Because Zürich, Switzerland’s largest city, is well known as the country’s economic and cultural hub and one of Europe’s main financial and industrial capitals, it’s easy to forget that it’s also a delightful and fascinating place for tourists. Its many attractions include dozens of museums, a well-preserved old town filled with medieval and Renaissance buildings, and enough art – both in and out of museums – to keep art-lovers happy for a week. Zurich’s tradition of liberal thinking and active intellectual life attracted leading figures that included Georg Büchner, Vladimir Lenin, James Joyce, C. G. Jung, and Thomas Mann, and this tradition continues into modern times. Although it buzzes with business activity, Zürich is one of the finest Swiss towns to visit and is perfectly arranged for sightseeing on foot. Culturally vibrant, efficiently run and attractively set at the meeting of river and lake, Zürich is regularly recognised as one of the world’s most liveable cities. Long known as a savvy, hard-working financial centre, Switzerland’s largest and wealthiest metropolis has also emerged in the 21st century as one of Central Europe’s hippest destinations, with an artsy, post-industrial edge that is epitomised in its exuberant summer Street Parade.

Much of the ancient centre, with its winding lanes and tall church steeples, has been kept lovingly intact. Yet Zürich has also wholeheartedly embraced contemporary trends, with the conversion of old factories into cultural centres and creative new living spaces. Nowhere is that clearer than in Züri-West, the epicentre of the city’s nightlife.