While there are indeed 200 banks in Zurich, one would be remiss to overlook the romantic sides of Switzerland’s largest city. And since most Swiss vacations will start and end at Zurich Airport, why not spend a day or two exploring?

Among the not-to-be-missed romantic experiences in Zurich:

Walk hand in hand around the Lake Zurich shoreline at the city’s edge. Swans float up to bask, you can rent a paddle boat for two to see the city from the water, or board a boat for a two-hour exploration deeper into the lake where you can also take in romantic vistas of surrounding villages.


If you’re shopping for a diamond, you’ll find plenty on Zurich’s Bahnofstrasse, which is often dubbed the Fifth Avenue of Switzerland. Here luxe watch makers and jewelers, such as Gubelin and Bucherer, as well as brand-name department stores Globus and Jelmoni, tempt shoppers with glittering window displays.

Across the Limmat, the river bisecting most of the city, is the old town area, where quaint patisseries dot cobblestone streets dating to the middle ages.

Work up an appetite by climbing the 184 stairs in the Grossmunster, the towering church founded by Charlemagne: The views of the city will take your breath away. Snack on soft and creamy macarons from Sprüngli—which claims to have invented them and calls them Luxemburgerli.

Do save room for dinner with the posh and elegant at Rive Gauche. End the night by taking a cue from the city’s hipsters: bar hop through Zurich West, the former industrial area that’s being reimagined as a nightlife and artistic center.

Sightseeing in Zurich

Visit three of the city’s most romantic hotels >