Zurich Christmas Markets

You might not think it’s possible to do Zurich in one day, but that’s exactly what we did when we were invited by Classic Collection Holidays to discover Zurich Christmas Markets with them in early December! We travelled out on an early Easyjet flight and after a very quick transfer from the airport to the city centre on Swiss Rail, by 09:30 we were enjoying a continental breakfast with a reviving cup of coffee at the Hotel Schweizerhof, located right opposite the main train station. Each year the train station transforms into the largest indoor Christmas Market in Europe – Christkindlimarkt – here you can enjoy a cup of mulled wine  and marvel at the tree decorated with thousands of twinkling Swarovski crystals!
From here we walked to the Hotel Storchen a traditional hotel situated in the heart of the old city. Legend has it that the hotel acquired its name after a pair of rare, black storks nested on the roof. This is a lovely location close to many of the tourist sites on the bank of the Limmat. After lunch we were met here by our tour guide for a two hour walking tour of the old town. This is one of the most popular tours and took us through hidden alleyways, picturesque squares and a visit to St Peter’s Church which has the largest clock face in Europe with a minute hand that jumps a record breaking half meter every minute!
We said goodbye to our walking guide at Grossmunster and from here we carried on to one of the Zurich Christmas Markets that seems to specialise in food – Wienachtsdorf Christmas Village – the scent of cinnamon and mulled wine mingled with the aroma of cheese from the Fondue Chalet and fish gently smoking over burning wood.

The entire market is bathed in a warm glow from the wood burners and food huts, and probably from the effects of all that mulled wine too, but it is as the sun starts to go down that the markets truly come to life. The Christmas lights sparkle and the crowds of tourists and locals alike soak up the atmosphere making it a truly magical experience!
We caught the tram back to the world famous shopping street of Bahnhofstrasse, almost a mile long it connects the train station to Lake Zurich. It is lit with the elegant ‘Lucy’ Christmas lights and will twinkle right the way through to the New Year.
Jemoli is Zurich’s premium department store, stocked with high end brands and with 12 restaurants over 6 floors. You can buy tickets here for the Marlitram which, since 1958, has been chauffeuring children through the streets of Zurich with Santa Claus while listening to Christmas tales read by angels – this is a kids only experience, strictly no adults allowed!

Another tradition and located close the Bahnhofstrasse is the ‘Singing Christmas Tree’ this is a must see attraction and is cherished by locals and tourists. A stage is set to resemble a Christmas Tree and children’s choirs will sing carols all evening – this is a very popular event, so get there early to ensure a good view.

To help you navigate the city it is worth purchasing the Zurich Card, which will give you access to free travel on local public transportation including trams and boat cruises. It will also give you access to museums and discounts on restaurants and shopping – the card is available at the Tourist Information at Zurich Main Station.

With our feet aching from walking all day, we caught the train back to Zurich Airport – a quick visit to buy chocolate at a supermarket in the airport mall – and then boarded our flight back to Gatwick. A fun packed day that truly put us in the Christmas Spirit!

For information on this trip or where to stay in Zurich call us on 01932 866565 or email mailto: cobham@travelprofessionals.co.uk