Hotel Bristol

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Hotel Bristol

Stampfenbachstrasse 34

Zurich, 8006 CH

Travelers' rating:

Check-in date:

Check-out date:

Adults: age 18+

Rooms:

Children: 0-17

Child Age:

Child 1

Child 2

Child 3

Child 4

Hotel Bristol is a family-run townhouse within walking distance of the famous Bahnhofstrasse shopping area and approximately seven miles from Zurich Kloten International Airport. This location is also within walking distance of the main railway station and National Museum, half a mile from Zurich University, and three miles from Lake Zurich.

Hotel amenities include the complimentary continental breakfast, room service, safe deposit boxes, laundry facilities, babysitting, and outdoor parking (fee). Pets are allowed at the hotel with advance request.

All rooms feature private bathrooms, cable TV, telephones, hairdryers, and clock radios.

Hotel Bristol Property Information:

Rooms: 53
Floors: 1

Hotel Bristol Service

Car rental desk
Pets allowed
First class
Meeting room
Dining
Family rooms

Hotel Bristol Reservation Policies:

Check-In: 1200
Check-Out: 1200

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Zurich Events & Entertainment

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Events

February

The Zürich Carnival

Mid-April

Zürcher Sechseläuten (Spring Festival)

For information: 01 853 17 77

Zürich’s traditional spring festival – begins on a Sunday with a big parade featuring more than 2,000 children. The actual festival takes place on Monday. Guild members have an early start with a lunch at their own guildhall, and follow it with the big Parade of the Guilds. Thousands of spectators will line the streets along the parade route in the Old City. The highlight is Burning the Böögg, an effigy of winter, on the Sechseläuten field near the Zürich Opera. The Böögg woodpile is lit when the bells of St. Peter sound at 6 o’clock. The Böögg turning to ashes signals winter’s final departure.

Late June-Mid-July

The Zürich Festival hosts dance, opera, theater, and more in several venues throughout the city.

During the Züri Fäscht, held once every three years at the start of July, a huge fairground is set up in central Zürich. Festivities are topped off with a lavish fireworks display.

August 1

Swiss National Holiday celebrates the confederation's birth in 1291 with fireworks and bonfires.

on August 1, the Swiss national holiday, while spectacular displays of fireworks explode in sizzling colors over the cities and towns, the mountain folk build the bonfires that glow quietly, splendidly, on every hillside of every Alp, uniting Swiss citizens as they celebrate their proud independence, their cultural wealth, and above all their diversity. It's that diversity and those quirky contradictions that make Switzerland a tourist capital - the folksy, fiercely efficient innkeeper to the world.

Street Parade, a large-scale electronic music event with international DJs.

During late August and early September the Theaterspektakel takes place, with circus tents housing avant-garde theater and experimental performances as well as theater troupes from around the world on the lawns by the lake at Mythenquai.

September

Züri Jazz Woche (Jazz Festival) takes the stage in early September.

Knabenschiessen

For information: 01 462 99 55, Fax 01 462 99 65 or

One of Zürich's oldest festivals is the prize-shooting on the Albisgütli for 12 to 17 year old boys and girls. A marksman king or queen is chosen every year. A colorful three day market accompanies the event; the largest of its kind in Switzerland.

November

Expovina, held on boats on the Bürkliplatz, offers samples of international wines, and food.

Fasnacht brings lively musicians and a large, costumed procession.

Late November/early December

Zürich Six Day Race

December

New Year's Eve Race

Arts & Entertainment

Zürich supports a top-rank orchestra, opera company, and theater. Check Zürich News, published weekly in English and German, or "Züri-tipp," a German-language supplement to the Friday edition of the daily newspaper Tages Anzeiger for weekly events throughout the year.

Zurich Opera House

Falkenstrasse 1

01/262-0909.

Opernhaus

Theaterpl.,

01/2686666

is widely recognized and booked well ahead, but single seats can often be had at the last minute. The season is from September through July.

Tonhalle

Claridenstrasse 7

01/2063434

The Zürich Tonhalle Orchestra, which was inaugurated by Brahms in 1895, enjoys international acclaim. There are also solo recitals and chamber programs here. The season runs from September through July; and tickets sell out quickly.

Theater

Schauspielhaus

Rämistr. 34, 01/2655858.

has a long history of cutting-edge performances. During World War II, this was the only German-language theater in Europe that remained independent. Today, its main stage presents German-language works in addition to experimental works produced in the Keller (cellar).

Year Round Organized Tours

Tram (Trolley) Tours

The quickest and most convenient way to get acquainted with Zurich is with a two hour trolley tour through neighborhoods of interest. Riders are given a headset, which provides commentary in seven languages. Between May and October, for a fee per person, there are tours daily at 10am and 2pm. The tour covers the commercial and shopping center and Old Town, and goes along the lakefront for a visit to Fraunmünster or one of the historic guildhalls beside the Limmatquai.

Boat Tours

Full tour and shorter versions are offered

For more information contact the Zürichsee Schiffahrtsgesellschaft by calling 01/487-1333.

