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Tourist Places of Zurich |
Grossmunster
The twin towers of this attractive cathedral (the largest in Zurich and the city’s symbol) face onto the River Limmat and are best seen from Rathausbrücke. Originally endowed by Charlemagne, parts of this minster date back to the 11th and 13th centuries, notably the Crypt, which is the largest of its kind in Switzerland. Recent archaeological discoveries suggest the existence of a Roman cemetery underneath the church. There are remains of a Romanesque cloister, 12th-century statuary and stained glass in the choir by Augusto Giacometti (Alberto’s cousin). The Karlstrum tower has 187 steps; there is no lift.
Fraumunster
Although this beautiful church dates from the ninth century (when it was a Benedictine abbey), it is often the five 20th-century stained-glass windows in the choir by Marc Chagall (1970) that attract visitors. These glass works of art are best seen in the morning light. The church itself was begun in the 12th century, although the undercroft contains the original abbey crypt. The Fraumünster spire is an elegant and notable landmark dating from 1732. The rest of the church is predominantly Gothic, although the choir is Romanesque. The site was originally endowed by Charlemagne’s grandson, the German king Ludwig, in 853 and later became the church of the Zurich noblewomen’s convent. The stained glass windows in the north transept are by Alberto Giacometti’s cousin, Augusto.
Kunsthaus Zurich (Zurich Art Gallery)
 This is the city’s most important art gallery, boasting a collection of paintings and sculptures by Swiss and international masters, covering most periods from medieval times but predominately from the 19th and 20th centuries. Two of Monet’s Water Lilies paintings and the largest collection of Eduard Munch’s works outside Norway can be found here, as well as many works by Füssli and Hodler and important works by Expressionists like Kokoschka, Bechmann and Corinth. There are also good collections of photography, the Dadaists and Alberto Giacometti, as well as an important library. Tours are available in English if reserved beforehand. The gallery is currently being renovated, and is due to reopen in 2005.
Schweizerisches Landesmuseum (Swiss National Museum)
 The Swiss National Museum lies on a landscaped triangle between the Hauptbahnhof and the Limmat and Sihl rivers, and has fulfilled the role of the nation’s attic for over a century. Special exhibits in this castle-like museum supplement the permanent display of items related to Switzerland and Swiss culture. These include not only paintings and sculpture but also weapons, flags, watches, clocks, tools, toys and prehistoric objects.
Zunfthaus zur Meisen (‘zur Meisen’ Guild Hall)
 The ‘zur Meisen’ Guild Hall, opposite the Fraumünster, has exhibits of 18th-century Swiss pottery and china. The elegant Rococo galleries are an appropriate setting for the beautifully decorated porcelain figurines that were produced in Kilchberg-Schooren, Zurich and other porcelain and pottery factories. The building itself, built in 1757, expresses a Baroque aesthetic and is considered to be the most beautiful of all the Zürich guild houses.
Museum Rietberg
The collection of the Rietberg Museum of Non-European Art is housed within three buildings. Two of these, dating from the 1850s, are set within the Rieterpark. The Villa Wesendonck has special exhibitions in addition to its collection of Indian, Chinese and African art (the core of which is the sculpture collection donated by Baron Eduard von der Heydt), while the Park-Villa Rieter has paintings from China, Japan and India. The third building, Haus zum Kiel, Hirschengraben 20, has rotating exhibitions. There are occasional world music concerts in the Park-Villa Rieter.
Migros Museum für Gegenwartskunst (Museum of Contemporary Art)
Devoted to collecting and exhibiting contemporary art, especially from the 1990s, the Museum of Contemporary Art features a core collection of works of the Migros Co-operative Society in the open-concept exhibition space. These create a dialog with the rotating exhibitions and special installations. There are both solo and group exhibitions.
MBotanischer Garten
Zurich’s Botanical Gardens make for a wonderful place to get away from it all. Inside are over a million plants that comprise the university’s botanical collection, representing a number of different ecosystems from tropical rainforests to alpine meadow flowers.
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