Old Town, Hidden History & Panoramic Views

Highlights

• Ride Zurich’s historic funicular to the ETH terrace for panoramic city views
• Discover medieval Jewish Zurich and the site of the former synagogue
• Follow Lenin and Dada through the revolutionary Spiegelgasse
• Explore Grossmünster, Wasserkirche, Fraumünster and historic Lindenhof

Description

Start your tour at Central and ride Zurich’s historic red funicular up to the ETH Polyterrasse. From this panoramic viewpoint, look out over the River Limmat, Grossmünster, Fraumünster, St. Peter and Lindenhof before walking down through the historic Rechberg gardens into the Old Town. Pass the Predigerkirche and enter the narrow medieval lanes around Froschaugasse and Rindermarkt. Discover a lesser-known chapter of Zurich’s past at Synagogengasse, which recalls the city’s medieval Jewish community and the site of its former synagogue. Continue through Neumarkt and past Haus zum Rech. If the building is publicly open during the tour, your guide may include a brief optional visit to its remarkable scale model of Zurich around 1800. This visit is not a core part of the tour and the route continues normally if the building is closed. Then jump forward to the First World War. Walk up Spiegelgasse to the address where Vladimir Lenin lived in exile, before heading back down to the Cabaret Voltaire, birthplace of Dada in 1916. Political revolution and artistic revolution unfolded just a few houses apart. From here, continue through the lively Niederdorf and Münstergasse to the Grossmünster, Zurich’s iconic twin-towered church and a key site of the Reformation under Huldrych Zwingli. At the Wasserkirche, hear the medieval legend of Felix and Regula and learn how this former pilgrimage site changed after the Reformation. Cross the Limmat to Fraumünster and Münsterhof and discover the powerful medieval women’s abbey that once played a major role in Zurich’s political and economic life. Depending on the pace of the group, the route may also include St. Peter and the Roman remains in Thermengasse. Finish on Lindenhof, one of Zurich’s oldest settlement sites, with a final view across the Old Town. By the end of the tour, the city will no longer feel like a collection of famous sights, but like a compact landscape of Roman history, medieval Jewish life, monasteries, Reformation, revolution and modern culture.

Includes

2-hour guided walking tour Professional live tour guide One-way funicular ride to the ETH Polyterrasse Panoramic views over Zurich and the Old Town Historic Old Town walking tour Medieval Jewish history and Synagogengasse Stories of Lenin and the birthplace of Dada Grossmünster, Wasserkirche and Fraumünster from outside Historical and cultural insights throughout the tour

Excludes

Food and drinks Hotel pickup and drop-off Paid church admissions Entrance to Fraumünster or Grossmünster towers Personal expenses Additional public transportation

Important Information

• The tour includes cobblestones, stairs, and some uphill walking. Comfortable shoes are recommended. Public drinking water from fountains is free. The tour takes place in all weather conditions.

Easy cancellation

Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund