Mike Yardley: Spirit of Zurich - Saturday Morning with Jack Tame

The great Swiss city of Zurich is one of the more picturesque, pixel-burning European gateway destinations. Within minutes of exiting Zurich Airport, armed with my trusty Eurail Pass, I was blissfully whizzing into the city centre on a 10 minute train ride. Strolling across the cobbles of this time-honoured city in the crisp spring air, there’s so much urban eye-candy to lift the spirit. I sized up the largest clock face in Europe, on the edge of the Limmat River. It’s bigger than Big Ben.

Riding the skyline, the historic tower of St Peter Church is imbued with a trusty timepiece, as are the oh-so punctual church bells that loudly reverberate across the Old Town from the four historic churches, including mighty Grossmunster Cathedral. No wonder everything runs to time in Switzerland. According to legend, Zurich’s 13th-century landmark cathedral was founded by Charlemagne, built on the graves of the city’s patron saints, Felix and Regula. It was also the starting place of the Protestant Reformation in Zurich. Culture is writ large in Zurich’s Old Town, where the narrow-cobbled streets gave rise to the Dada art movement just over a century ago. I popped into Cabaret Voltaire, at Spiegelgasse 1, which was the birthplace of Dada and the avant-garde artistic movement in 1916. Absinthe is the drink of choice here, among Dada’s ghosts.

Strolling along Bahnhofstrasse, flanked by chic designer boutiques and swanky department stores, Café Sprungli deserves a pit-stop. This prized Zurich institution is rightly lauded for its heavenly macaroons and hand-crafted chocolates. They are like exquisite works of art – as were the Easter chocolate displays. It’s like a bespoke art gallery in chocolate.

Don’t mind if I do. Further down the street, if feeli