into a lifestyle and party capital
  • 1946: electorate vote to build Zurich Airport, which is now a hub for international air traffic
  • Zurich has frequently been the point of departure, center and transit station of avant-garde writers and artists such as Mozart, Goethe, Lenin, Georg Buchner and Thomas Mann
  • 1855: Gottfried Semper builds the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich
  • 1847: the Spanisch-Brötli railway embarks on its maiden voyage from Zurich to Baden. By building Zurich Main Station, the Gotthard Tunnel and the foundation of Credit Suisse, statesman Alfred Escher establishes the infrastructure for rail traffic and business
  • in Zurich
  • 1833: the city’s fortifications are demolished
  • In the 16th century, Zurich becomes the point of departure and center of the Reformation in German-speaking Switzerland under Huldrych Zwingli
  • 1351: Zurich joins the Swiss Confederation
  • 1336: Rudolf Brun establishes the guilds’ constitution
  • Zurich has enjoyed the town privilege since the 10th century
  • In the Middle Ages, Zurich is an important place of pilgrimage thanks to the relics of Felix and Regula, the city’s patron saints
  • 15 B.C.: the Roman customs station, “Turicum“, is set up on the
  • Lindenhof – now a vantage point in the very well preserved Old Town























PDF to download