To take a lake steamer for a tour around Lake Zurich.: Walk to Bahnhofstrasse's lower end and buy a ticket at the pier anytime from late May to late September. Most of the steamers contain simple restaurant facilities, and all have two or three levels of decks and windows designed for wide-angle views of the Swiss mountains and shoreline.

During the summer, boats depart every thirty minutes.

A full-length, round-trip tour of the lake from Zurich to Rapperswil will require two hours travel each way. Travelers may leave the boat to explore towns en route. Shorter boat rides cover the northern third of the lake with the total trip taking about 90 minutes.

Walking Tours

Meet the tour in the main hall of Zurich’s railway station for a two hour guided walk through the Old Town. Telephone 01/215-4000 for prices and times. Tours are offered in English daily.

Zurich Destination Overview

Zürich is a stunningly beautiful city that circles around the northern end of Zürichsee (Lake Zurich), from which the Limmat River flows, bisecting the city. In the distance, magnificent snow-clad peaks overlook the waters of the lake, and the shores are dotted with stately 19^th century mansions. Its charming Old Town, comprising a substantial part of the city center, is filled with beautifully restored historic buildings and narrow, hilly alleys. The city is crisscrossed by lovely, low bridges. On the left bank are the Altstadt (Old Town); the Hauptbahnhof (the main train station); and Bahnhofplatz, a major urban crossroads and the beginning of the Bahnhofstrasse.

The right bank constitutes the livelier older section, divided into the Oberdorf (Upper Village) and the Niederdorf (Lower Village). Zurich is said to have begun at the Lindenhof, which is where many begin their orientation to the city. This square is the architectural center of historic Zurich. From there, you can look out over the city as it rises on both banks of the Limmat from Bahnhofbrücke (Brücke means bridge) to Quailbrücke Below this square runs Bahnhofstrasse, one of the most elegant and expensive shopping streets in the world Old Town, or Altstadt, was developed during the early medieval period . It expanded to Weinplatz, the oldest market square, and Strehlgasse.

By the 11th century, the city continued its development on the right bank with such centers as Kirchgasse and Neumarkt. State-operated "Heimatwerk" shops present a high-quality selection of 'cottage industry' goods including wooden, hand carved objects and lace . Zürich has a free bicycle rental program. For a small, refundable deposit and your passport, you can borrow a bike. More than 300 bikes are available.

The most central pickup points are at Platform 18 of the Hauptbahnhof, the Globus department store on the Bahnhofstrasse, and at Theaterplatz/Stadelhofen. Bikes are available from the train station year-round; the other locations distribute bikes May through October. A great place to bike is the path along the river starting at the Hauptbahnhof and running along the left bank of the Limmat, downriver. Zürich's tram service, VBZ-Züri-Linie, is rapid and on time. It runs from 5:30 AM to midnight, every six minutes at peak hours, every 12 minutes at other times.

All-day passes can be purchased at the stops that post maps and sell one-ride tickets. Free route plans are available from VBZ offices, located at major crossroads. Switzerland is rich in natural attractions, which seems to make it a 'natural' for families with children. Exploring the mountains and lakes provides endless hours of enjoyment. Getting around is likely to be as much an attraction as the destination.

The train, bus, boat and mountain transport infrastructure are usually very attractive to children. They'll find steam trains and steam ships, and mountain lifts of all sorts: large cable cars, four person cable cars as in Disneyland, chairlifts, and many ancient funiculars. Zürich is a central point allowing one-day excursions almost anywhere in the country. Luzern and Bern are only 75 minutes away. The Rhein, the medieval village of Stein, and the Rhein Falls are also close.

Swiss cooking deserves its reputation of being delicious, clean and wholesome. The Swiss National Dish is Rösti: a sort of Swiss-style hash browned potatoes, which cannot be imagined until they have been tasted. There are many regional variations on Rösti (with eggs, cheese, bacon, onion, etc.), especially in the mountains. One of the most popular excursions out of Zürich starts with a train ride to Uetliberg. From there, there is a panoramic two-hour Planetary Path (Planetenweg) running along the mountain ridge overlooking the lake to Felsenegg.

En route you pass models of some of the planets in the solar system: These and the distances between them are on a scale of one to 1000 million. Along the shores of Lake Zürich, concrete walkways give way to trees and lawns in the Arboretum on the west bank, making the area perfect for strolling. Designated areas for outdoor swimming and sunbathing are open May to September. Well-known spots are Utoquai on the east shore of the lake and Mythenquai on the west shore. There are also various free swimming spots, such as the one just north of the confluence of the Sihl and Limmat Rivers.

A day in the Jungfrau region is easily arranged through tour services in Zurich. It is an incredible experience. Travelers are given a range of choices as to stops and activities. One option is to buy a Jungfrau pass and plane to spread the experience over several days. That allows time to stop for an afternoon in the alpine village of Grindalwald and just relax and revel in the beauty of the mountains and the quiet beauty of the village.

A second day can be spent taking the tour of the glacier farther up the mountain. Both are experiences to be savored and enjoyed at a relaxed pace. Switzerland's largest city is surely among the most beautiful in all of Europe. Even today, Zurich retains much of its 19th-century charm. Zurich is also considered to be one of the best shopping destinations in the world.

The city is both large enough to offer all amenities to its visitors and small enough to make the visitor feel at home.