Zurich - fings to do?
Discussion
Apologies for upsetting any Zurich natives here, but I think you're gonna have your work cut out finding excitement in Zurich 
No doubt someone will say "Ahh but you need to go to such and such a part of town, because everywhere else is dead"
My personal experience was that Zurich was the most boring, dead city I have ever visited, and I've visited quite a few (most of which I enjoyed). Native Zurichers seemed to be like Germans without a sense of humour, and without the endearing habit of brewing beer
Everywhere seemed to shut at 9 & the tram service, while punctual seemed unnecessarily complicated - 40 buttons on the ticket machine, to give 2 different fares (always pick the expensive one)
Sounds like you'll be bringing your own fun, which is good. Let us know if there is a fun side to Zurich, that I just happened to completely miss!
No doubt someone will say "Ahh but you need to go to such and such a part of town, because everywhere else is dead"
My personal experience was that Zurich was the most boring, dead city I have ever visited, and I've visited quite a few (most of which I enjoyed). Native Zurichers seemed to be like Germans without a sense of humour, and without the endearing habit of brewing beer
Everywhere seemed to shut at 9 & the tram service, while punctual seemed unnecessarily complicated - 40 buttons on the ticket machine, to give 2 different fares (always pick the expensive one)
Sounds like you'll be bringing your own fun, which is good. Let us know if there is a fun side to Zurich, that I just happened to completely miss!
Hmmm, I found Geneva to be a more lively city than Zurich (relatively speaking). At least you could get decent food & wine there...
Leadfoot said: Oh dear! Went to Geneva a few weeks back & came away rather unimpressed, I was hoping that zee blockhead part of the country might be a bit different.
nonegreen said: You could liven the place up a bit by hiring some SS uniforms, marching into a bank and demanding the return of your gold.Just athought, bit pissed, sorry
They really don't have a sense of humour! You know how people say Germans don't have a sense of humour - not true - if you want to see a complete lack of humour (as we Brits know it), talk to some Swiss Germans. They do take their skiing seriously though, which is good. 
Going to Zurich on Sunday for 2 weeks, with a group of blokes from work.
There's 12 of us going, all have drunken debauchery listed as a hobby:letchinginamungostylee:
So does anyone have recommendations of hostelries worth visiting?
I can't recommend anywhere, as whenever I've been
there it's always been as dull as ditchwater. It's that
Swiss German thing.
Try the Altstadt. Don't have too high hopes.
You will also need to take a lot of money.
Two weeks is a lot of time to spend in a rich banker's town.
A wise man (and it may have been me) once described Switzerland as good "for skiing, and leaving".
I used to go to Zurich on business every fortnight for a year. It represents the (non)character of the Swiss, distilled down to, well, nothing. Imagine Stevenage, but without the class...
Be prepared to accept that your highlights may be the hotel bar and the porn channel. And remember that it is illegal to pee standing up between the hours of 23:00 and 07:00. I am not joking.
FWIW, the Renaissance Hotel was quite nice:
- Near the airport but quiet
- Courteous
- Made an effort, with regular "specials", like "Chinese Night"
I used to go to Zurich on business every fortnight for a year. It represents the (non)character of the Swiss, distilled down to, well, nothing. Imagine Stevenage, but without the class...
Be prepared to accept that your highlights may be the hotel bar and the porn channel. And remember that it is illegal to pee standing up between the hours of 23:00 and 07:00. I am not joking.
FWIW, the Renaissance Hotel was quite nice:
- Near the airport but quiet
- Courteous
- Made an effort, with regular "specials", like "Chinese Night"
CraigAlsop said:
nonegreen said: You could liven the place up a bit by hiring some SS uniforms, marching into a bank and demanding the return of your gold.
The germans must have developed this sense of humour in the last 20 year then, cos I nearly got fired in 1978 for leading a group of german business men into a conference room. All I said was "Through here please Zey are only showers". The Brits thought it was hilarious, not a single german smile. Miserable sods.
nonegreen said: All I said was "Through here please Zey are only showers". The Brits thought it was hilarious, not a single german smile. Miserable sods.
