Bahnhofstrasse (Zürich)

Bahnhofstrasse is Zürich's best-known street, a straight run of about 1.4 kilometres from the main railway station down to Bürkliplatz on the lake. It was laid out in the 1860s along the line of the old town moat, which had been filled in, and the name simply records where it leads. Trams run along it, and the pavements are wide, so the street works as a promenade as much as a traffic route.

What sets it apart is the density of watchmakers, jewellers and fashion houses. Along the way you pass Bucherer, Rolex, Bulgari, Christ and Gübelin, the Beyer Watches & Jewellery shop, and the department store Globus, among many other brands. Beneath the Beyer shop is the Beyer Clock and Watch Museum, one of the more rewarding stops if you are curious how timekeeping developed. The street is also strongly associated with Swiss banking, and several of the major banks have their offices around Paradeplatz, the busy tram junction roughly halfway along. The confectioner Sprüngli has its flagship shop on that square, a good place to try the city's chocolates and the Luxemburgerli macarons it is known for.

Walking from the station, the first stretch is the busiest, with commuters and shoppers heading in from the platforms. The middle section around Paradeplatz is the most formal. Toward the lake the street opens up, the shops thin out a little, and you reach Bürkliplatz, where excursion boats leave for trips on Lake Zürich and a lakeside promenade begins. Side streets lead to the places that give the street its context. Lindenhof, a small hilltop square with views over the Limmat and the old town, is a few minutes away, as are Fraumünster, Grossmünster and St. Peter's church in the old centre, and Kunsthaus Zürich is a short tram ride or walk from the upper end.

Bahnhofstrasse is a free outing and needs no planning. Shops keep their own hours, and they usually close on Sundays, when the street is much quieter and best for an unhurried stroll. In late autumn and the weeks before Christmas the street is decorated with lights and draws large crowds, while in summer cafés and benches fill with people on lunch breaks.

It suits first-time visitors who want a quick orientation, window-shoppers, watch enthusiasts and anyone using it as a link between the station and the lake. You do not have to buy anything to enjoy it: the architecture of the old commercial buildings, the shopfronts and the people-watching are reason enough. Allow thirty to forty minutes for the walk end to end, longer if you stop at the museum or a café, and consider walking it from the lake toward the station for a downhill-free view back at the city's skyline and the Üetliberg ridge beyond.