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Zuerich Christmas shopping extravaganza
Bahnhofstrasse
In Zuerich, the locals refer to shopping as ladele
"Zürich Main Station accommodates the largest covered Christmas market in Europe"
"Lädele" means exploring the multi-faceted quarters of the ‘city of the short routes’, from the cosy ambiance of the Old Town, to the bustling Bahnhofstrasse shopping mile and the trendy urban districts.
The Bahnhofstrasse has contributed largely to Zürich’s reputation as a shopping El Dorado. Extending almost a mile from Zürich’s main station to the lake, it is home to large department stores and boutiques, which sell predominantly international fashion labels, accessories, jewellery and watches.
The further you follow the Bahnhofstrasse towards the lake, the more exclusive the boutiques and the more seductive the window displays become. Here, even on a Sunday, when all the stores are closed, passers-by can’t resist succumbing to a bit of window-shopping.
Right now thousands of fairy lights are casting a spell over Zürich’s Old Town. The enticing aroma of Glühwein (mulled wine) fills the narrow streets. People at market stalls are sampling Züri-Tirggel, Zürich’s traditional spiced honey cookies.
It’s Christmas time in Zürich. Zürich’s Christmas markets are a real source of inspiration for gifts. The shops offer a vast array of retail treats. Zürich Tourism tour guides accompany guests on traditional Christmas tours of the romantic Old Town, regaling them with exciting Advent tales.
Zürich Main Station accommodates the largest covered Christmas market in Europe. This modern Christmas market features over 160 decorated market stalls – a great source of inspiration for gifts.
Five minutes’ walk from Zürich Main Station, one can stroll through the City’s oldest Christmas market against the unique backdrop of Zürich’s Old Town. Here, artisans and market traders from around the world offer their goods for sale.
The City Weihnachtsmarkt (Christmas market) in the pedestrian zone close to Bahnhofstrasse is a wonderful place to linger. It offers Christmas gifts, toys, scents, festive Christmas specialties and trendy fashion accessories.
Zürich offers an impressive range of shops, offering everything from watches and jewellery on Bahnhofstrasse to antiques in the Schipfe artisan quarter. You can find trendy and traditional outlets in Niederdorf Old Town, and sophisticated Zürich labels in Zürich-West and Aussersihl.
City shops extend their opening hours during Advent, opening their doors to Christmas shoppers on some Sundays in December. Numerous Zürich shops start their sales straight after Christmas.
Looking for typical Zürich labels? Kreis 4 and Kreis 5, former working-class and industrial quarters, are abounding in creativity. The area around the Museum of Design and the red-light district has taken on a multicultural character.
Here, creative ideas are put into practice swiftly and effectively, and are received with open-minded interest.
Examples are the master of fashion design, Ida Gut; the silk king, Andy Stutz; or the recycled freeway bag producers, the Freitag Brothers. Their legendary Freitag handbags are on sale in a tower. Comprising seventeen rusty freight containers piled up on top of each other, it houses 1,600 bags, the largest selection of individual recycled freeway bags in the world.
Zürich offers shopping fun to suit all purses. Whether fashion, art, designer items, souvenirs or exquisite delicatessen products, there’s nothing that you can’t find in Zürich.
This town is where trends are set.
For more information on Zürich, visit www.zuerich.com or call 0041 215 40 04
Check out other resorts in Switzerland on www.myswitzerland.com/gaylesbian or call international free-phone number 00800 100 200 30
