It’s Christmas market time again and the annual excuse for a short, seasonal getaway. All the European favourites await: Dansk; Lübeck; Brussels and more. Last year, however, revisiting Zürich reminded us what a delightful seasonal destination this Swiss lakeside city is.

Though we arrived by rail, easyJet’s new Bristol-Zürich service has just created more choice. Added to the existing Edelweiss Air and SWISS flights, and Birmingham departures, it’s even easier to reach Switzerland’s biggest city from Gloucestershire.

Fairytale good cheer

Early winter had just dumped its first heavy snow as our train glided into Zürich from Milan one chilly late-afternoon. Even before leaving the station concourse, its Christkindlimarkt welcomed us with a towering Christmas tree, steaming Glühwein, Flammkuchen and fairytale good cheer that set us up for the evening ahead.

Swiss-German comedian Lorenz Keiser once joked about snow in ‘Züri’ meaning only a scattering of slushy ‘Pflotsch’. However, our experience that Friday took the form of the luxurious, fluffy snowflakes descending on Zürich’s blue and white trams as we walked down Löwenstrasse to the excellent ‘tech-integrated, design-led’ CitizenM hotel.

Checked in, we – literally – made tracks for the Quaibrücke where the River Limmat enters Zürich’s lake. With darkness falling, the lights of rush hour traffic flaring on wet streets complemented the snow and seasonal illuminations for a romantic fairytale mood.

The Zürichsee was choppy and steel-grey under clouds pregnant with snow. Its bleak hue contrasted with the warmth, music and Christmas lights welcoming us to the Zürcher Wienachtsdorf – just one of the city’s enchanting Christmas markets.
As we explored, the lakeside Sechseläutenplatz in front of Zürich’s impressive opera house pulsed with festive music, the aroma of roasting ‘Marroni’, fresh-fried ‘Röschti’, more light-bedecked Christmas trees, and all manner of festive treats.

A stunning free show

Later, circling back to our hotel past Zürich’s renowned Grossmünster and Fraumünster churches, we experienced the city’s glittering seasonal centrepiece. Bahnhofstrasse prices may be eye-watering, but its stunning Advent light show is free. Zürich named its ‘Lucy’ Christmas lights after the Beatles’ song ‘Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds’. They comprise some 11,150 shimmering crystals and 23,100 tiny LEDs suspended above the exclusive shopping street from the main station to the lake and they’re magnificent. Don’t miss them when you visit!

Zürich may not be an obvious pre-Christmas destination and can be unashamedly pricey. But, as with so much that’s Swiss, quality comes as standard. Our wintry stroll was breathtaking! Take in this sparkling Advent show and we’re sure you’ll feel the festive magic too!