Molly Zaidman is an American born, Venezuela raised Switzerland based photographer specialising in portrait, lifestyle & travel photography. We were captivated with some of her dreamy images and asked her for a write up of her favourite city, Zurich:
"You would think after living in Zurich for the past two years that I would have it all figured out. Zurich is a fairly small city so it doesn’t take too long to explore the different neighbourhoods. However, having come here as a brand new mom (with a four month old in tow), I haven’t had (or taken) the time to truly explore all there is to offer in this beautiful ‘small-big’ city, making me far from an expert. On that note though, here are some of the things I have been able to experience in my two years here.
A favorite neighborhood is the trendy Kreis 5 district. This could be considered the hipster neighbourhood, filled with a variety of interesting restaurants, cafes, small shops (the shops at Markthalle im Viadukt are worth checking out) and art galleries. There is no shortage of options to keep your mind busy and your stomach filled. A recent discovery, and a place I will definitely be returning to is a corner restaurant called JOSEF. Small plates of Modern European cuisine are served within the photo lined wood panelled walls. The overall aesthetic has a bit of a chic grunge/punk rock feel to it.
Moving over to the chic area of Zurich, situated a little ways off of Paradeplatz and nestled among the many bank corporate offices is my favorite little spot in the city, La Stanza. You can find me here often no matter what time of year. With it’s Italian vibe, laid back atmosphere, and mix of people it is a great spot to grab a coffee or a drink depending on the time of day.
With it’s Italian vibe, laid back atmosphere, and mix of people it is a great spot to grab a drink.
One thing that really stood out to me, and I think anyone that lives here will agree, when the sun is shining in Zurich it feels like a completely different city. Filled with life and thriving, everyone is out in the street, at a Badi, or laying in the grass in the park on a lunch break, soaking in as much Vitamin D as possible. A favorite summer spot is an outdoor restaurant called Frau Gerold’s Garten, situated in an urban garden setting. Here you will find a mish-mash of picnic tables throughout the outdoor venue, all filled with people enjoying the sunshine, a cold drink and most likely a sausage of some kind or other type of home-style cuisine.
With the city hugging Lake Zurich (should be called Swan Lake), and the alps as a backdrop, Zurich is unique in the way that the city landscape effortlessly entwines itself with the surrounding nature. Nature is such a big part of the Swiss way of life. It is visible how much pride is taken in caring for this city and country.
Additional Things to Do While in Zurich:
- Visit a Flower Shop: I love walking in to the many flower shops scattered throughout just to see the many varieties of flowers in season.
- Visit a Farmer’s Market: There is a large one in Bürkliplatz every Wednesday and Friday morning, which has an incredible variety of items to see and buy. From cheeses, sausages, to the freshest produce.
- One word – Sprüngli: You can’t leave without stopping in here, even if it’s just to look. If you visit the location in Paradeplatz you can stop at the restaurant for food (try the club sandwich) and a hot chocolate (highly recommend), picking up some amazing desserts and chocolates on your way out.
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Grossmünster: It’s hard to miss this since the two bell towers are visible from just about any spot around the lake. A Romanesque-style Protestant church, you can walk all the way to the top of the bell tower where you have a 360 degree view of the entire city.
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Kunsthaus :Zurich is filled with different museums, but this one is my favorite. In addition to an impressive collection, which includes paintings and sculptures by Kandinsky, Picasso, Matisse, and Alberto Giacometti only to name a few, there is almost always an interesting Exhibition to visit.
