The picturesque city of Zurich is renowned for being the financial capital of Switzerland, but beyond its economic significance not many are aware of the city’s many fascinating features. We recently dispelled the myth that Zurich is a boring city, even pointing out that the city is in fact one of the best places to live in the world, but this intriguing city has more to reveal to the leisure or corporate traveller. Join us we count down 12 surprising facts about Zurich you probably never knew.
1. Zurich was an early site of female empowerment
Fraumünster abbey ('Women’s abbey') was founded in 853 AD by Louis the German as a gift for his daughter. Granted a sizeable amount of surrounding land in the eleventh century, the abbey quickly grew in power and influence, with its female occupants and its abbess becoming key political figures in the area – a status quo that lasted for a considerable time period. Although the women of the abbey ultimately lost their influence in the fourteenth century, their success in effectively ruling for so long marks an important milestone in the city’s history. Today, Fraumünster Church stands on the site of the abbey, and although much of the original structure was replaced, the Romanesque choir and transept remains.
2. ZURICH HAS A DIVERSE HISTORY
Lake Zurich exhibits evidence of Neolithic and Bronze Age settlements and the Lindenhof was also home to pre-Roman Celtic settlements. In 15 BC a castellum was built on the famous hill by Roman forces.
3. ITS NAME IS SPELLED MULTIPLE WAYS
There are several different spellings of Zurich to be found throughout the city due to Switzerland’s multi-lingual population. These include: Zurigo (Italian), Turitg (Romanch), Zürich (German), Zuerich (German variant) and Züri (Swiss German nickname).
4. ZURICH GAVE BIRTH TO DADAISM
One of our more obscure facts about Zurich: the ‘nonsense’, anti-war and anti-establishment art movement of Dadaism (at least in its European form) originated in Zurich nightclub Cabaret Voltaire in 1916. Many suggest that later art forms, surrealism and post-modernism, developed as a result of the movement.
5. LAKE ZURICH HAS BEEN KNOWN TO FREEZE
Despite having a surface area of over 88 square kilometres, Lake Zurich has frozen over multiple times since records began in the thirteenth century. The most recent freeze took place in 1963 – so it could be that another freeze is due soon.
6. Zurich is home to over 1,200 drinking fountains
While it may be one of the most expensive cities in the world, there is one thing Zurich does for free, and does well. Switzerland is known for its public water fountains, but one of the lesser known facts about Zurich is that the city has them in spades. No matter where you go in the city you will never be far from a fountain issuing high quality drinking water. It is recommended that you take a long-lasting water bottle with you on your trips around the city so you can fill up on the crystal clear water. Zurich is so proud of its fountains that it employs a team of experts that actively checks and maintains the quality, cleanliness and safety of the water. While some of the city’s fountains are simple affairs, others are more ornate, such as the Alfred Escher memorial fountain and Hedwig Fountain – the latter having been built in 1912 to honour the women who defended the city against a German siege in 1292.
7. Zurich is Switzerland’s largest city
While Zurich is the financial capital of Switzerland, it is not the national capital. That title belongs to the small, unassuming city of Bern. Although Zurich is not a large city by international standards, it is still the largest in Switzerland, with a metro area population of over 1.4 million.
8. Muesli was invented in Zurich
A list of facts about Zurich wouldn’t be complete without a muesli mention. Physician and nutritionist Max Bircher-Benner experimented with the positive effects of raw foods, and, having studied at the University of Zurich, opened a clinic focused on the benefits of natural foods in the city in 1897. He encouraged the consumption of his self-invented cereal – muesli – which is still consumed by millions across the world to this day.
9. Zurich has many famous connections
Many famous people have left their mark on Zurich, with none more notable than Albert Einstein. Einstein studied at the polytechnic (today ETH Zurich) between 1896 and 1900. He was also a professor at both the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich. The Irish writer James Joyce also made Zurich his home; during World War One he stayed in the city, taking advantage of Switzerland’s neutral status. James Joyce returned to the city in 1940 and died just weeks later. His grave can be found in Fluntern Cemetery.
10. The city has a museum dedicated to ‘nothing’
One of the more curious facts about Zurich: it is the only city in the world to have a museum devoted to nothing. The No Show Museum includes galleries of blank picture frames and empty, white rooms. The ‘Nothing’ art movement isn’t merely a gimmick, however, as many significant artists, such as Andy Warhol and Yves Klein, have created ‘Nothing’ works – some of which are displayed in the museum.
11. Google’s largest European office is in Zurich
In addition to the Google office, Zurich is home to Disney Research Studios, Credit Suisse and International Aero Engines. With its range of headquarters, Zurich is a popular corporate travel destination.
12. The largest church clock in Europe resides in Zurich
With an outer diameter of 8.64 meters and a minute hand measuring 5.73 meters, St. Peter’s Church clock face is the largest in Europe and one of the largest in the world. Its prominence in the city perhaps explains why it was, for centuries, the official indicator of Zurich ‘local time’ – with all other clocks in the city conforming to it. The church was built on the site of a Roman temple to Jupiter, with its first structure dating back to the eighth or ninth century.
Armed with your list of facts about Zurich, now is the time to browse our portfolio of serviced apartments in Zurich and begin planning your business journey to the Swiss financial power house with SilverDoor.