I was drinking with some German colleagues & was having a (mostly) light hearted argument in a bar about this very fact. One of them turned to me, looked me in the eye and said: "You be careful....We invaded Poland for less...."
The germans must have developed this sense of humour in the last 20 year then, cos I nearly got fired in 1978 for leading a group of german business men into a conference room. All I said was "Through here please Zey are only showers". The Brits thought it was hilarious, not a single german smile. Miserable sods.
To be fair, it is still a bit of sensitive issue for them.
I've always found them to be a right bunch of good lads,
not frightened of a bit of serious drinking from time to time.
Five litres of coloured tap water (aka tourist beer),
three verses of "Two world wars and one world cup",
followed up by "small third world country on the edge of Europe"
is enough for anyone.
dcb said:
The germans must have developed this sense of humour in the last 20 year then, cos I nearly got fired in 1978 for leading a group of german business men into a conference room. All I said was "Through here please Zey are only showers". The Brits thought it was hilarious, not a single german smile. Miserable sods.
To be fair, it is still a bit of sensitive issue for them.
I've always found them to be a right bunch of good lads,
not frightened of a bit of serious drinking from time to time.
Five litres of coloured tap water (aka tourist beer),
three verses of "Two world wars and one world cup",
followed up by "small third world country on the edge of Europe"
is enough for anyone.
I laughed, although I wouldn't be sure if I was in the wrong group of people. Coloured tap water is always my choice and the national brew, remember that. Zürich... the Swiss are a special kind of bread and at the moment I'm in my personal war with them
... at least with a couple of them. Take skiers, it's the right time of year... and have loads of fun.Its not a bad place, but I have to say the natives and I just didn't understand each other.. Language thing; Swiss German most odd and I only speak a little German anyway..
Try the Nederdorf area; only place with any realy life. Take the tram to I think BelleVue and as you look towards the lake its on you left away from the main road. Good bars, good food, you'll be ok..
Luzern worth a day trip; if you get the chance to go to Mt Pilatus and do the dragon slide, let me know what its like; chickened out..
Mail me through my profile and I'll have a think about more places to go.
Take your thermals, will be bloody cold..
Try the Nederdorf area; only place with any realy life. Take the tram to I think BelleVue and as you look towards the lake its on you left away from the main road. Good bars, good food, you'll be ok..
Luzern worth a day trip; if you get the chance to go to Mt Pilatus and do the dragon slide, let me know what its like; chickened out..
Mail me through my profile and I'll have a think about more places to go.
Take your thermals, will be bloody cold..
Oh, they have a relaxed attitude to film censorship, and the possibilities for recreational pharmaceuticals exist. Saw the Counting Crows there a few years ago and saw the biggest spli
fs I've ever seen in my life.. Not that i indulged, but you might like to know these things are around if you want to make sure you avoid them as it were..
fs I've ever seen in my life.. Not that i indulged, but you might like to know these things are around if you want to make sure you avoid them as it were.. 
Yep, Zurich is very quiet indeed, I lived in Switzerland for 2 years in Lausnanne, which was mildly more exciting. Spent quite a bit of time in Zurich though. You'll be strugggling to find some fun that's for sure.
Bern is pretty cool though much nicer bars/clubs and restaurants but is a good hour's drive or more from Zurich.
If your into the snow I would head out to Verbier or Zermatt and get some good skiing/boarding in as the Snow is pretty good at the moment and Verbier is much livlier than most of Switzerland.
Hope you like Fondue and Wurst.
Simon
Bern is pretty cool though much nicer bars/clubs and restaurants but is a good hour's drive or more from Zurich.
If your into the snow I would head out to Verbier or Zermatt and get some good skiing/boarding in as the Snow is pretty good at the moment and Verbier is much livlier than most of Switzerland.
Hope you like Fondue and Wurst.
Simon
Gassing Station | General Gassing [Archive] | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff