All posts filed under: switzerland

Alternative Zurich

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The Fraumünster Church is an icon of the city which dominates the skyline and features stained-glass windows designed by Marc Chagall.  The presentation is gorgeous and similar to the Chagall windows at the Art Institute of Chicago, but at the church there is absolutely no photography allowed.  We payed a quick visit here during our stay in Zurich and left after wandering around the dark and somber church for a few minutes.  We had no idea that we would be returning the following evening when the space would be transformed into a shining performance space by art collective Baushtellë and be confronted by a program of thought-provoking contemporary work. Members of Baushtellë from Prishtinë, Beograd and Zürich participated in the complete transformation of the Fraumünster Church.  I love what they did with the space… coincidentally it was my first time seeing an artist perform semi-nude inside a church.  And this time, photography was encouraged! At the heart of this collective is an exploration of a system of beliefs, so I found it very appropriate that the exhibition was held …

How to Visit Switzerland Without Going Completely Broke

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Switzerland has a big reputation, and rightly so if you’re into stunningly beautiful landscapes and picturesque snow-capped Alpine mountain ranges.  After arriving in Zurich we subsequently discovered that we had unwittingly plopped ourselves down into the middle of one of the most expensive places in the world to visit.  I quickly realized that there needs to be another element added to that big reputation: the price tag. Our decision to visit Switzerland was a rash and impulsive one, and I remember my thought process being something like yeah, I’m into mountains, I’m into trains, I’m going there!  Needless to say, the bank account is still recovering from these delusional ravings.  I’ve decided to supplement the typical “Check Out How Beautiful Switzerland Is” post (which we shamelessly did right here) with something more practical for traveling on a budget.  These are our tips for visiting Zurich without breaking the bank. Plan ahead.  We had taken a bus to Zurich from Germany, where affordable prices for just about everything are perfect for budget backpackers like ourselves.  Imagine my dismay upon …

Zurich in Living Color

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As a leading financial center and renowned global city, Zurich lives up to it’s well-earned hype.  It is widely regarded as one of the best places in the world to live (commonly ranking first in quality-of-life indexes), and it is an esteemed hub for business as well as the arts (one of Christopher’s best friends owned an art gallery there for years).  This was our first opportunity to visit Switzerland, so we made a spontaneous decision and took a bus into Zurich for a few days to see what all the fuss was about. We quickly learned that Zurich’s vibrant old town is surrounded by a stunningly beautiful natural landscape, and surprises awaited us around every corner. ^^^Swans everywhere!  This elegant pair are part of a much larger population that calls Lake Zürich home. ^^^We spent an afternoon lounging in the sun at the one of Zurich’s waterfront parks.