Hues of the setting sun while Cruising over Zurich lake

Zurich is beautiful city in Switzerland which has its own urban yet romantic charm. It is known as the financial capital of the Swiss and rightly you could spot a lot of Swiss banks, huge office buildings while walking along the lanes of Zurich.

It is also known as the shopping city with its exquisite brand stores along the Bahnhofstrasse , but few people actually go around cruising on the Zurich lake absorbing the mesmerizing breeze of the setting sun and feeling the urban lights blazing at you  interrupting the naturesque landscapes.
 How to go : The Zurich lake is located around 1-2 kms from the Zurich train station (Hauptbahnhof - Central station). The best thing is to take a map of the city from the tourist office on the station - this map will have the key tourist spots marked on it - the old town, clock tower, cathedrals and lake. We walked through the city spots, had our lunch and then headed to the lake.

The Cruise
There are variety of cruises available, full day, half day and 2 hour roundtrip boat trips. We preferred to take the 2 hour roundtrip cruise. It starts are around 4 pm and costs around 10-12 Euros. Although we had a Euro pass, which includes all kinds of cruises, train and bus transports across Europe (exception is some of the special trains in Swiss), so it was free for us, no need to buy any separate ticket.

The lake is serene and very clean, despite being in the center of the city, unlike the lakes in India. There are lots of ducks and swans lazing around, boats and jetties parked by the lake and old people sitting there on benches.

As the cruise moves away from the city, you will be able to see the vast stretch of water with no end, the lake just takes over. At the other end are the magnificent Alps, and those white snow peaks. Though far, a glimse of the Alps can be captured by your camera zoom. And then, as the sun sets from the horizon, the view is incredible.
The boat for the cruise arrived almost half hour late and as soon as it parked, swarms of people lined up to enter it. We were alarmed at the number of people who wanted to board the boat, but luckily the cruise is huge, with double decker sitting arrangement and an outside balcony for those who wish to stand. It started almost at 4.45 and ended at 6.45, and we had to catch our train for return by 7, which obviously we missed. But never mind, Zurich has great connectivity, so we got another train after an hour.

So do keep the time margin in mind, before boarding this cruise.
There is food and wine available for order, but the charges of that are additional.

When to Go: There is no special time to go to Switzerland. We went during Christmas in December but Zurich is towards the South, so it was not that chilly. Yes the balcony on the cruise can be too cold but inside the cabin its manageable.

Even if you feel that you do not have time for a cruise, do visit the lake for its blue waters and the swans.

Please note - Don't hire a cab, the city can be covered on foot. If you feel you need a ride, avail the tram which goes through the city. The tram ticket can be purchased inside the tram (machine is there, you need to put coins). If you have a Euro pass or a swiss pass, then you can board any bus/tram for free.

People say that the beauty of Switzerland is in the villages. True. Nonetheless, I feel any trip to Swiss is incomplete without Zurich, which provides a glimpse of modern lifestyle merged with the old town from the 18th century, the large Swiss banks hovering over the expensive designer stores on Bahnhofstrasse

I had forgotten to carry my camera on this trip, so all photos are from my phone (I had a Samsung phone), even I am surprised how it captured such cool images.

This is my first post on Zurich, I will write more about this amazing city in my subsequent posts.

P.S: All photos are taken from my Samsung phone.