Highlights

The Romans were here. Then came Goethe, Nietzsche and Dürrenmatt to top up their energy levels in 47 ºC/116.6 ºF thermal waters. These gush forth from 18 springs and made this small town on the Limmat a lively resort. Nowadays, Baden offers a wide variety of attractions in well-tended urban green spaces, as well as international culture festivals, a diverse theatrical scene, relaxing wellness oases, and the Grand Casino.

And it’s all just 15 minutes away from Zürich City.

• Book a hotel in Baden
• Restaurants in Baden: Typically Swiss
• Shopping in Baden
• Baden: Wellness Destination
• Culinary hike in the Baden region
• GPS Tours

The world-famous shopping precinct was created following the construction of Zürich Main Station on the very site where 150 years ago the city’s fortified moat was located. 1.4 kilometers in length, it connects Zürich Main Station to Lake Zürich. Department stores, boutiques and jewelry shops are strung together like pearls on a chain.

The further along Bahnhofstrasse you go in the direction of Lake Zürich, the more exclusive the shops become.

From Bahnhofstrasse, Rennweg and Augustinergasse lead to the picturesque old town.

The China Garden is located directly on the lake near Zürichhorn and was a gift from Zürich’s sister city Kunming in China. The present was an expression of gratitude for Zürich’s assistance in expanding the potable water facilities in Kunming. The park is one of the most beautiful Chinese gardens outside of China. In its center lies a pond with a small island, and pavilions and even a tiny pagoda stand on its shoreline.

Founded in 853 by King Louis the German, this church with its convent was inhabited by the female members of the aristocracy of Europe. The convent enjoyed the patronage of kings and the right to mint coins in Zürich until well into the 13th century. Ownership of the church and convent passed to the city of Zürich after the Reformation.
Important architectural features include the Romanesque choir and the high vaulted transept. The nave was last renovated in 1911, following on from work to heighten the north tower and remove the south tower in the 18th century.
In addition to the largest organ in the canton of Zürich (5,793 pipes), its most stunning jewels are the stained glass windows: those in the north transept are by Alberto Giacometti's cousin, Augusto (1945), the five-part cycle in the choir (1970) and the rosette in teh southern transept (1978) are by Marc Chagall. There is a series of frescos by Paul Bodmer in the cloister to mark the founding of the Fraumünster.

According to legend, Charlemagne discovered the graves of the city's martyrs Felix and Regula and had a church built as a choristers' cloister on the spot. Construction work on the present building began around 1100.
In the first half of the 16th century, Grossmünster Church was the starting point of the Swiss-German Reformation led by Huldrych Zwingli and Heinrich Bullinger. The theological college then annexed to the cloister became the germinal cell of what is now the University of Zürich.

Worth visiting:
Church windows of Sigmar Polke
Romanesque crypt, Romanesque capitals in the church and cloister.
Choir window by Augusto Giacometti (1932),
bronze doors by Otto Münch (1935 and 1950),
Reformation Museum in the cloister (open Mon-Fri 9 am -6 pm, closed on weekends).

Opening hours of Grossmünster Church
March-October, 9 am -6 pm (Mon-Sat)
November-February, 10 am - 5 pm (Mon-Sat)
Sundays after the church service
Changes due to current events possible, so please call ahead to confirm.

Opening hours of the Karlsturm tower
March-October, 10 am -5 pm (Mon-Sat), Sundays 12:30 pm-5:30 pm
November-February, 10 am -4:30 pm (Mon-Sat), Sundays 12:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Changes due to current events possible, so please call ahead to confirm.

Tours

• Public tours of the Grossmünster: At 11:30 am on the second Sunday of the month, there is a one-hour public tour of Grossmünster Church, including a visit to the cloister, starting at the main entrance. Language: German. The tour costs CHF 5.00 per person.
• Spiritual night-time tours of Grossmünster Church: At 10 pm on the last Friday of the month, there is a one-hour public tour of Grossmünster Church, during which visitors, accompanied by a knowledgeable guide, will have an opportunity not only to discover the unique atmosphere of the church interior, but also to enjoy panoramic views of Zürich at night from the church tower.
  The tour starts at the main entrance and is free of charge.

The Kunsthaus Zürich (Museum of Fine Art) houses the most important collection of modern art in Zürich and is renowned for both its permanent art collection and its temporary exhibitions. International works of significance include many paintings by Edvard Munch, Van Gogh, Picasso, and leading Expressionists. There is also a significant group of works by Claude Monet and Marc Chagall. In addition to modern artistic trends represented by Rothko, Merz, Twombly, Beuys, Bacon, and Baselitz, visitors can discover a wide choice of pop-art works. An audio guide gives background information on 200 “highlights” of the collection.

Chagall - Modern Master
Marc Chagall (1887–1985) was one of the great figurative painters of the twentieth century and since the 1960s the Kunsthaus Zürich has staged numerous exhibitions devoted to his art. In addition, the museum houses a dozen or so of Chagall's important paintings, donated by the artist's family and other generous patrons, which represent various phases of his artistic career. Between February and May 2013 the Kunsthaus Zürich will once again celebrate the art of this much-loved artist with the landmark exhibition, Chagall: Modern Master.

Opening hours: Saturday/Sunday/Monday/Thuesday: 10am – 6pm, Wednesday/Thursday 10am – 8pm

Special exhibition: 8.2. - 12.5.2013

>> Reserve your combo-ticket here for the Kunsthaus and special exhibition.

ZürichCARD: No reduction on special exhibitions

The grassy park areas along the lakeshore are a hive of activity during the summer months. A popular meeting place for inline skaters, sunbathers, jewelry vendors and street artists.

Limmatquai is the street in Zürich's Old Town that connects Bellevue and Central along the right-hand waterfront of the Limmat River. It passes by Grossmünster Church, the Water Church as well as many of Zürich's guildhalls and the Rathaus, Zürich's city hall building.

This spot provides a glorious view of the Old Town, Grossmünster Church, City Hall, the Limmat river, the university and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology. Lindenhof was also the scene of numerous historical events.
In the 4th century, a Roman fort stood on Lindenhof. It served as protection for the occupying Roman forces as well as the local population in the event of attacks by the Alemanni.
In the 9th century, the grandson of Charlemagne built a regal palace as a residence on this site.
This area continued to be a place for gatherings for Zürich’s inhabitants right up to the beginning of the modern era. For example, the oath sealing the Helvetic Constitution was taken on Lindenhof in 1798.
Today, Lindenhof is a haven of peace and tranquility in the heart of the city and a meeting point for passionate chess players.