THE INSIDE STORY

Sure, you know about the chocolate, cheese and million-dollar timepieces, but to really get to know Zurich, you need a long-time resident to share their lesser-known favourite attractions

- By Mitchell Anderson

Zurich is a microcosm of Switzerland: the national identity of quality, discretion and precision lays itself across medieval streets that open onto a pristine lake backdropped by the cascading Alps.

As one of the birthplaces of the Reformation, when some Christians rejected spiritually and physically the decadence of Catholicism, the streetscape is on the less decorative side among major European cities; and its renown as the financial centre of Switzerland, and maybe the world, might lead the casual visitor to assume that it's simply a dull banker bunker.

But while lunchtime at Paradeplatz—the central square where the equivalents of New York's Wall Street, Times Square and Fifth Avenue meet—is flooded by a sea of blue suits, underneath the veneer of gold bars, watches and melted cheese is a bustling system of creative collaboration that spans and interconnects the small city centre.

Zurich's central setting—Paris and Milan are easy couple-of-hour trips away and even Berlin and Vienna feel close, with their direct connections—means inhabitants from across Europe are constantly comingling here. Many creatives split their time between one of these larger cities and the Swiss metropolis, bringing a constant influx of new people and ideas.

Here's how to enjoy the city like a very cool local.

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Kunsthalle Zurich

Kunsthalle Zurich exhibits contemporary art across two floors of a renovated former brewery. Last year, it welcomed its new director, Fanny Hauser, a young Viennese curator with regional experience, as well as formerly working at the Swiss Gebert Foundation for Culture. This year, the exhibition space celebrates its 40th anniversary; with Hauser in place, we look forward to an unexpected multigenerational and international programme.