Zürich's Banhofstrasse
Switzerland's largest city is also one of the
world's financial capitals, and the so-called "gnomes of Zürich" are a good
deal wealthier than your garden-va pixie or leprechaun. So it shouldn't be surprising that
the Swiss version of Fifth Avenue is home not only to many of Switzerland's finest stores,
but also to some of its largest banks.
The Bahnhofstrasse begins at Zurich's Hauptbahnhof, or main railway station. Instead
of trying to cross the Banhofplatz--which a veritable minefield of trams, especially at
rush hour--take the station escalator downstairs to Shopville, an underground
shopping mall, then return to ground level on the Banhnhofstrasse side of the square.
As you walk down the Bahnhofstrasse, you're bound to be impressed by the street's human
scale. The buildings are mostly four and five stories high, and many have 19th Century
façades. Trees line the sidewalks, electric trams glide quietly along the car-free
traffic lanes, and--during warm weather--many of the storefronts are open to the street,
creating the nearest thing to a Mediterranean atmosphere that you're likely to find in
German-speaking Switzerland.
Shopping, Recreation, Web links
Continued on page 2
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