Flights from Podgorica to Zurich: The Lake Where Heidi Was Born

THE LAKE WHERE “HEIDI” WAS BORN

FLIGHTS PODGORICA – ZURICH

Surrounded by Alpine peaks and nestled in the heart of the land of watches, chocolate, banks and museums, Lake Zurich has been drawing tourists, writers, novelists, artists and scientists for decades… Stroll along its shores and discover its magic… Book a Podgorica – Zurich flight and start your adventure

TRAVEL TO ZURICH

Over the centuries, a small Celtic village on Lindenhof hill grew into one of the richest and most beautiful cities in Europe and the world. Zurich, whose name is believed to be of Gaulish origin, is today the largest city in Switzerland, though not its capital. It is certainly the most visited, thanks not only to its beautiful buildings and many museums, but above all to Lake Zurich, which completes the picture.

On Lindenhof, a small linden-covered hill atop the remains of a Celtic settlement, the Romans set up a customs post for the province of Gallia Belgica, and it was here that Emperor Constantine drew the border between the Gauls and the Romans. This plateau played a fateful role in the city’s history: in the 5th century the Alemanni (a Germanic tribe) built a fortress here, here they officially adopted Christianity, here the first monasteries were built, and here the Reformation began in Switzerland… The townspeople always bravely tried to defend their independence, and one of the most fascinating testaments to this is a story (legend) dating back to the 13th century… At that time the Swiss were at war with Winterthur, which sided with and was ruled by the Habsburgs. All the men died in the battle to defend the city, and the enemy, sure of victory, marched on the town. But they were met by “armored knights” on Lindenhof… Since the enemy forces were also exhausted and decimated, on seeing this army they abandoned the idea of taking the city and withdrew, never learning that the armor hid women determined to save their city! This moving story says a lot about the people’s love for their city!

Zurich, where Johanna Spyri, inspired by the landscape, wrote one of the world’s most beloved stories, “Heidi”, has been transforming since the 19th century from a cozy Alpine village into a global metropolis. Today Zurich is the capital of the canton of the same name (Switzerland has 26 cantons; the oldest are Unterwalden, Uri and Schwyz, whose union gave birth to Switzerland), the country’s financial capital, a global banking center and an urban area of about two million people… Yet this urbanization hasn’t disturbed the peaceful life of Zurich’s residents. They still enjoy their chocolate, mostly live as renters because they don’t take out mortgages and so avoid high property taxes, pay their bills mostly at the post office, and don’t let the many visitors spoil the beauty and cleanliness of their city… Interestingly, they don’t buy bottled water either, not to save money, but because Zurich has over a thousand fountains flowing with perfectly clean, safe drinking water…

During your stay in Zurich, be sure to visit its churches and museums. The Grossmünster is a must-see: according to tradition, it was founded by none other than Charlemagne in honor of the Roman legionaries Felix and Regula, the city’s patron saints. The church as it stands today is Romanesque, dating from the 11th century, and one of its distinctive features is its tower, which offers a stunning panoramic view of the city and the lake. Right across from it is the Fraumünster, a 9th-century former convent whose stained-glass windows were created by Marc Chagall in the 1970s… Don’t miss the city’s oldest church either, dedicated to the most celebrated Christian saint, St. Peter, and built on the remains of a temple of Jupiter. Its clock is special: with a diameter of more than 8.5 meters, it is the largest church clock face in Europe. Perhaps this clock exerts a kind of psychological pressure on the Swiss, hence the often-quoted phrase “as punctual as the Swiss”! To give you an idea of the size of this mechanism, every time the minute hand moves from one minute to the next, it has to travel a full 45 centimeters!

They say climate shapes our genes: the Spanish, blessed with plenty of sun, are passionate and drawn to dangerous pastimes like bullfighting; the Italians, thanks to their warm climate, spend a lot of time out on the streets and so feel the need to dress well; and the Swiss, with all the snow and cold of their high mountains (Switzerland has 74 peaks over 4000 meters), developed a love of tinkering with tiny mechanisms, because what else is there to do during long days indoors but create something useful by the fireside? And so they became master watchmakers…

Zurich has much, much more to impress you with. I’ll just mention that you can enjoy many museums with high-quality collections and exhibitions, some of the more unusual ones being:

The Rietberg Museum, with its collection of art from Asia, Africa, the Americas and Oceania. The Atal Museum, with dinosaur replicas and bones. The North American Native Museum, dedicated to the culture of Native Americans. The Toy Museum takes us through the world of children’s play from the 18th century to the present…

I can’t help pointing out the zoo, home to around 350 different animal species. What makes it special is that, besides recreating a natural habitat for each species, it has as many as 4000 “ambassadors from the wild” whose role is to tell the story of their species and its way of life.

FLIGHTS PODGORICA – ZURICH

Podgorica – Zurich flights start from around 110 euros. Flights from Podgorica to Zurich are available with a connection or, on certain dates, as a direct flight – check our search for current flights and prices. Podgorica – Zurich flights are available seven days a week. If you’re searching for deals yourself, the airport code is ZRH, and Zurich is written as: Zurich

Zurich Kloten Airport is the largest airport in Switzerland. With more than 20 million passengers a year, it ranks among Europe’s busiest airports. It is located 12 km from the city and is well connected to the rest of the country. The airport is the hub of Swiss International Air Lines. Getting from the airport to the city center is quick and easy thanks to excellent public transport (train, bus, tram). The train is the fastest option, and the station is located right below the terminal. Trains depart every 10 minutes: Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) S-Bahn lines S2 and S16 to the city, plus InterRegio, InterCity and EuroCity trains to Basel, Bern, Geneva, Lucerne, Munich…

To find a good fare, a Podgorica – Zurich flight should be booked a couple of months in advance…

I wish you happy, chocolate-filled moments in Zurich!