Zurich Boat Tour

Round Trip Lake Zurich

Our final destination was Bürkliplatz, a dock and the starting spot for tours on Lake Zurich. Once again we were able to take advantage of the transportation benefit of the ZürichCARD for a 30 minute round tip boat ride on Lake Zurich.

We only had a short wait before the boat arrived. We decided to sit outside to get a good view of the lake and surroundings.

When the Weather is Hot ...

Head for the Water

Zurich is acity of water par excellence, where bathing is a cult. Everyone finds a place to cool down with a summer swim in the river or lake.   We saw many people enjoying the various outdoor pools during our boat trip.   

Some of those same water spots turn to nightclubs when the sun goes down.   (click on images to enlarge).


Back to the Hotel

After taking a few photos of  the statue of Ganymede and Zeus (represented as an eagle) at Bürkliplatz, on the shore of Zürichsee (Lake Zürich), we headed back to our hotel.  This time we decided to take the S-Bahn S7 train back to Movenpick Hotel.   Both the tram and train tracks are about two blocks from the hotel.   The train was much faster than the tram since there were fewer stops.   

Since it was after 7:30 PM, it was now time to call it a day.  We'd been on the go since landing around 7:15 AM.   When traveling overseas, it is a good idea to stay active and then go to bed in the evening so that you start to get accustomed to the time change.   

^{Additional photos can be found on our Rhine & Moselle Shutterfly page:} 

Zurich - Boat Trip

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Felsenegg Lookout

Zurich's Panoramic Restaurant

click on images to enlarge

After touring the National Museum, it was time for some lunch, so we inquired about getting to the Panoramic Restaurant.

The guide book that came with the ZürichCARD didn't provide details about how to get to the restaurant for some reason. Since we'd left all our printed information back at the hotel, we figured the main train station information booth was our best bet for obtaining directions. They could tell us about how to get there and they also directed us to the tourist information desk for more details about our other plans.

 
Getting There

This short trip takes you up to one of the nicest lookout points in the Zurich area: Felsenegg. Getting up there is fun, with the only aerial cable car operating in the canton of Zurich.

First, take the S4 train in direction Langnau-Gattikon and get off after 15 minutes in Adliswil. From there it's a well sign-posted 10-minute walk to the valley station of the aerial cable car, which leaves every 15 minutes for Felsenegg.

  Journey to the Top ...

Once you are up there, refresh yourself in the restaurant and of course take in the view of the city, the lake and the Alps.

 We had ham & Swiss cheese sandwiches with an apple strudel for dessert.   It was excellent (and the view was great too).   It was well worth the effort to get there.

^{Additional photos can be found on our Rhine & Moselle Shutterfly page:} 

 Zurich - Felsenegg

 
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National Museum Zurich

Landesmuseum Zürich

The National Museum Zurich is located across from the train station in the heart of Zurich. This popular museum of cultural history, with its extraordinary 19th century architecture, has been designated a historical monument of national importance.

This was our first stop using the ZürichCARD, which gave us free entry to the museum.  Note that you'll have to check any bags in lockers that are provided free of charge.  You are allowed to take photographs, but please don't use flash when viewing any of the antique art works.


With over 820,000 exhibits, the Swiss National Museum has the largest collection documenting the cultural history of Switzerland and Swiss arts and crafts.



Interiors & Building Elements

A great variety of period rooms and individual building elements from the 15th to the 17th century. Partially reconstructed in the museum.

click to enlarge images

These stained glass windows were just a small part of this collection.


Sculptures & More

In addition to furnishings, the museum boasts an outstanding collection of medieval wood carvings and framed altarpieces from Switzerland during the Middle Ages.




Despite spending quite an amount of time at the museum, we only scratched the surface of all the collections.

We highly recommend visiting this museum if you have any interest in learning more about Switzerland's history.  

This visit to Zurich was part of our pre-cruise stay before our Rhine & Moselle river cruise on the beautiful Avalon Artistry II.   We are writing a complete diary of our trip, with much more to come, including photo albums.



 
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Continue with us as we head for some lunch next. Can you guess where we might be headed (hint:  there's a panoramic view from the location)?    Click the image to continue the visit other posts in the series.