zurichberg – David Kotz

Foggy morning

No distant views … leads one to focus closer in.

It was a densely foggy morning, as I climbed to my usual outlook above the streets of Zürich. I was in the fog almost as soon as I left my hotel, at river level, and climbed 212m up through the fog to the Zürichberg viewpoint. Not surprisingly, there was nothing to see today but for the sign illustrating what distant mountains could be seen on a better day (like yesterday).

More of the snow and ice had melted from the pathways, so I took a different route down – through the forest and back to the roadway, at the spot known as Rigiblick. There, I encountered a smiling set of sentries guarding the house beside the path.

Last week’s snow persists high on Zurichberg, where one home assembled a friendly family of snow soldiers.

Directly across the street is the top station for a funicular tram – a pair of trams on a track, attached to a cable, one descending while the other ascends. The sign advertised a departure in 2 minutes, so I hopped aboard and rode in comfort down the steep slope, approximately halfway to my starting point. Below, I look back up the track from the bottom.

This path home is always risky, passing as it does by a Migros grocery store and two wonderful bakeries. I broke down and popped into a bakery for a gipfel (like a croissant) and headed on home, a fine way to spend the morning.

Alpine sunrise

A grand view from a grand spot.

I returned to my morning walking route, climbing through the streets and stairs of Zurich to the viewpoint atop Zurichberg. Today, I arrived not long after sunrise; with fewer clouds, the sun shone through to the Zurich valley. Indeed, it seemed the orange glow of the rising sun was bouncing off the cloud deck above, illuminating the light fog hovering over the lake Zurichsee.

Sunrise view from the Zurichberg viewpoint, Zurich.

Zooming in to the Alps spread across the horizon, we can see the morning sun illuminating the Eiger and its neighbors.

The Eiger is the dark triangle just left of center.

Earlier, I paused along Spyristrasse at a point where I knew one of the multi-story condo buildings hosted an impressive sight: a three-story cat staircase, mounted outside the building, allowing the cat to come and go from its residential balcony. Today, for the first time ever, I saw a cat sitting atop the stairs, surveying its territory and guarding the homestead from all comers.

A cat rests at the top of a three-story cat staircase on the outside of a condo building; Spyristrasse, Zurich.

Who knows what tomorrow will bring.

Return to Zürich

So happy to be back!

I was sad to leave Zürich in July 2020, after spending a delightful year collaborating at ETH and exploring the many mountains and valleys of this beautiful country. The coronavirus pandemic had arrived only a few months earlier, but I somehow thought it would fade and I could make a return visit to Switzerland a few months later. That was naīve. Another year has passed and the pandemic is not yet done with us; nonetheless, three months ago Andy and I booked our tickets to Zürich so we could visit friends and colleagues and enjoy the city and the mountains once again.

Final day

The twin peaks of Zürich.

Today is our last day in Zürich, our last day in Switzerland. I will reflect more on the overall experience in a future post, but for now, let me reflect on this final day. I decided go hiking – but to stay close to home, and to re-visit the twin peaks of Zürich by having breakfast on Uetliberg and lunch on Zürichberg.

I’ve been to Uetliberg several times, either on foot or by train. Today I took my original route – the steepest, most direct route – and was soon at the summit area. It was hazy and the view of the Alps was limited, but I nonetheless enjoyed tea and a pair of gipfeli while sitting in the morning breeze.

Later, after some errands, I made my final climb up my usual morning route to Zürichberg, extending it a bit to reach the (wooded) summit. From there I followed gravel paths down to the 120-year-old Zürichberg Hotel, which I had passed many, many times without stopping.

Today, I met Pam and Andy there for lunch on their sunny terrace overlooking Zürichsee and the distant Alps. Though the view was still hazy, it was a beautiful day and a fine meal.

Andy, Pam, David go for birthday lunch at Zürichberg Hotel.

Check out the gallery for more photos.

Uetliberg, Albisgütli to summit and down to train: Distance: 2.9 km; Time: 01:01:52 (including breakfast); Ascent:324.3 m; Min/Max Altitude:810.4 m, 855.3 m; Location: (47.35166, 8.48746)

Zürichberg, home to summit and down to hotel: Distance: 3.0 km; Time:00:35:11; ; Ascent:226.0 m; Min/Max Altitude: 635.4 m, 668.1 m; Location: (47.38222, 8.56758)