Zurich

Zurich may be Switzerland’s financial capital, but its creative identity runs much deeper. Medieval lanes and elegant 19th-century buildings coexist with Swiss Modernism, converted industrial spaces and exceptionally considered contemporary architecture. The legacy of Dada began here, while neighbourhoods such as Zürich-West have transformed former factories and railway arches into galleries, studios, restaurants and design spaces. Add the lake, the River Limmat and mountains on the horizon, and Zurich becomes a city where urban culture and nature remain unusually close.

Food and drink are increasingly good reasons to look beyond the city’s polished reputation. Traditional Zunfthäuser and historic cafés coexist with ambitious contemporary restaurants, natural wine bars, specialty coffee shops and relaxed neighbourhood kitchens. Swiss produce and Alpine traditions remain important, but Zurich’s international character brings a much broader range of influences to the table. In summer, lakeside bars and Badis turn swimming spots into some of the city’s most atmospheric places for an evening drink.

Zurich’s most interesting hotels reflect this combination of restraint and creativity. Historic landmarks, Modernist buildings and industrial conversions sit alongside intimate contemporary hotels where Swiss design, art and craftsmanship take centre stage. At DNA Hotels, we curate the places where architecture, food, culture and the city’s exceptional quality of life come together—hotels that reveal a Zurich considerably more playful than its reputation for Swiss precision might suggest.