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| Picture by Kolohe |
We wanted to visit the Lindt Chocolate factory, but it's in Kilchberg, Switzerland, which was too far to walk. Our two guides did some quick research and told us that there was a transportation hub not too far from where we were, so we walked down to Burkliplatz (town square), which is located just west of Quaibrucke (Quay Bridge), where it crosses the River Limmat. Burkliplatz is a central transportation hub serving trams, buses, and tour boats. One tour boat stop was near the Chocolate factory, so we decided to ride the boat and enjoy some of the scenery along the way.
Located near the Burkliplatz boat dock is the Abduction to Olympus sculpture by Hermann Hubacher. The work depicts the shepherd boy Ganymede, who is facing the seated eagle (God the Father Zeus)."
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
From the boat dock, it was only a few blocks walk to the chocolate factory, which turned out to be a disappointment. The chocolate museum was closed, and the candy prices seemed overinflated. One got the feeling the facility catered to tour groups bused to the factory, not walk-ins. We decided to ride a local bus back to Zurich.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
We were told that no trip to Zurich was complete without dining at the Zeughauskeller, which was built in 1487. The name "Zeughauskeller" comes from the fact that historically all kinds of weapons and armaments were stored and repaired in the building. During the Middle Ages, Switzerland was almost constantly at war; so there are many historic weapons and armaments on display in the restaurant, including a crossbow once owned by Wilhelm Tell.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
By the time we finished dinner, it was getting dark, so we decided to go back to the hotel. The hotel was only about a 25-minute train ride from Zurich, and it was the only modern, American-style hotel we stayed in on this trip.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
In the morning, we rode the train back to Zurich and found a locker room in the train station to check our bags. Figuring out the bag-check process wasn't easy, but our two guides finally found the right way.
A Chinese man standing next to us was also trying to figure out how to check bags. When he noticed our guides had already figured out the process, he asked, in broken English, how to check his bag. Much to his surprise, Sophia explained the process to him in Mandarin. He was really shocked that an American girl could speak Mandarin.
After checking our bags, we found a pastry shop for breakfast. There were so many tempting choices that we tried several different pastries and then split them. Kolohe and I liked the ones with rhubarb, while our guides liked the fruit pizza.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
The Landesmuseum Zurich (Swiss National Museum) was built in 1898 in the French Renaissance style, featuring numerous towers and courtyards. In front of the museum entrance stood a large steel door that had once been part of the safe-deposit room at the Wertheim Bank.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
Just inside the museum entrance was a large 3-dimensional map of Switzerland, showing that most of the country is mountainous and lakes. Throughout the museum, there were comprehensive collections of exhibits spanning different eras. The first gallery contained items from the most recent time period.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
Listening devices were available in the Listening Gallery, allowing visitors to listen to their favorite music.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
In the 1980s, a group of African American musicians in Detroit, Michigan, known as the Belleville Three, created a new music genre by using synthesizers, drum machines, and futuristic soundscapes. Techno music spread to Europe and reached Switzerland in the late 1980s. A placard states that "The genre spread rapidly. Young people danced to the new music at so-called raves." Because partying spots were scarce, parties were held in industrial buildings and outdoors.
In 1992, based on Techno Culture, Zurich began an annual Street Parade featuring techno music. Zurich's Street Parade is held annually and is the world's largest and most famous techno parade. It has taken place in Zurich every summer since 1992. However, in 2020, the Parade was cancelled due to COVID, so "Love Mobiles" were built and driven through the streets. A "Love Mobile" model was on display.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
A placard stated that in the 1990s techno clubs were "a haven for people who felt marginalized in the outside world. A controlled framework fostered a sense of community and facilitated social diversity, bodily experiences, and cultural experimentation."
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
A famous gorilla statue from the Zukunft Club was on display in the exhibit. Apparently, the gorilla has been used in the annual Street Parade.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
A placard stated: "Synergies were always generated between techno and visual culture. New technologies and social change provided a fertile ground from which music, fashion, graphic arts, and design were reinvented in the 1980s and 1990s.
"In techno culture, various disciplines merged into a Gesamtkunstwerk that radiated a new awareness of life. Interdisciplinary and collaborative work became an attitude. Techno inspires people to create their own 'world' and to network across borders. Both the fashion and the music mirror social and technological change. They interact to reveal a highly multifaceted scene."
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
The central part of the museum features over 7,000 exhibits collected over thousands of years, but we only had time to walk through most of them.
Around 5300 BC, indigenous hunter-gatherers began living in villages and initiated the agricultural revolution. New tools were made to be used for farming, and the first wooden wheels were developed. For the first time, goods were traded over long distances.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
By the Bronze Age, pile dwellings were built near lakeshores, and some village sites have since been designated UNESCO World Heritage sites. We did not have time to visit any of the UNESCO sites.
A pure gold bowl that was found buried near a farming community is believed to have been a gift to the gods, in hopes of securing fertile fields and livestock. Workmanship on the bowl was amazing.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
By 2300 BC, bronze and copper were being used to manufacture tools, weapons, jewellery, and household items and many of the objects were included in the exhibit.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
On display was a model of the museum as it stood in 1898, with an extension added in 2016. There were several stained-glass windows on display.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
By the end of the 18th century, Switzerland had become known for its arts and crafts, and many craftsmen were using painted tiles to decorate furniture and other items around the house.
Trachten, folk costumes that were worn on Sundays and public holidays, were also on display. Trachtens varied from region to region. Headgear and jewellery worn with the Trachten were signs of marital and social status.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
In the 19th century, Switzerland began producing linens and embroidery works that were sold worldwide and won prizes at world's fairs.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
The first mechanical clocks came from what is now Switzerland in the 13th century, but it was not until the 16th century that portable clocks were made.
In the mid-1500s, John Calvin preached austerity and modesty and banned displays of wealth or joy. Dancing, dressing exuberantly, and wearing jewelry were not allowed. However, clocks were functional rather than opulent, and a new industry was born. Switzerland soon became known as "The Clockmaking Capital of the World."
Today, China and Hong Kong produce more watches and clocks, but 95% of watches over $1,000 are still made in Switzerland.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
The Museum's Oetenbach Room houses a selection of wood panels discovered behind other walls at the end of the 19th century.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
In the 15th century, many Swiss men served abroad in Italy, France, and the Netherlands. To signal their status, they wore impressive ceremonial weapons commissioned from goldsmiths and gunsmiths.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
Swiss firms have produced high-quality fabrics since the 17th century, but Swiss fashion was strongly influenced by France and England until the 19th century. Swiss designers are now known for their distinctive designs and innovative materials.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
Monochromatic tiles were first used in the 14th century to cover wood-burning stoves, but by the 19th century, white tableaux tiles dominated the designs.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
Hand-painted porcelain was imported from China until 1763, when the first porcelain manufactory was founded in Switzerland. The extensive porcelain services were a luxury rarely used.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
Bicycles are a popular form of transportation in Switzerland, so there are many bicycle racks in the business section of Zurich.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
Before leaving Switzerland, we had to make one last chocolate stop at a Laderach store.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
In the evening, we rode a high-speed train from Zurich to Paris so that I could fly home, while the other three decided to stay for another week in France and Portugal. On the way I had a little nap. As it turned out, when I landed in Salt Lake City, I met Heather at the airport because she had decided to fly to France and take my place with the other three travelers. We had lunch together at the Delta Sky Club Lounge, then Heather boarded the plane for Paris, which I had just arrived on, and I boarded a plane for Las Vegas.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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