Travel Talk with Ed Finn

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Saturday, 13 December 2025 - 12 minutes

There are cities that celebrate Christmas — and then there is Zurich, which seems to elevate it. I recently took the short flight from Dublin to Zurich to attend the turning on of the famous Lucy Lights above Bahnhofstrasse, and as promised this elegant city was transformed in an instant. Twenty-three thousand shimmering crystals float overhead like a river of starlight. Locals pause mid-stride, visitors like myself look up in awe, and suddenly you realise something: Zurich doesn’t do Christmas as an event — it delivers it as an experience.

People think Zurich is all banks and businessmen — and yes, the suits are there — but that’s a million miles away from the Zurich of today. Zurich is a city that I discovered over 30 years ago and it remains surprisingly great fun today: chocolate on every corner, music drifting out of cafés, a lake that looks like it’s been filtered by Instagram, and medieval streets that were clearly designed by someone who liked a good wander. Switzerland may run like clockwork, but Zurich is the part that knows how to show you the best time. It isn’t built for stress — it’s built for strolling, sipping, nibbling, nosing about and generally enjoying yourself.

This is a city designed for pleasure. For lingering. For tasting. For listening. For looking.
For what I can only describe as Swiss Bliss. -  Visit Zurich 

Getting There

Zurich is just a short hop from Ireland with Aer Lingus and Swiss offering direct flights from Dublin from €48 one-way. 

Ed stayed at the Hotel Seidenhof in Zurich 

My Switzerland Official Website - https://www.myswitzerland.com/en-ie/

Read Ed's full piece on his trip here - https://edfinntravels.com/twinkling-zurich-is-just-full-of-the-joyce-of-life/

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