Most Zurich guides will say that Zurich is divided into two by the Limmat River: the West or Left Bank, and the East or Right Bank. I’ve also always divided it up in two: Niederdorf, and everything else, and since Niederdorf was always on the other side of the Limmat from where I lived and worked, we referred to it as going “over the bridge”, which invariably made for late nights, because that’s where everything was happening.

However, Niederdorf being the main hotspot is no longer strictly true since Zurich in general is seeing more restaurants and bars, and specifically, “Zuri West”, the old industrial area has been booming and is full of trendy nightlife and good food, not to mention pricey housing, mostly in the form of lofts.

Whether you arrive in Zurich by rail or plane, chances are your first steps in Zurich will be in the main train station (the Bahnhof), and that logically enough if where the famous Bahnhofstrasse starts. It used to be the most expensive real estate in the world but that is no longer true. What is true is that it still has some of the most exclusive shops in the world, so bring your credit card. Bahnhofstrasse is also home for banks, as Zurich is also the center of finance, for which Switzerland is known for.

As you stroll or window shop your way up the Bahnhofstrasse toward the lake of Zurich, you’ll pass, along with the many watch shops, jewelry stores and boutiques, the Fraumünster (Cathedral) on the left, Paradeplatz (banking ground zero) on the right, Sprüngli (confectioner extraordinaire) again on the right. Sprüngli has the reputation that it’s a bit of a pickup place for older tea sipping ladies to find younger men. I didn’t test it when I lived here the first time, and now alas, I’m not longer qualified. Anyway, continue down Bahnhofstrasse and you end up at Bürkliplatz (the ship landing) straight in front of you.

If you now look left you’ll see Bellevue (a public transport hub), and just beyond it: the back entrance to Niederdorf. Since you happen to be standing on a bridge, it is the perfect time to go over it. On the way, as you look left you are looking at one of the most famous views in the world. Looking up the Limmat River, to the left is the Fraumünster we just passed, and opposite it is the Grossmünster, which we’ll pass shortly. Oh, and the big clock tower just behind the Fraumünster is St. Peter (1534), with a clock face of 8.7 metres (28.5 feet), is the largest clock face in Europe, something I never tire of telling*.