Zurich, verdict by verdict

Zurich is Switzerland's polished gateway: a clean lakefront Altstadt where the Limmat, the Grossmunster and the guild houses sit minutes from river swimming spots, lake cruises and the Uetliberg viewpoint twenty minutes up. The Kunsthaus runs Giacometti to Monet in serious depth, the Lindt Home of Chocolate pours unlimited tastings, and trams cover everything while the airport train reaches the Hauptbahnhof in about ten minutes. It is the country's finance hub rather than its capital, and it runs with Swiss efficiency.

The caveat is price: Zurich's rates are among Europe's highest, the Kunsthaus recently raised admission again, Sundays are properly quiet with shops shut, and the nightlife is restrained rather than wild, so tight budgets and party-chasers should calibrate. Old-town rates run the city's highest with Niederdorf bar noise on weekends, Lindt slots sell out days ahead, the Rhine Falls midday is coach-crowd commercial, and the Zurich Card only pays on heavy-museum days.

One to two days covers the old town and the lake, and Zurich also makes a painless base for Lucerne, the Rhine Falls or a mountain day trip. June to September brings lake swimming; the rail corridor sleeps roughly midnight to 5 a.m. Sleep in the Altstadt for the walkable version, or near the lake for mornings on the water.