Zurich Flights And Sights

Self-confident and prosperous, Zürich is the blueprint of Swiss perfection with its banking muscle, Alpine backdrop and love of good living. Blessed with pure air, the dazzling Lake Zürich and a walkable Altstadt district full of fine boutiques and restaurants, it's little wonder the locals look so pleased. But where is the urban edge? You need only delve into Dada at Cabaret Voltaire, enjoy a literary pint at the James Joyce Pub or buy a funky Freitag bag to realize that behind its super-slick facade, Zürich inspires and innovates.

Things to Do

See the first rays illuminate Marc Chagall's exquisite stained-glass windows at the medieval Fraumünster church, rising gracefully above the Limmat River. You'll find standouts by Monet and a peerless Alberto Giacometti collection at the Kunsthaus, while Cabaret Voltaire, birthplace of the WWI Dada movement, gives insight into the rebellious Swiss psyche. With the Alps on the horizon and a crystal-clear lake for summertime recreation, Zürich is an outdoorsy place. Head up to Uetliberg peak for expansive city views and scenic hiking trails.

Shopping

Trams rumble past stately 19th-century department stores and boutiques on Bahnhofstrasse boulevard, where luxury lovers shop for Tiffany diamonds, Swiss-made Beyer watches and the latest Louis Vuitton. An affordable indulgence is a gift-wrapped box of Confiserie Sprüngli's chocolate truffles and feather-light macaroons, Zürich's best since 1836. The Limmat River flows swiftly past Schipfe, where you'll find one-off crafts in quaint workshops and galleries. In Züri West, the flagship Freitag store stocks its entire range of the hippest messenger bags.

Nightlife and Entertainment

Down by the river, the Altstadt's historic lanes attract a lively crowd with a mix of pubs, jazz bars and pavement cafés. Guinness comes with poetry at the mahogany bar in the James Joyce Pub, featuring the original Victorian interior of Jury's of Dublin mentioned in Ulysses. Champagne cocktails in the sublimely Art Nouveau Café Odeon are the perfect prelude to concerts at the neo-classical Opera House. Züri West's hip lounge bars and high-octane clubs provide late-night partying.

Restaurants and Dining

Foodies revere the menus that read like culinary poetry at Zürich's smart lakefront restaurants; book weeks ahead for the Michelin-starred Petermann's Kunststuben. For a flavor of the Alps, take comfort in gooey cheese fondue and crisp rösti potatoes at an Altstadt wood-paneled tavern. The scene is more diverse in Züri West, where diners tuck into good-value Turkish kebabs, authentic curries and Italian food.

With convenient American Airlines flights to Zurich, you can experience a carefree and blissful vacation in Switzerland. This fairy tale-like city is full of delights just waiting to be discovered. Here are a few of our favorite things to do in Zurich to get you started daydreaming.

One of the most memorable activities in Zurich is certainly a tour of the city's simply stunning museums. Can you believe Zurich is home to more than 50 museums? Over a dozen of them are dedicated exclusively to art. Our pick for the best of the best has to be the Kunsthaus Zurich, which houses a collection of fine art that will take your breath away. It covers all the significant periods of European art, starting from the Middle Ages. The Rietberg Museum is another of our favorites, where you'll find one of the best collections of non-European art in the world. The Swiss National Museum is in a century-old building that will have you thinking you've stepped into a castle -- one with an impressive collection of Swiss cultural exhibits and artifacts.

Once you've seen a few museums, it might be time to shop along the Bahnhofstrasse. This mile-long street features designer boutiques and street cafes, where you can sip a hot chocolate and watch the passersby. And if you like this slower pace, you might add a stroll through Old Town to your list of must-do activities in Zurich. There you'll find art galleries, antique shops. Linger into the evening and the area becomes a center for entertainment.

For the young and the young at heart, one of the top things to do in Zurich is visiting the Zurich Zoo. You'll find a show-stopping ecosystem exhibit where you can see flora and fauna from the Madagascan Masoala Rainforest.

Of course, no trip here is complete without a proper viewing of the Swiss Alps. One of our favorite ways to do that is with a Mount Titlis Day Tour. It's a guided coach tour that goes over Albis Pass and along the shore of the Lake of Four Canons before arriving in Lucerne. Then it's on to Engelberg, where you will take a rotating cable car ride to the summit of Mount Titlis. You won't soon forget the view.

Flying to Zurich with American Airlines and enjoying the trip of a lifetime is easy. The beauty of Zurich, Switzerland, is itself something to behold -- and when you add all that you can see and do here as well, you truly might feel as if you are in a fairy tale.