Zurich; Tuesday, 20 December, 2005

First stop of the morning was the impressive Swiss National Museum in a castle looking building next to the Hauptbahnhof. The museum houses a massive collection on the history of Switzerland and the region. Unfortunately, much of the museum is closed off as it undergoes renovation work that is expected to last until 2014!

I caught the tram out to the Rigiblick Seilbahn and caught the funicular up to the top. From there I got stunning views over the city and across to the mountains on the other side of the lake, or I would have done if there had not been a mist over the whole of the area!

Back down part way into town and off the tram at the University to visit the Zoological and Paleontological museums. Both are in the same building and both are presented in a very interesting and hands-on way.

Near to the centre of town is a museum dedicated to the history of man and evolution. Kulturama presents its exhibits in a timeline starting with the earliest known forms of life and progressing through the various stages of human evolution until modern man. The museum also looks at what makes humans what they are from conception to old age with details on all the inside bits that make you tick.

From the museum, I caught the tram out to the Stadtgarden in the west of town. Here in two greenhouses is a collection of plants and, more bizarrely, free flying birds in the temperate house.

After a while here I caught the trolley bus back across town to the Botanical gardens and another set of greenhouses (though in this case they are more large plastic domes) here there is an even greater number of plants, trees and succulents in a Savannah, Tropical and Sub Tropical dome.

Leaving the botanical gardens I wandered back to the hotel to drop stuff off before heading back out to town for dinner.

After dinner, I went back via the Rigiblick Seilbahn to get late night views over the city, before heading back to the hotel for a good nights sleep.