Zurich Excursions

For a Half Day

Winterthur: The canton's second largest city is 25km (15.5 miles) northeast of Zurich and can be reached in just 20 minutes by train from the Hauptbahnhof. There are a number of intriguing things to be seen and experienced in this Swiss city on the River Töss. The Sammlung Oskar Reinhart am Römerholz (Oskar Reinhart Collection at Römerholz), Haldenstrasse 95 (tel: (052) 269 2740; website: www.roemerholz.ch) houses important works from European Old Masters and French Impressionists. The Fotomuseum Winterthur, Grüzenstrasse 44 (tel: (052) 234 1060; website: www.fotomuseum.ch), is Europe's largest photographic arts centre, with regularly changing exhibitions. One of the country's foremost interactive science museums, Technorama der Schweiz, Technoramastrasse 1 (tel: (052) 244 0844; website: www.technorama.ch) is also located in Winterthur. In the Winterthur Kunstmuseum, Museumstrasse 52 (tel: (052) 267 5162; website: ww.kmw.ch) visitors can view major 19th- and 20th-century art. Tempo-drom und Block, Lagerplatz 17 (tel: (052) 204 0700; website: www.block.ch), Europe's largest indoor sports park, which includes a rollerpark and beach volleyball court, is a five-minute walk from the main train station. Winterthur Tourismus (tel: (052) 267 6700; website: www.stadt-winterthur.ch) is located in the train station and provides further information.

Rapperswil: The beautiful little 'City of Roses' has a medieval character dating back to 1229, with its ancient castle, rose gardens, romantic lanes and restaurants on the lakeside. It is located on the northern shore of Lake Zurich, some 29km (18 miles) from Zurich. Zürichsee-Schifffahrtsgesellschaft (see Tours of the City) offers round trips to this little town (tours take about 2 hours). Further attractions include the Knies Children's Zoo, Oberseestrasse (tel: (055) 220 6760, website: www.knieskinderzoo.ch) and a Circus Museum. Rapperswil is also accessible from Zurich by S-Bahn S5 or S7 (journey time - 50 minutes). The Tourist Information Office, Fischmarktplatz 1 (tel: (055) 220 7000; website: www.rapperswil.ch) provides further information.

For a Whole Day

Jungfraujoch: From this breath-taking mountainous location in the Bernese Oberland (often referred to as 'the top of Europe') you can see Switzerland's largest glacier and the spectacular Alpine scenery of this region. The cogwheel mountain train from Lauterbrunnen climbs to the highest railway station in Europe at 3,454m (11,331ft), on the Jungfraujoch. An 11-hour bus excursion can be booked through the Tourist Information Office (tel: (01) 215 4000; website: www.zuerich.ch). The last part of the journey is by train. The tour runs from the end of April to the end of October. Alternatively, the train journey from Zurich to Jungfraujoch station (tel: (33) 828 7111; website: www.jungfraubahn.ch), with changes at Bern, Interlaken Ost, Lauterbrunnen and Kleine Scheidegg, takes between four-and-a-half and five-and-a-half hours with the Alps always just outside the window. Contact SBB (see Getting there by Rail) for train times.