Posted on Friday, 11 September 2015

When Greg arrived home with a bunch of flowers and news that he'd booked us a surprise weekend break, I was of course delighted. But he concealed the destination from me until we got to the departure gate on the Friday morning (online check-in, hand luggage). When I saw the word Zurich on the gate screen, I admit I was a little disappointed.

Perhaps noticing this, Greg went into to great detail about how Zurich was one of the wealthiest, most liveable cities in the world. Culture, history, museums, food – it had everything.

But I could only think of dreary bankers in expensive suits and secretive financial institutions.

Not that I have anything against bankers – after all, Greg works in the City. But I knew there would be some kind of work connection to the trip and it didn't take long before Greg revealed his intention to meet some Zurich-based ‘pals'. And yes, they all worked in finance.

Perhaps the weekend wouldn't be as romantic as I was led to believe.

At Zurich Airport Greg insisted on a taxi – even though I suggested the train would be much cheaper. But I could tell he was intent on spending big this weekend – and I wasn't complaining; I was in the mood for being pampered.

Central Plaza Hotel, Zurich, Switzerland (photogearch/Bigstock.com)

Central Plaza Hotel

I wasn't surprised when we drew up next to the Central Plaza Hotel in the city's central square. Dating back to the 1800s, the Plaza was extremely plush and I soon wished I'd brought a classier wardrobe; the hotel's other clientele were extremely well turned out.

But we weren't in the hotel for long. It was to be a jam-packed weekend.

Lake Zurich

First, Greg wanted me to get a feel for the city's unique geographical location. To this end we took a late afternoon boat for a trip around Zürichsee – or Lake Zurich. The stuffy, banker-centric image of the city immediately began to evaporate. While the lake is rather epic, it seems to dwarf the city somewhat, making it more manageable – and in a way less intimidating.

However, the city's extraordinary wealth was certainly in evidence. Expensive boats bobbed beside large lake-side mansions. The arms of swimmers rose and fell through the calm waters – bankers taking a Friday evening swim after a long week perhaps, before cocktails on the veranda? It was all rather romantic.

Cabaret Voltaire

As darkness fell it began to rain and we bundled into another taxi. We were going to Cabaret Voltaire. This was a wonderfully bizarre place, where, Greg explained, DaDaism was born. Here we met two Swiss friends of Greg, both of whom had worked in the City. To my surprise, they were both charming and rather funny – and of course very well off, in common with most Zurich residents.

Aside from the powerful absinthe – de rigour in Voltaire – I loved the place. Some very odd things were on view, including an imaginary hedgehog wrapped in leaves!

Niederdorf

Attentive to my need to go shopping, on Saturday Greg took me to the Niederdorf – the main shopping street in Zurich. A mixture of boutique fashion outlets and well-known outlets kept me – and Greg's credit cards – busy for a good two hours.

Freitag

But the Freitag retail outlet was the most memorable shopping experience I had in Zurich. Freitag makes bags from recycled materials such as seatbelts and tarps – and exports its unique goods in vast quantities. The shop is made from old steel freight containers – and soars precariously into the Zurich sky. It was another bizarre yet engrossing place.

Oepfelchammer

In the evening we visited the atmospheric Oepfelchammer (Apple Chamber) – a seven-century-old bar with thousands of signatures carved into the wall. You're only allowed to sign the wall if you can drink a glass of wine upside down using a wooden support constructed specially for the purpose; Greg's attempt to do this failed. He spent the rest of the night with Rioja spilled down his shirt!

Chinese Garden

Feeling a little groggy on Sunday morning, we agreed on some fresh air before our flight back to London. On Friday night Greg's friends had recommended the Chinese Garden, so I suggested we go there. This was the antidote we sought; a tranquil little garden built with the assistance of Zurich's partner city Kunming, as a thank you to Zurich after its engineers helped the Chinese metropolis build its drinking water supply and drainage systems. Here in the fresh, late-summer air we were transported from central Europe to ancient China. The tranquil green waters of the pond and the charming little pavilion soothed our souls.

In the airport-bound taxi I understood that Zurich was a lot more off-the-wall and exciting than I had imagined. And there's plenty for everyone here – you don't need to work for a bank and drive a Bugatti to have a memorable time. I would definitely return.

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