Week 480 · Land & Sea & Air Tour · Old Town · ETH Zürich · Sechseläuten
I had a work trip to visit some partners in Europe and had some time in Baden Switzerland and Erlangen Germany. I flew into Zurich on a Sunday morning and booked a "land/sea/air" tour — I didn't realise that the land was about 10 miles of walking.
I had been in London the prior week, so took an early flight and landed in Zurich about 8am, took the train into town and locked my luggage away at the train station. Met up with a group — cold and rainy but the tour was on. I had never really been to Zurich — we connected through in 1992 and I had a meeting at the airport on a 2001 layover but never been in town. We had a good guide who shared a lot of history and a group which was about half American and half other English-speaking countries. Our guide estimated we would finish early because we'd be moving quicker in the rain — but we had a very pro-active questioner in the group (an "American") and by the time we finished the guide said it was his longest tour ever.
We then walked down the hill and back across the river to the old town. The guide shared the background of the fountains — built by the Romans and still used by people for drinking water. Good story on how all of the clocks were synchronised — the main clock used a sundial and rang every 15 minutes and the other clocks would closely follow. Another interesting fact — there is enough bomb shelter space for everyone in Switzerland and he showed us many bomb doors.
Our guide spent time explaining the government of Switzerland, the neutrality, and the secrecy in the banking system and how they are linked together and are the key to the wealth of the country. The prime minister has little power and secrecy has drawn people to deposit in Switzerland — and the neutrality keeps it "honest" as all countries have an interest in Switzerland maintaining the secrecy in financing.
Switzerland has maintained political neutrality since the Congress of Vienna in 1815 — making it one of the longest-standing neutral nations in modern history. Swiss bank secrecy was formalised in the Federal Banking Act of 1934, originally to protect German Jewish clients from Nazi asset seizure. At its peak, Swiss banks managed an estimated one-third of all privately held offshore wealth globally. The country has enough nuclear fallout shelter space to accommodate its entire population — a legal requirement since 1963, with shelters built into apartment blocks, schools, and hospitals. ETH Zürich (Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule) has produced 22 Nobel laureates, including Albert Einstein, who studied there. The Sechseläuten spring festival — the parade with no one watching — dates to the 16th century and marks the symbolic end of winter by burning a snowman effigy called the "Böögg."
It was the first day of a two-day holiday — only for Zurich. So there was a parade where floats, bands, and horses were coming from every direction. Sadly, no one there to watch them.
Finished off the day with "sea" and "air" — great idea but not today. The boat ride was nice to sit down and eat — the boat took us across the lake. We then took two buses to a cable car to a great viewpoint. At least on a sunny day.
"We had a very pro-active questioner in the group — an 'American.' By the time we finished the guide said it was his longest tour ever."