A Love Letter to Zurich: Rediscovering the City I Call Home

After 30 years in Zurich, you might think I know the city by heart. I arrived from California in my mid twenties, when Zurich felt quite different from the international city it is today. Making new friends was not always easy, and it took time to find my place here. Over the years, however, Zurich has become home. My four children were born and raised here, and I have watched the city evolve alongside our family. Yet even after all these years, there is still something new to discover. That is what makes Zurich special to me: its hidden gems, its unexpected corners of calm, and, most importantly, the people who enrich this beautiful city.

On September 24, 2026, Zurich Tourism invited SAFAR to an intimate dinner in the atmospheric Palm House of the Old Botanical Garden. Located in the heart of the city, this lush green space offered a welcome pause from the everyday hustle and bustle. For one evening, we were invited to experience Zurich from a unique perspective – through local flavors, thoughtful details and the creative vision of people who know the city well.

An Evening of Warmth, Good Company and Local Flavors
Hosted in collaboration with Batter, the creative studio founded by Zurich native Sibille Albertin, the evening brought together a beautiful setting, seasonal produce, and a shared appreciation for the city. Seated at a long table surrounded by the greenery of the Palm House, we were reminded that an experience is often about much more than what is on the plate. The bread on the table, the seasonal ingredients, the little details in the presentation, and the atmosphere of the garden all came together to create something special. It was an evening that invited us to slow down, look around, and appreciate Zurich in a way we might not during an ordinary day. We saw, smelled, and tasted Zurich. And in the middle of a busy city, we found a moment of calm.

Discovering Zurich Beyond the Familiar
One of the pleasures of living somewhere for a long time is the sense of familiarity. You develop your favorite places, your usual routes and your own way of moving through the city. But familiarity can also mean that you stop looking quite as closely. I was reminded of this a few years ago when my daughter and I decided to cycle around Lake Zurich. We discovered places we had never noticed before, despite having lived here for years. Simply choosing a bicycle instead of a car changed the way we experienced our surroundings. We had time to take in the views, notice little details and discover corners of the lake that had somehow escaped us.

The same can be said of the Old Botanical Garden. It is a place you might easily overlook if you are rushing from one part of the city to another, yet it offers a little world of its own in the middle of Zurich. Sometimes, discovering a city is not about traveling somewhere new. It is about changing your pace, taking a different path or allowing yourself to see a familiar place with fresh eyes. For visitors, Zurich might mean Lake Zurich, Bahnhofstrasse, or the picturesque streets of the Old Town. These are all wonderful parts of the city, of course, but there is so much more to explore beyond the well-known landmarks. And for those of us who live here, the hidden gems can be just as rewarding.

My Zurich: A Local Perspective
One of the evening’s lovely details was the My Zurich guide by Sibille Albertin of Batter, presented at each guest’s place setting. A thoughtful gift, it offered a personal glimpse into the city through the eyes of someone who knows it intimately. Featuring Sibille’s favorite shops, food spots and hidden coffee spots, the guide was a reminder that the best recommendations often come from people who have taken the time to explore their own city. These are the places you might not find simply by following the usual tourist route, but that can become some of your most memorable discoveries. There is something special about seeing a place through someone else’s eyes, even when you think you know it well. Their favorite café might lead you down an unfamiliar street; a small independent shop might introduce you to a neighborhood you have never explored. Little by little, your own picture of the city begins to change. This, to me, is one of the most rewarding ways to experience Zurich: through the people who live here, the places they love, and the stories they have to share.

A Reminder That There Is Always More to Discover
The evening with Zurich Tourism, Batter and Kiosk Agency was a lovely reminder that a city is never quite finished revealing itself. Even after 30 years, Zurich can still surprise me. There are always new places to discover, new people to meet, and new reasons to appreciate the place we call home. Perhaps that is the beauty of living in a city for so long. You build a life and a collection of memories there, but you never have to stop being curious about it. Sometimes, all it takes is a different perspective, a shared table, or a recommendation from someone who knows the city well to fall in love with it all over again. Thank you to Zurich Tourism, Batter, and Kiosk Agency for such a beautiful evening – and for the reminder that there is always more to discover in Zurich.