Winterthur

Winterthur, which lies in a wooded basin east of the Töss River is a city in the canton of Zürich in northern Switzerland. The city is known mostly for its high-tech manufacturing sector. Originally a typical industrial city is unique in its art. It is located in a plane surrounded by rolling hills with lots of forests and other natural areas still preserved.

With over 110,000 residents it is the country’s sixth-largest city by population, and is the ninth-largest agglomeration with about 140,000 inhabitants.

There are 17 museums, most in the gigantic pedestrian zone in the centre. A science museum without equal in Switzerland, Technorama is the ultimate hands-on learning experience. The cultural feast continues at the city’s art museum, in a 100-year-old edifice that also houses the Naturmuseum and Research Library. Due to the number and quality of museums Winterthur has grown into an internationally known city for art. Especially to name is the museum “Collection Oskar Reinhart” or the Oskar Reinhard trust museum, both show worldwide unique paintings of great artists.

What are the best things you must see in Winterthur?

• A Swiss heritage site, Kyburg Castle reigns from its perch above the Töss River.
• Wildpark Bruderhaus, the animal park on Eschenburg, a forest-covered hill on the southern fringe of the city, is top of the list for family outings from Winterthur.
• Winterthur’s rose garden, there are 2,900 rosebushes in the garden, from almost 300 varieties, many of which are historic cultivars
• Winterthur’s Stadkirche

How to get there

Winterthur is connected to Germany by direct trains and has links to Zurich Airport. It is also a regional transport hub: the A1 motorway from Geneva through to St. Margrethen connects in Winterthur with the A4 motorway heading north toward Schaffhausen and the A7 motorway heading close to the Swiss-German border at Kreuzlingen. There are also roads leading to other places such as Turbenthal. The railway station is the fourth busiest railway station in Switzerland, and is 20 minutes away by train from Zürich.