The main shopping street ends at the pier at Quaibrücke, at the confluence of the river and the lake. This is where the Old Town opens to incredible views of Lake Zurich and, on sunny days, the high Alps. The sensation of having the sun on your skin, the wind in your face, and the snowcapped mountains in your line of sight is something I have felt only in Zurich. To make the experience last, I boarded one of the many ferries that ply these waters on a regular basis for an inexpensive boat ride. These boats (free to people holding a ZürichCard travel card) operate year-round, linking lakeside towns to downtown Zurich, and they are nearly as enjoyable in the winter as they are during the summer months, when the narrow lake is filled with sailboats taking advantage of the reliable winds.

Aboard the ferry, the cold wind was bracing, and some found that it made for a romantic experience. One young couple sat outside in the stern of the vessel, exposed to the icy snap of winter air, and kissed for the entire 90-minute ride.

Nighttime in Zurich presents some perplexing choices. The restaurants, nightclubs, and beer halls in both parts of the Old Town are fantastic and are usually filled with tourists and locals alike. There are fancy, sit-down restaurants as well as street stalls serving delicious kebabs and grilled bratwurst. But a short streetcar ride away is Zurich West; once a decaying, nearly abandoned industrial district, it is now the center of nightlife for the younger crowd that flocks to the all-night clubs set up in the former factories.