Zurich named among top ten cities to visit in 2014

Switzerland’s biggest city ranks fifth on a list, released on Wednesday, headed by Paris, Trinidad (Cuba), Cape Town and Riga, the capital of Latvia.

“Can a city best known for men in suits and cheques with improbable numbers of zeros really deliver a thrilling break?” Lonely Planet asks.

“We say it can.”

On its website, the travel guide talks of the liberalization of rules governing opening hours leading to Zurich locals “throwing themselves into nightlife with the same enthusiasm they show for moving decimals points during the day.”

The Lonely Planet touts the city’s “famous-name fashion houses and boutiques by the bucketload”, while noting that it is “awash with fine dining and bijou cafes”.

It also highlights the trendy redeveloped Zurich West area, where “industrial decay has given way to nocturnal hedonism”.

One other reason to visit the city in 2014 is the European Athletics Championships, which it hosts in August.

There’s no direct mention of the Street Parade, the techno street party in early August billed as the biggest outdoor event in Switzerland, attracting close to a million partygoers.

But the travel guide does say that the “city by the lake has attracted revellers from across Switzerland, ensuring a Bacchanalian edge to proceedings”.

Rounding out the list of top cities are Shanghai, Vancouver, Chicago, Adelaide (Australia) and Auckland, New Zealand.

For more on the list, check here.