This hands-on university museum reveals the treasures of the earth, explaining what makes volcanoes erupt, where gems come from and what fossils tell us about the origins of life. It even has its own earthquake simulator.
Focus Terra
Zürich
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
20.91 MILES
Ensnared in wispy spray, the thunderous Rheinfall might not give Niagara much competition in height (23m), width (150m) or even flow of water (700 cu…
25.25 MILES
You haven’t really been to Lucerne until you have strolled the creaky 14th-century Kapellbrücke, spanning the Reuss River in the Old Town. The octagonal…
22.28 MILES
Completed in 1103, Schaffhausen’s cathedral is a rare, largely intact specimen of the Romanesque style in Switzerland. It opens to a beautifully simple…
0.67 MILES
This 13th-century church is renowned for its stunning stained-glass windows, designed by the Russian-Jewish master Marc Chagall (1887–1985), who executed…
19.87 MILES
Follow the crowds flowing towards this baroque edifice, the 18th-century handiwork of Caspar Moosbrugger. The interior dances with colourful frescoes,…
22.42 MILES
Steps lead up through terraced vineyards to this fine specimen of a 16th-century fortress. The unusual circular battlements were built with forced labour…
0.58 MILES
Zürich’s impressive fine-arts gallery boasts a rich collection of largely European art. It stretches from the Middle Ages through a mix of Old Masters to…
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25.36 MILES
Lucerne’s blockbuster cultural attraction is the Sammlung Rosengart, occupying a graceful neoclassical pile in the heart of town. It showcases the…
Nearby Zürich attractions
0.15 MILES
Moulages are 3D, naturalistic recreations of body parts and the skin alterations that various diseases can evoke. They were used in the 19th century to…
0.23 MILES
Dinosaur skeletons, giant mammoths, sloths – the hands-on Zoological Museum of the University of Zürich is home to 1500 stuffed animals, with interactive…
0.24 MILES
Discover ancient history at the University of Zürich's archaeological collection. The extensive collection of both original pieces and plaster casts is…
0.3 MILES
On the Limmat River’s east bank, the winding cobbled streets of Niederdorf are crammed with restaurants, bars, galleries, bookshops and craft shops…
5. Schweizerisches Landesmuseum
0.35 MILES
Inside a purpose-built cross between a mansion and a castle sprawls this eclectic and imaginatively presented museum. The permanent collection offers an…
0.39 MILES
An appealing little park where the Limmat and Sihl Rivers come together, just north of the train station and Landesmuseum. James Joyce was fond of this…
0.47 MILES
Spectacular views across the Limmat to the Grossmünster can be enjoyed from a tree-shaded hilltop park, smack in the heart of the Old Town. Bring a picnic…
0.5 MILES
Birthplace of the zany Dada art movement, this art space has come back to life as a hotbed of contentious art exhibitions and socially critical artistic…