Zürich

We’ve reached the end of the travel alphabet, and our last destination is Zurich, Switzerland. A global banking and finance center, Zurich is located in northern Switzerland near the north end of Lake Zürich. The central Altstadt (Old Town) alleyways on each side of the Limmat River indicate its pre-medieval origins, and its modern buildings speak of its present and future.

WITH AROUND 420,000 inhabitants, Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland. However, the number of people settled around Lake Zurich is even larger: 1.2 million!

ZÜRICH HAS BEEN INHABITED for nearly 2,000 years and was founded by the Romans. However, early settlements dating back more than 6,400 years have been discovered (although this merely suggests human presence in the area and not the presence of a town that early).

IN ZURICH, THERE ARE OVER 1,200 drinking fountains on almost every corner of the city. Drinking fountains are standard in Switzerland; they are a public good that benefits everyone.

ZURICH IS HOME TO many international corporations. Google’s largest European office is located in downtown Zurich. Disney Research is only a few minutes from Zurich’s center.

SEVERAL SURVEYS HAVE SHOWN that Zurich is the best city in the world in terms of quality of life. People in Zurich feel that they have social support, a healthy life expectancy and enough freedom to make decisions in life.

THE ANCIENT STEEPLE of St. Peter’s Church, which houses Europe’s largest church clock, is in the middle of the old town. The clock’s outside diameter is 8.64 meters, the minute hand is 5.73 meters, and the hour hand is 5.07 meters.

AFTER NEW YORK, LONDON, AND TOKYO , the Zurich Stock Exchange is one of the world’s fourth most significant! Every day, securities worth 4.6 billion Swiss francs are traded.