So last week you may have seen I had a bit of whirlwind trip to a rather wonderful destination. The thoughtful folk at Swiss Air decided to surprise me and my dear friend Alice with a sneaky little (two and a bit day) trip to Zurich! And I say they surprised us, I mean quite literally we turned up at the airport not knowing where we were going. Possibly the most exciting and a little daunting airport experience I've ever had, that said when I find out we were whizzing over to Zurich via Swiss Air I was over the moon. I've heard so many lovely things about Zurich and I'm a huge sucker for a city break so needless to say Swiss Air surpassed themselves in the surprise stacks. Zurich didn't disappoint and although our trip was short, it was in equal measures sweet.

The flight took around two hours if not a little longer and please excuse the pun here but it flew by with Swiss Air. Their on-flight experience is so relaxing and ridiculously comfy! I would whole heartedly recommend them should you read this post and fancy booking yourself on the next flight to Zurich and flights with Swiss Air to Zurich are available from Manchester, Birmingham, London Heathrow and London City! When we arrived we made our way to our hotel in the Old Town and after 48 hours of nonstop exploring I can confirm in my humble opinion this is possibly the best location within the city for accommodation. Firstly the Old Town looks like something off a chocolate box with pastel coloured, ornate buildings, windy alleyways and Wes Anderson style shop/cafe fronts. Aside from aesthetics, the Old Town is best for pure convenience. It's right beside the river, a stones throw away from the lake and one of the best viewing points of the city, Lindenhof Hill. It's scattered with excellent bars, cafes and tasty restaurant, where (FYI) I tried my first ever taste of Fondue! Whoever decided dipping bread into melted cheese is a genius in my opinion.

As I found out I was heading to Zurich merely an hour or so before my flight it was hard to really plan exactly what I'd get up to when I was there and with only two days to explore, the heat was on. I posted a call out for recommendations on Instagram and came up absolute trumps with suggestions. One of my favourite exploring tips was to take a stroll down to West Zuri where the newly gentrified Im Viadukt shopping destination resides. This area of the city is well worth paying a visit, with its rather artsy, maybe even Berlin-esque vibe and independent boutiques it's most certainly the uber cool place to be. Im Viadukt is built into an old- you guessed it- viaduct, where each of the arches as been converted into cafes, shops and restaurants. One of the most famous spots in this area is restaurant/bar Gerold Cuchi and even if you're not feeling peckish I'd still suggest visiting as they have the most beautiful decorated outdoor area filled with colourful umbrellas just waiting to be Instagrammed. 

Food wise one of the best recommendation was for breakfast and it was a cute little cafe called Babu's Bakery and Coffeehouse. This place has a really quaint feel to it which really reminded me of the Northern Quarter back home in Manchester. The selection of food was insanely impressive and Im not going to lie I would quite happily have had breakfast, lunch aaaand dinner there. Sadly I just stuck to breakfast and had some of the best banana pancakes I've ever tasted. The prices were reasonable and the vibe was a clear 10/10. Plus it's walkable from anywhere within the centre. In terms of other food recommendations I would definitely advise taking a stroll through the Old Town and seeing what takes your fancy. Much like picking a restaurant in Italy, Zurich is a good city for browsing the little side streets. I didn't struggle with great food or amazing atmosphere. 

My only complaint about this trip was I just wish I could have had more time. This certainly isn't your average city filled with hustle and bustle, leaving you feeling a little exhausted at the end. It's a city to aimlessly wonder and take your time, something I could have happy done for a solid week! One of my favourites characteristics of this city is just how photogenic it is and in a matter of twenty four hours I had a bazillion photos to choose from which I'm now sharing with you! Plus what's more if you had over to Swiss Air's website now you'll be able to see an array of postcard style photographs (including ones by yours truly), vote for your favourite and be in with a chance of winning a trip to Zurich. Who needs me to explain this pretty little city when you can go see it for yourself? Happy voting and good luck.

Sophia x

This post was sponsored by Swiss Air