Zurich (Switzerland)

Zurich is the world's banking capital, but as well as being a city of fat cats parading in pin-stripes, glued to their mobile phones and swinging patent leather briefcases, you'll also discover that this is the city that gave birth to the avant-garde Dadaist movement, and where James Joyce wrote Ulysses.

The city's Museum of Fine Arts houses one of Europe's most extensive collections from 15th century religious iconography to the modern art works of Dali, Arp, Hockney, Cezanne, Monet, Gaugin, Munch and Picasso. Most notable sights are Grossmunster cathedral, a 12th-century Romanesque church; the Wasserkirche (water church) on the Limmat river; the Kunsthaus (Museum of Fine Arts), which contains paintings, sculptures and graphic arts, mainly from the 19th and 20th centuries. On the other side of the river, at Munsterhof, lies the Fraumunster, a cathedral dating back to the 9th?11th centuries, with stained-glass windows by Chagall. St. Peter's cathedral is famous for its clock tower (1534). Up the river just past the main station is the Swiss National Museum, a castle-like structure built 100 years ago; treasures include intact interiors from as early as the 1500s (admission free). A walk through the cobblestone streets of Old Town has appeal, though crowded and noisy on Friday and Saturday nights.

Locality:

Switzerland's largest city is situated on the Limmat river at the north west end of Lake Zurich, at 1,342 feet above sea level. Excellent motorways connect it with the cities of Lucerne, Geneva, Basle and Berne. Zurich is positioned in the north central part of the country, 7 mls south west of Kloten airport.