Zurich

Lindenhof to Langstrasse over a long weekend

Three days give Zurich a fair hearing. Use the first for the old town on both banks of the Limmat, the second for the Kunsthaus, the ETH terrace and a lake or river swim, and the third for the Uetliberg ridge, a steamer to Rapperswil or the Rhine Falls.

Flying in? Our Zurich Airport guide covers the terminals and the train down to the city.

Day one. Start at the Swiss National Museum beside Zürich HB, then walk down Bahnhofstrasse and turn into the lanes up to the Lindenhof. Cross to the Fraumünster for the Chagall windows and stop at Sprüngli on Paradeplatz. In the afternoon climb the Grossmünster tower, then wander Niederdorf's alleys for dinner.

Day two. Spend the morning at the Kunsthaus. Ride the Polybahn up to the ETH terrace for the view back over the old town. In summer, go swimming at the Oberer Letten river bath in the afternoon; in winter, walk the lake promenade from Bellevue towards Tiefenbrunnen. Evening in Kreis 4 around Langstrasse or in the converted viaduct arches of Zürich West.

Day three. Take the S10 up the Uetliberg and walk the Planetenweg along the ridge, or board a steamer from Bürkliplatz down the lake to Rapperswil, with its castle and medieval centre, and return by train. Alternatively, spend the day at the Rhine Falls, about an hour by S-Bahn.

Zürcher Geschnetzeltes, Rösti and Luxemburgerli

The city's own dish is Zürcher Geschnetzeltes, thin strips of veal in a cream and white wine sauce, traditionally served with rösti, the golden, crisp-fried potato cake. Old guild-house restaurants and traditional beer halls in the Altstadt are the places to order it.

Other Swiss staples are easy to find. Chnöpfli, small dumpling noodles, often come as a side, and grilled sausages such as the Kalbsbratwurst are sold at street stands. Fondue and raclette come from western Switzerland but appear on many menus in the colder months.

For something sweet, Sprüngli's Luxemburgerli, small airy macarons, are a local institution, sold at its shop on Paradeplatz and at the main station.

Eating out is expensive, so locals lean on lunch menus, supermarket takeaway and the self-service cafeterias of the universities, including the student canteen below the ETH terrace on weekdays. Kreis 4 and Zürich West have the widest spread of international and casual places, and in summer the lakeside and riverside bars at the baths turn into open-air evening spots.

Böögg, Street Parade and the summer Badi season

Summer is the season to come. July and August average highs of 24C, the lake and river baths are open, and the Street Parade fills the lakeshore on the second Saturday of August. Spring has Sechseläuten in April, and winter is grey, with highs near 4C and Christmas markets.

Sechseläuten on the third Monday of April sees the guilds parade in historic costume before a cotton snowman, the Böögg, is set alight on a bonfire; tradition says the quicker its head explodes, the better the summer. The Street Parade on the second Saturday of August brings close to a million techno fans to the lakeshore. Swiss National Day on 1 August ends with fireworks over the lake, the Theater Spektakel fills the Landiwiese with performances in August, and the free Caliente Latin festival takes over the Kasernenareal on the first weekend of July.

The figures favour summer. July and August average highs of 24C and lows of 14C, though rainfall peaks at around 120 to 128 mm a month from May to August in short thunderstorms. That is the season of the badis, the public lake and river baths, from the Oberer and Unterer Letten on the Limmat to the floating women-only Frauenbad at Stadthausquai.

Winter is cold and grey, with highs of about 4C and lows just below freezing from December to February. Christmas markets in and around the main station and Niederdorf brighten December, and fast trains reach the Alps and their ski areas within a few hours.