Most of the interesting sights are in the old town around the river and lakefront.

* Old Romanesque church, symbol of reformed Zurich, where reformer Huldrych Zwingli was appointed the people's priest in 1519. Go up the tower for a great view of Zurich, though the stairs can be quite small and steep.

* Old Gothic church (former convent) with window paintings made by Marc Chagall. Free organ concert in 2015 Wednesdays 7:45-8:00 am. No photos or videos allowed inside.

* The biggest Swiss history museum. You can also learn about the various traditions of the cantons comprising Switzerland.

* One of the major Swiss art museums. Its specialities are modern sculpturer Giacometti and the surrealist 18th Century painter Fuseli, both Swiss. Entry is free to the main collection Wednesdays.

* A small canal that used to be part of the city fortifications between Limmat and Sihl. From the main station, go to Gessnerallee, find the stairways down to the tiny creek, and walk all the way to the lake.

* One of Europe's best collections of Asian art (mainly Indian drawings).

* Red light ateliers and stylish bars start to coexist side by side to the about 15 strip clubs.

* With the new Masoala Rainforest Hall, the Zoo is really worth a visit!

* Especially during summer, the lake is a beautiful place to spend the evening or the weekend. Starting from Bellevue, the boardwalk goes for about three kilometers along the lake towards Tiefenbrunnen. About halfway from Bellevue there is a meadow where you will find thousands of people on a sunny day.

* This small but beautiful Chinese garden was offered to the city of Zurich by the Chinese city of Kunming as symbol of gratitude after Zurich helped Kunming with technical knowledge.

* A beautiful, modern villa planned by the famous Swiss architect. The visiting hours are very limited (i.e. one day / week only in the summer) and entry is expensive. Additionally, there is a legal battle between the city (owner) and the long time tenant.

* The hill in the heart of the old town. A beautiful view of the city and one time location of a Roman fort.

* The old town offers beautiful alleys, restaurants and shopping mainly aimed at younger consumers. In the evenings, people visit the Niederdorf's many bars.

* One of the busiest and best known shopping streets in the world. Highly refined. Certainly a must-see for every tourist in Zurich! (see below).

* A rich private art collection worth visiting - although a little less rich after a recent brazen robbery in broad daylight. Call ahead, as it's currently not open during regular hours.

* An original museum which describes the evolution of coffee and different aspects of the culture that has developed around it. The museum is closed for renovation until September 2013.

* This modern quarter used to be an industrial one, but modern urban developments made it into a centre of vibrant night life. Take the tram to Dammweg and browse the Viadukt food market before wandering through the many new boutique shops under the arches of an abandoned rail viaduct, finishing up at the famous Freitag tower.

*The Beyer Watch museum is located downstairs from the very fancy (and expensive) Beyer Store on Bahnhofstrasse. It is small but fascinating. They have many watches dating back hundreds of years. Many are one-of-a-kind, beautiful examples of exquisite watch-making. Open Monday-Friday 2-6 pm.