Walking Tour of Zurich

We took a stroll along the Limmat River, enjoying the views of the city and the mountains in the distance. Zurich has such a rich history, being the largest city in Switzerland and a major financial hub. We passed by some beautiful churches, like the Fraumünster with its stunning stained-glass windows by Marc Chagall, and the Grossmünster, which dates back to the 12th century and played a big role in the Protestant Reformation.

It happened to be the weekend of a festival in Zurich so there were lots of fun people in costumes as we wound our way up from the waterfront to a great lookout at the top of the hill off in the distance we could see the Alps alongside the church towers.

The streets were full of cool shops and cozy cafés, and we had a chance to pop in and check them out in our walk.

This means “Flowers are the smile of the earth”

After stopping at top we gave our kids some free time to explore the area and local shops. Zurich is also known for its vibrant arts scene, and our kids also took some great photos with a beautiful backdrop. 

The richest street in the world Bahnhofstrasse) is in Zurich and we found plenty of high end shops!

Back to waterfront and our bus, then time to head toward the hotel for check in and dinner!

Swiss Scenic Waterfront

After our chocolate fun, we made our way by bus past Lake Zurich, where the views of the water and the snow-capped Alps were absolutely gorgeous. Lots of people were out enjoying the sun in watercraft, running, or just relaxing.

Bus 1 and Bus 2 along the waterfront in Zurich before our walking tour. 

Bus 1 and Bus 2 will split up and have a walking tour of the old town next!

Lindt Chocolate Factory Tour

We started the trip with a visit to the Lindt Chocolate Factory and Museum today! The students got to see how chocolate is made, from start to finish, and even got to try some fresh chocolate right off the line in both liquid and bar forms. The kids had free run of the museum, shop, and cafe and they enjoyed their first “taste” of free time. 

The museum had lots of fun and interesting displays, including the history of chocolate in Switzerland, which has been a top chocolate producer since the 19th century. We learned that Swiss chocolate is known for its smooth texture, thanks to a unique process called “conching,” which Lindt perfected.

By far the best part was the large tasting room. There were samples of white, dark and milk chocolate that we could eat by the spoonful, and then machines full of bars filled with different flavors and add-ons that dropped into your waiting hand.

Fun fact: Lindt’s famous “Lindor” truffles were created in 1949 and are now a favorite worldwide! We also found out that Lindt uses only the finest cocoa beans, carefully sourced from around the world, and that they’re committed to sustainable farming practices. At the end of the museum we got a free sample of many of the truffle flavors available before heading into the shop.

Of course, the best part was the chocolate tasting but we had a great time shopping as well—so many yummy options to choose from! It was a sweet way to kick off our adventure!

We ended the tour with some time in the sun to breathe in that fresh Swiss air!

Bus 1 and Bus 2 reunited by chocolate!