Teacher Trekker

After completing Part # 3 of the Zurich Self Guided Walking Tour we pressed on to visit three additional sites. In addition to the churches in the Old Town (Altstadt) area (Part #2) there are also a number of churches on the periphery of the city center that are worth visiting if you have the time. I would recommend you to jump on the tram, which will significantly cut down the walking time and make all of this manageable in a single day of touring. They are all a short ride away and can be easily traveled to using the local ZVV tram system. Happy Trekking!

Church # 7 – Offener St. Jakob

The history of St. Jakob Church can be dated back to the 11th century. The church was named in honor of Jacob the Elder, the saint of apothecaries, druggists, pilgrims and asylums. The site was used as a sick house and asylum outside the main city of Zurich. There was also a small chapel built during this time. St. Jakob Church was only first mentioned on the historical record in 1221. The site is considered to be the location of the Battle of St. Jakob an der Sihl in 1443. In 1677, the sick-house was transformed into a Pfrundhaus or a senior citizen’s residency, but that was later shut down in 1842. The current building was built in the German Neorenaissance style in 1901 and was planned to accommodate a parish of 1,400 followers.

Until the 1950’s Aussersihl was actually the largest Protestant congregation in Switzerland. In 1991, St. Jakob became a “city” or “open” church and holds concerts, exhibitions, dances and religious services for a myriad of ethnic and religious groups. Since 1997, the church has also been a contact point for pilgrims. People come here seeking guidance, wisdom and arrange pilgrimages along the Way of St. James. That being said, all indications and reading material still suggest it is an Evangelical Protestant church.

By the time we got to St. Jakob Church, it was raining so heavily I had to stay under the tram awning to view the building’s exterior from a distance. We ran right inside to a primarily empty church. The interior was plain in design, but elegant. The main space was open with freshly polished wooden floors. White lights decorated the Christmas tree and nativity scene in front of the altar. Chairs were set up that can be removed to use the space for other functions. Behind the altar was the organ and choir. There were wooden pews that surrounded the exterior church walls. Above them hung a second floor balcony. The walls were wrapped with trim that had an ivy pattern and written inscriptions. The windows were a basic stained glass design with the exception of the central window in the rear of the church. Compared to the churches I visited earlier in the day (Part #2) St. Jakob was as much a church as a modern multi-purpose hall.

On the way out I made a donation and took a few postcards, but there was nothing in English. We met an elderly man who was sitting in the lobby. He spoke to us in English and asked us where we were from. When I said I was from New York City he started talking about Pelé, the NY Cosmos, 1978, family in Buffalo. It was clear the gentleman just wanted some company. After our discussion we parted ways and headed off to our next destination.

Transportation Info: Use the Stauffacher Station (Tram # 2,3,8,9,14)

St. Jakob Church is located in Aussersihl, Zurich near the Stauffacher tram junction. It is situated along the Badenerstrasse between the Bäcker and the Stauffacher. The junction serves the following lines: 2, 3, 8, 9, 14.

It is open:
Daily – 7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Church # 8 – St. Peter & Paul

Our next stop was only 3 minutes away by foot. You need to walk southeast on Stauffacherstrasse toward Badenerstrasse. Then make a right on Werdstrasse were you will find a path that leads you to St. Peter & Paul Church. It makes no sense to take the tram, so we had to walk the short distance in the pouring rain to the next church. It should have been inconsequential until I managed to walk in a puddle. I could feel the water squishing between my toes at every step. Only me!

The church of Saints Peter & Paul was erected between 1873 & 1874. It was the first Roman Catholic Church established in post-Reformation Zurich. The Aussersihl neighborhood nicknamed it the “poor people’s church” mocking the Catholic parishioners. Despite their religious differences with the majority of the community, the church grew and now draws in worshipers from the Bahnhofstrasse to the Langstrasse. The church also contains a Schatzkammer that holds valuable artifacts including ritual related objects and cloth hangings.

As we approached St. Peter & Paul, the exterior of the building was not well lit. Between that and the rain, it was difficult to manage to view the building exterior let alone capture quality photographs. We made our way to the main entrance to be greeted by a door handle that after turning automatically opens the door for you. I was not expecting that!

The second we entered St. Peter & Paul, it stood out from all the other churches and was so recognizably Roman Catholic. The altar shined a golden hue. There were statues and other religious decorations covering the walls and pulpit. There was iconography in all directions. The interior has two rows of straight pews with a center walkway and two aisles along the side walls. Locked doors lead to other parts of the church. I could actually hear someone vacuuming behind one of the doors. There were actually two organs. The smaller one was on the first floor and a larger more elaborate organ was housed on the second floor choir at the rear of the church.

Interestingly, there were no candles. Instead, they were metal shaped like candles that were filled with oil. I pondered if that was a smarter in terms of the environment, economically, or possibly in terms of clean up. There were few documents available and those available were written all in German. I took some postcards and made a donation. This was also comically when our wet environmentally friendly paper shopping bag tore open dropping food products all over the floor reverberating throughout the walls of the empty church. Finally, there is also a bathroom here free of charge.

Transportation Info: Use the Stauffacher (Tram # 2,3,8,9,14) or Werd Station (Tram # 9,14)

It is open:
Monday to Friday – 6:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Saturday & Sunday – 8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Church # 9 – Liebfrauenkirche

At this point it was getting late. We left St. Peter & Paul and made our way to the Stauncher Tram Station and took Tram # 14 towards our final destination. The tram only arrived at 6:10 p.m. and the church closed at 7:00 p.m., but we carried on. After a few quick transfers we arrived at the Liebfrauenkirche at 6:30 p.m.

