Zurich-Heart of Europe

Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and canton of Zurich. It is also known as “Cultural Capital of Switzerland. Zurich and can be counted as one of the world's pre-eminent global cities. According to some recent surveys Zurich was named the city with the best quality of life in the world as well as the wealthiest city in Europe. The official language used by the government and in most publications is German, while the most commonly spoken dialect in Zurich. The city of Zurich lies in the heart of Europe and at the center of Switzerland, on the northern shores of Lake Zurich. Its multicultural flair and the variety of leisure activities on offer attract guests from all over the world to this “region of short routes”. Zurich is quick and easy to reach, whether by train, plane or private vehicle. Its international airport has direct connections with over 150 destinations. Just a 10-minute train ride from the airport and situated right in the city center, Zurich’s Main Railway Station is regarded as a central European railroad hub. A total of 370,000 people live in this experience, science and business center. Thanks to its top-quality infrastructure set amidst natural surroundings, it is a popular place for study and research. For example, at Zurich University or the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH); built in 1855 by Gottfried Semper, the ETH Zurich is today associated with 21 Nobel prizewinners. Some 150 years ago, part of the city’s fortifications was transformed into what is now arguably the most famous “Station Road” in the world, the Bahnhofstrasse. Zurich’s shopping mile has contributed largely to the city's reputation as an El Dorado for shoppers and is a top address for international fashion labels, jewelry and watches. However, it is just one of the places where you can find urban Zurich labels; whether in Zurich-West or in the Aussersihl quarter, you often come across local brands where you least expect them. They inspire the fashion-conscious a sensation far beyond Switzerland's borders – as has, for example, the cult label Freitag, with its unique style of bags and accessories.Zurich boasts the highest density of clubs in Switzerland – here, you can never turn up too late. From a house music party in the legendary Kaufleuten to Greatest Hits from the Eighties at the oldest club in the city, the Mascotte, to a gay event at the Labor Bar – parties really get going after 11.00 pm and continue into the wee hours of the morning. Here, there are no official closing times. In summer, nightlife can be found not only in the clubs, but also outside in the open air; the venues where visitors bathe and relax during the day are ideal places to flirt and dance at night.Also for lovers of art Zurich has a lot to offer. The city alone is home to over 50 museums, some 14 of which are devoted to art. The museum of fine arts, the Kunsthaus Zurich, boasts a significant collection of paintings, sculptures, photographs and videos. In addition, it has an extensive collection of works by Alberto Giacometti. Another highlight is the Rietberg Museum, one of the leading centers of non-European art in the world. Just a stone's throw from Zürich's main station, the Swiss National Museum – housed in an over 100 year old building reminiscent of a fairytale castle – contains the country's most comprehensive collection of exhibits relating to Swiss cultural history.

Education:
Zurich became one of the good known Education hubs. Therefore Zurich is home to many universities, colleges and gymnasiums. Two of Switzerland's most well-known universities are located in the city. The technical university ETH Zurich which is controlled by the state and the University of Zurich that is under direction of the canton of Zurich. Both universities have good reputation in worldwide. They were listed in the top 200 world universities rated in 2007.

Industry and Economic
The Industrialization in Zurich leads to other country in terms of IT and financial services. It is a leading financial center, and is often considered a global city. All main head quarter's of Switzerland is in Zurich just like UBS, Credit Suisse, Swiss Re, Zurich Financial Services, and many others. Zurich is one of the world's biggest centers for offshore banking.

Swiss Stock Exchange

The Swiss stock exchange is called SWX Swiss Exchange. The SWX is the head group of several different worldwide operative financial systems: virt-x, Eurex, Eurex US, EXFEED and STOXX. The exchange turnover generated at the SWX was in 2007 of 1,780,499.5 million CHF; the number of transactions arrived in the same period at 35,339,296 and the Swiss Performance Index (SPI) arrived at a total market capitalization of 1,359,976.2 million CHF. The SWX Swiss Exchange goes back more than 150 years. In 1996, fully electronic trading replaced the traditional floor trading system at the stock exchanges of Geneva (founded in 1850), Zurich (1873) and Basel (1876).Since 2008, the SWX has been part of the Swiss Financial Market Services, as SWX Group, SIS Group and Telekurs Group merged.

Some Highlights:
· Kunsthaus” – Switzerland’s most important art gallery contains a collection from all the important periods of European art – from the Middle Ages through to the present.
· Rietberg Museum – the museum houses non-European art, particularly from India, China and Africa.
· Bahnhofstrasse – the mile-long street of banks featuring exclusive fashion boutiques, department stores and street cafes invites passers-by to linger.
· Zurich Zoo – featuring an 11,000-square-metre ecosystem hall containing several hundred plant and animal species from the Madagascan Masoala Rainforest.
· Old town – with its art galleries, antique and book shops: an insider’s tip amongst art aficionados. In the evening, the old town is transformed into an entertainment quarter for an eclectic swathe of the general public.

Theaters, Opera and Ballets
The Zürcher Operands is one of the principal opera houses in Europe. Once a year, it hosts the Zürcher Openball with the President of the Swiss Confederation and the economic and cultural elite of Switzerland.
The Schauspielhaus Zurich is the main theater complex of the City. It has two dependences: Pfauen in the Central City District and Schiffbauhalle, an old industrial hall, in Zurich West. The Schauspielhaus was home to emigrants such as Bertolt Brecht or Thomas Mann, and saw premieres of works of Max Frisch, Friedrich Dürrenmatt, Botho Strauss or Elfriede Jelinek.
The Theater Am Neumarkt is one of the oldest theaters of the city. Established by the old guilds in the Old City District, it is located in a baroque palace near Niederdorf Street. It has two stages staging mostly avantgarde works by European directors.

Night Life:
Zurich offers a lot of variety when it comes for night-time leisure. It is the host city of the world-famous Street Parade, which takes place in August every year.
The most famous districts for Nightlife are the Niederdorf in the old town with bars, restaurants, lounges, hotels, clubs, etc. and a lot of fashion shops for a young and stylish public and the Langstrasse in the districts 4 and 5 of the city. There are authentic amusements: Brazilian bars, punk clubs, HipHop stages, Caribic restaurants, arthouse-cinemas, Turkish kebabs and Italian espresso-bars, but also sex shops or the famous red light district of Zurich.

Linus Orakles
http://www.authorclub.info/