Most famous monuments to see in Zurich

The church was built from the middle of the 9th century on the opposite side of the river to the Grossmünster. Today, many visitors are attracted by the five stained glass windows prepared by Marc Chagall in the 1960’s as well as by the the rosette in the south transept. Another significant glass window is "The Heavenly Paradise" (1945) by Augusto Giacometti, the uncle of the famous Swiss artist Alberto Giacometti, in the north transept.

With 5793 pipes, the organ in the Fraumünster Church is the largest in the Canton of Zurich. A cycle of frescos by Paul Bodmer depicts the legend of the founding of the monastery and of the city's patron saints Felix and Regula.

In the first half of the 16th century, the Grossmünster served as the starting point of the Reformation under Huldrych Zwingli and Heinrich Bullinger. The characteristic tops of its neo-Gothic towers were added by Johann Caspar Voegeli and John Hagge Mille from 1781 to 1787. Between 1913 and 1915 the interior renovations were completed by Gustav Gull and Hermann Fietz.

Particularly worth seeing are the glass windows by Sigmar Polke, the Romanesque crypt, the Romanesque capitals in the church and cloister, the stained glass windows by Augusto Giacometti (1932), the bronze doors by Otto Münch (1935 and 1950), and the Reformation museum in the cloister. Guided tours are available.

The so-called Karlsturm is one of the two Grossmünster towers of this famous Zurich landmark. 187 stairs lead from the nave up to the tower vantage point – from where visitors have bird’s-eye views over the Zurich rooftops and lake as well as majestic Alpine summits on the horizon.

St. Peter is one of the four main churches of the old town of Zürich, Switzerland, besides Grossmünster, Fraumünster and Predigerkirche.

Its programme is highly varied, with 17 new productions and 26 revivals a year. Popular pieces, famous singers as well as regular premieres, children's operas and ballet are all included in the varied repertoire. Stars such as Cecilia Bartoli, Renée Fleming and Placido Domingo enjoy appearing here time and again, as do celebrated conductors including Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Christoph von Dohnányi and Carlo Rizzi.

The magnificent baroque monastery building and the Chapel of Grace with the Black Madonna are the main attractions that many visitors come to see in Einsiedeln. The Salve Regina, a choral song in several voices, is sung in the chapel every day at 4.30pm. Guided tours of the monastery library, with its century-old book culture, are held daily. The monastery has bred its own horses since the Middle Ages; parts of the stables of the “Cavalli della Madonna” are open to the public.

Tours of the monastery are available daily, organized by Einsiedeln Tourism.

Monkstrail

Those who want to explore the monastery grounds under their own steam can go on the Monkstrail scavenger hunt. On this one-hour trail through the world of the monks, participants discover all kinds of exciting and interesting things about the Abbey.

Tinguely's idle machines are recognised worldwide as an allegory about the consumer and industrial society. For Jean Tinguely, the machine stood for humour and poetry. The many plastic wheels symbolise both wisdom and madness in one. Jean Tinguely (d. 1991) was a contemporary Swiss painter and sculptor and follower of the French Nouveau Réalisme art movement. Its members had set themselves the goal of eroding the lofty status of fine art and of using new techniques and materials to integrate the reality of everyday life into art.

St. Peter's parish church is the oldest church in Zurich and dates to before the year 900. From the Middle Ages to 1911 the church tower was used as a fire lookout point. Rudolf Brun, the first mayor of Zurich, was buried in this church. The famous theologians Johann Caspar Lavater and Leo Jud both worked here. Of special note are the baptismal font of 1598 and the choir chairs with their armrests and rich carvings from the 15th century which originated in the suppressed convents of the city. Other attractions are the rich acanthus adornment with Bible verse over the pulpit, the crystal chandeliers modeled in the style of 1710 and the organ with 53 stops.

The Zurich Schauspielhaus uses this listed factory building, where ships were once manufactured, as a venue for productions and performances. Since 2000 it has run three theatrical stages here: the Schiffbauhalle, the Box and the Matchbox, all of which have achieved Europe-wide fame in their short lifetime. The Moods jazz club, the fashionable Restaurant LaSalle and the Nietturm Bar, accessible by lift and offering views across Zurich West, can be found in the same location.

A visit to any of the Zurich Schauspielhaus venues is particularly rewarding each Monday, when all seats are available at half price.

Heinrich Bullinger, one of the leading Protestant theologians of the 16th century, was responsible for reinforcing and sustaining the Reformation in Zurich. He succeeded Huldrych Zwingli at the Grossmünster church at the age of 27 and was definitely his equal in terms of passionate preaching.

Bullinger was famous for his hospitality and exchanged correspondence across Europe – which led to him publishing a kind of newspaper about political events.

His sculpture can be found on the southern outside wall of the Grossmünster church.