Zany Zurich:  Ch ch changes, as David Bowie sings, are happenin’ to Switzerland’s largest city.  When Swiss International Air Lines sponsored a contest for the best idea promoting the non-stop flight from San Francisco to Zurich, the judges picked a whacky winning idea: painting the plane to resemble a love bus from the 1960¹s in bright colors and a motif straight out of a set from the old Laugh-In TV show.

Zurich is dawning on a new Age of Aquarius. Still popular with bankers, collectors who seek out hand-made crafts, and preppies seeking pastel ties with socks to match, now it’s also on the radar for techies who heard about the hot city from Google employees, a major reason Swiss International Air Lines decided to expand service, (and flights are booked through July!).

In the 90¹s, Zurich started shaking things up, according to Zurich Tourism guide Sanda Claus who was with us Saturday for a tour of downtown, old town, and the new Zurich West.

Formerly only Swiss restaurants were allowed and now ethnic fare competes with old-fashioned dishes. The resistance to change makes sense since Zurich has been ahead in culinary time. It’s home to Hiltl, the oldest vegetarian restaurant in Europe and Blinde Kuh, the first restaurant run by blind people in total darkness. Movie stars flock to Kronenhalle where they feel at home beneath priceless masterpieces. Rumor has it starving artists like Picasso traded their paintings for meals.

Art afficiandos will be disappointed they don’t have more time to spend perusing the galleries along the Raemistrasse “art mile.”  Picassi's first museum retrospective, curated by the artist himself, occurred in Zurich in 1932.  Starting this October during the Kunsthaus museum's centenary year, they'll pay homage to him in that remarkable show with 60 of the  major works chosen by Picasso in the 1930's.  In a few weeks Zurich is showcasing the famous Basel art show by displaying some key pieces in the Baur Au Lac Palace hotel gardens, including a nude woman atop a lifesaver roll created by San Francisco Bay Area artist Mel Ramos.

Overwhelmed? Get the lay of the land by cruising the lake on a boat that glides by the homes of stars like
Tina Turner. To save money, get a Zurich card.  The pass covers all transportation, rail, bus, even boat rides, museums, and you never have to fumble for change; just flash the card and you’re good to go.

You’ll find art, emerging fashion designers in the new warehouse district (more on Zurich-West next post), and diversity in today’s Zurich. What you won¹t find are tacky tourist traps along Lake Zurich, people hassling you on the street, or schlock shops. Few cities can resist the allure of quick money by setting up money pits, but so far Zurich has maintained its class. Seems Zurich is not so zany after all.

For more insights on Switzerland, check out www.myswitzerland.com.  For more on Zurich, check out www.zuerich.com.  The International Travel Insights Examiner page has lots of articles on Switzerland and Zurich, so check it out at this link and to stay in the loop, click the 'subscribe' button.  Video #1 is from CityguideTV off Youtube for Zurich Tourism, video #2 is Talkintravel teams Rich and Ruth Carlson walking through the streets of Zurich.  This article was written by Ruth Carlson and used with her permission.