Z�rich Basics

Facts, figures and a few choice words from the chocolate-box city

Featured January 12 Words by Lukas Fuglister
Z�rich Basics

THE CITY BY NUMBERS

HAVE A WORD (OR TWO)

In Z�rich, people speak a dialect of German called Swiss German or Schweizerd�tsch. Even for those who speak German, this can be a shock, because it can sound quite diff erent. Nevertheless, we suggest you give it a try. The "ch" is pronounced as in Scottish loch. Mind your throat!

THE Z�RICH TIMELINE

15BC The Romans establish a military base and tax-collecting point where the Lindenhof in the Old City is today. They name it Turicum

1336 Guilds are founded which form the basis of Z�rich's political structure, weakening the power of the church and the landed gentry

1351 Z�rich joins up with Switzerland, which has existed as a loose confederation of states since 1291. This doesn't stop the city warring against fellow cantons

1520 Huldrych Zwingli, priest at the Grossm�nster church, brings the Reformation to Z�rich, banning music, religious imagery and fasting for Lent

1798 Z�rich loses its independence as Napoleon invades, transforming the entire Swiss Confederacy into the Helvetic Republic until 1815

1847 Switzerland's first railway opens between Z�rich and Baden, transporting people and goods over the 30km between them in just half an hour

1893 Z�rich merges with 12 surrounding villages. In 1934, eight more villages join them. These are crucial steps in Z�rich becoming a cosmopolitan city

1939 The Swiss National Exhibition, Landi, takes place. With World War II looming, the industrial fair becomes a symbol of the Swiss 'Spiritual Defence' ideology

1980 Youth movements riot over several weeks, demanding space and money for alternative youth culture. These clashes kick off the liberalisation of the city

2011 A new tram line, Z�rich West (route no 4), provides access to the fast-developing, newly trendy district between Escher Wyss Platz and Altstetten

GETTING AROUND

Z�rich is fairly compact, but public transport can be useful, especially when the weather isn't behaving. The network includes trams, buses, local trains, boats on the lake and river, and the S Bahn to surrounding areas.

NIEDERDORF
This part of the Old Town, east of the River Limmat, teems with restaurants and bars. It's crisscrossed with medieval alleys, and a walk through it should be part of every visit to Z�rich.

LANGSTRASSE
Previously known as an unpleasant red-light district, in the last decade Langstrasse has become Z�rich's most cosmopolitan neighbourhood, a great destination for bar hopping and dining out.

LAKE Z�RICH
One of the city's highlights, strolling along the lake's shore is a must. Start at Bellevue and walk along the promenade towards Z�richhorn.

VIADUKT
You'll find more than 30 shops and a market hall for groceries under the arches of this 19th-century railway viaduct, which feels like a long, bustling street (im-viadukt.ch).

GIACOMETTI MURALS
In the entrance hall to the city's police headquarters, Swiss artist Augusto Giacometti's magnificent murals adorn the vaulted ceiling and walls. Open daily 9-11am and 2-4pm, admission free, ID required (3 Bahnhofquai).

Z�RICH'S CHOCOLATE

Swiss chocolate is renowned as a world beater - strange given that Switzerland has totally the wrong climate for producing the beans used to make it. So how did it become so good?

Cocoa was first brought to Europe from South America in the early 16th century, and by the end of the 18th century the Swiss were starting to process it into chocolate. By the mid- 19th century, some of today's best-known producers - like Z�rich-based Lindt & Spr�ngli - were established, but it was only after two advances in the 1870s that Swiss chocolate became a real success: first Daniel Peter invented milk chocolate. Then Rodolphe Lindt invented a scraper-mixer, called the conche, which is still used to make chocolate smooth and creamy.

Today, around 172,000 tonnes are produced in Switzerland every year. In Z�rich, it's possible to visit the Lindt & Spr�ngli factory, from where chocolate is shipped to sweetshops worldwide.