Finding corners of Zurich to love - The old Botanical Garden

I’ve always envied those people who possess an unwavering joie de vivre, who can see the bright side of everything, the beauty in every place. Earlier this week I came across a blog by an expat who adored the very city which I found of very little interest, and I became intrigued. As I read her posts and saw her beautiful pictures of Zurich, I was allowed a glimpse into her perspective, and how she found infinite little wonders where I hadn’t bothered to look. Inspired by her writing, I decided that the next time I found myself in Zurich with a few hours to spare (I actually work there), rather than sit in my office, I would choose a spot on the city map and go explore it.

This is exactly what I do on a sunny, but coldish Tuesday afternoon. I walk out of my work building on Lowenstrasse, turn right, and immediately spot the Sihl river (which branches off from the Limmat 500 metres or so to the North). Running alongside it, I notice something which I haven’t before – a little stream, called the Schanzengraben, which can be reached by a series of steps leading a storey or so below street level. The quickness with which I get the feeling of having stepped into another world is astounding. The wooden deck I walk on makes low, comforting thuds and creaks. A few ducks chase one another, first through slow wading through water, then in brisk, animated flight. Brown fish swim gently against the current, but move so slowly that they don’t really move at all, but simply keep their place. After a few minutes of walking, I find some steps which take me back onto the street, and an entrance to the spot I want to visit – Zurich’s old botanical gardens.

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