Quotes of the Day

According to popular lore, a visitor to Zurich once said, "It is good to be born here and it is a worthy place in which to die, but what does one do in between?" The answer is: plenty. For despite its reputation as a dull banking capital, Zurich is successfully developing into a lively and diverse city. The Swiss are known for meticulous attention to detail, and this trait can be seen everywhere — the symmetry of buildings is flawless, hedges look as if they are trimmed with the aid of a ruler and the traffic flows without a hitch. Yet the city's architecture is surprisingly eclectic, with styles ranging from medieval to avant-garde.

The best way to visit Zurich is to start at its main railway station. The imposing 19th century structure

	STREETWISE
	SENSORY EXPERIENCE If you're looking for an unusual place to eat, Blinde-kuh (Blind Cow) is truly it. The staff is blind, the restaurant pitch black. It serves seasonal meat, vegetarian and fish menus and is very popular, so reserve well in advance. Mühlebachstrasse 148, tel. 01 421 5050. BEST TRANSPORT The cheapest way to tour Zurich is on two wheels, and there are scores of groomed bicycle paths. From May to October bikes can be hired free of charge at the main train station, Track 18. Open daily 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. CHEAPER SLEEPER Staying in Zurich without breaking the bank is possible. Hotel Splendid in the Old Town has small but pleasant rooms from ?70. Rosengasse 5, tel. 01 252 5850 COFFEE BREAK No one should leave Zurich without having Kafa {e}]-Schalle (coffee with frothy milk on top), pastry and a chocolate truffle at a Spröngli café. All are made on the premises and, although expensive, definitely worth the stop. Paradeplatz and Löwenplatz. DON'T MISS Forget fondue and raclette. The dish to try is rösti, grated potates fried until brown and crispy. They also come with ham, bacon or cheese — and topped with an egg. Adler's Swiss Chuchi, Rosengasse 10, tel. 01 266 9666

is full of intricately carved nooks, arched doorways and vaulted ceilings that retain their old-world elegance. The main gate leads to Bahnhofstrasse, the famous tree-lined pedestrian street where Switzerland's banks have their headquarters. A stroll down its length will prove that there are no gold bars hidden under its sidewalks and the "gnomes of Zurich" are friendly folks who greet visitors with the traditional grüezi mittenand ("hello to you all"). The street is a study in contrasts, with 19th and early 20th century buildings sharing the sidewalk with modernities like the Pavillon Sculpture by the late Zurich artist Max Bill, a founding father of the Concrete art movement. A series of polished granite elements, the sculpture was installed in 1983 as a study in aesthetic purity and universality; many locals feel it just jars. Bahnhofstrasse is also the gateway to Zurich's historic quarter, a maze of narrow, hilly streets located on both sides of the Limmat River. Your first stop should be Augustinergasse, to see well-preserved 14th-to-18th century houses with exquisite bay windows. At No. 9 you'll find the James Joyce Foundation with its creaking library (open weekdays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.). The Irish author wrote Ulysses in Zurich and frequented Café Odeon on Limmatquai 2, where famous exiles like V.I. Lenin and Thomas Mann went for coffee, though it is said that Joyce's drinks were a tad stronger.

Now you have to make a decision — to see the obligatory sights, or to explore the road less traveled. If you feel you cannot leave Zurich without at least a perfunctory glimpse at its historic treasures, walk the short distance to the city's oldest church, the 13th century St. Peter's, which has the largest clock face in Europe — 8.7 m. in diameter. Art lovers will appreciate Marc Chagall's five stained glass windows in the nearby Fraumünster church, once the domain of Zurich's aristocratic ladies. A walk over the Münsterbrücke bridge will take you to the magnificent Grossmünster cathedral, site of an 11th century crypt and the pulpit whence Huldrych Zwingli propagated Switzerland's Reformation in the 16th century.

But if you prefer to roam where locals do, go to Langstrasse. Once a red light district, it is now a thriving center of counterculture. Home to 80 nationalities, the street has a bohemian feel, with biker bars, underground clubs, ethnic food stores and — a rarity in Zurich — reasonably priced boutiques. For some down-time head to Bürkliplatz, a pleasant lakeside park shaded by maple trees. The site was created in the 19th century by piling up the rubble from baroque fortifications along the edge of the lake. The park, a hangout for the hip and trendy as well as the old and conventional, is a microcosm of Zurich — a vibrant city that can no longer be considered stodgy.

• HELENA BACHMANN
• Zurich confirms and confounds every preconception