The Liebfrauenkirche was built in 1893, and at the time the Roman Catholic church was located well outside the city walls. Over time urban expansion has changed that significantly. Presently, the church is centrally located in Zurich on a large steep hill. Near it a long flight of steps runs parallel to the Polybahn that brings you up from the tram hub near the Hauptbahnhof to the level of the ETH main building. The exterior of the building is made of stone and lacks the Baroque and Gothic styles that are found all over the city. There is a large structure that is offset from the main structure which has large columns and is reminiscent of Classical Greek & Roman buildings.

The interior of the building was like no other church I visited the entire day. It reminded me of an early Christian basilica and in places seemed related to a Greek Orthodox design. Visually, the interior was layered into three sections one stacked on top of the other towards the ceiling. The first tier was the ground level. In front of the altar stood two enormous rose colored columns that supporting an arch with Latin inscriptions. Behind it is the altar and a painted half dome. In front of the altar are two sections of straight wooden pews which are divided by the main aisle. Two rows of large columns supported arches and the walls above.

The second tier was a virtual cornucopia of Roman Catholic iconography that covered the walls of the Liebfrauenkirche. They were painted by artist Fritz Kunz in 1907 & 1923. The third tier had stained glass windows on the side walls and a painted wall and arch. The organ was installed along the back wall on the second floor choir reaching as high as the ceiling. Above the structure stood the wooden roof (and lights that were already turned off).

The crypt is easy to locate. When you walk into the church, the entrance to the crypt is on your left side along the back wall. Follow the sign to a door that will lead you to the lower level. The crypt was modern and in stark contrast to the main level. The crypt was large, so spacious actually, that there was an entire secondary altar and seating creating a lower church. The walls and columns were covered with brick. Along some of the walls were inscriptions and statues made of white stone. Since 1999, the crypt also houses a wooden Madonna made by Alois Spichtig. Behind a series of large wooden doors and deep blue stained glass were the crypts of priests. There is also a restroom available free of charge on this level. Following our time in the crypt, we made our way back upstairs to look for the historical pamphlets and books, but again they were in Swiss-German. I made my donation, and sensed it was almost time to leave, but could not help myself from continuing to look around at the exquisite art in the nave.

My primary complaint related to the lighting, but that was only due to the time. When we arrived a portion of the lights were already turned off making it more difficult to view the beautiful paintings. At 6:55 p.m. the ceiling lights were turned off, and everyone took their cue. Aisle lights and candles lit the space well enough for everyone to exit. It’s not like it was suddenly pitch black without any warning. I would have liked to have spent more time looking at the murals that were packed wall to wall with iconography.

Taking that into consideration, I would recommend arriving at the church earlier to prevent this problem. I would also plan a bit more time to explore the church and take in all of its beauty. That being said, after visiting 9 churches in the pouring rain and walking around in wet shoes for half of the day, the Liebfraunkirche was easily the prettiest of all of the churches I visited. Suddenly the waterlogged jeans and squishing water between my toes didn’t matter.

The Liebfrauenkirche is the primary Roman Catholic church in Zurich. Many come for confession, which are heard Monday – Friday 8:00 a.m. – 8:20 a.m. & 5:30 p.m. – 6:10 p.m., as well as Saturdays 8:00 a.m. – 8:20 a.m. & 4:00 p.m. – 5:20 p.m. It is also a popular tourist attraction and receives many visitors and worshipers daily. We were there the last 30 minutes before closing, and the church had many people walking through the aisles looking at the interior and praying.

Transportation Info: Use the Haldenegg Station (Tram # 6,7,10,15)

The Liebfrauenkirche is located less than 10 minutes from the Zurich Main Station. The closest tram stop is Haldenegg which serves the following lines: 6, 7,10, & 15.

It is open:
Monday – Saturday – 6:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Sunday – 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Wrapping Up

From the Liebfrauenkirche we walked back to the Zurich Main Station, so that I could retrieve my luggage from the storage lockers. I had to use the bathroom, and it was a costly CHF 1.50. We stopped again at another Migros in train station to pick up something we forgot. Why we didn’t do this all now instead of lugging around what became a wet bag in the rain baffles me, but it wasn’t really a problem. We made our way back outside to pick up the tram. It was a long and interesting day seeing sites all around Zurich, but at that moment all I could think about were my wet shoes. I was hungry and it was cold. The tram arrived, and we headed off to enjoy the evening with friends.

Please feel free to continue reading the previous sections for additional historical & travel related information if you have not already done so. I hope it assists you to more easily plan your sightseeing experience around Zurich and learn about the history of the city in the process. Happy Trekking!

Part # 1: Zurich Self Guided Walking Tour Overview – Introduction to my full day walking (and tram) tour of Zurich including a break down of the sites, route planning, public transportation and other travel related information.

Part # 2: Zurich’s Old Town (Altstadt) Churches – Predigerkirche, Grossmünster, Wasserkirche, Fraumünster, St. Peter, Augustinerkirche

Part # 3: Non-Church Related Attractions – Augusto Giacometti Hall, Lindenhof Hill, Sprüngli’s Chocolate Shop