Zürich was an independent (reichsfrei) city or city-state from 1218 to 1798. The town was fortified with a city wall from the 13th to the 17th century, and with more elaborate ramparts constructed in the 17th to 18th century and mostly demolished in the 1830s to 1870s.
The city fortifications as shown on the 1576 Murerplan are coloured in yellow
1485 depiction of the 1444 siege of Zürich during the Old Zürich War (north is right)
1581 depiction of Zürich (north is left)
Schanzengraben, Enge quarter, Zürichsee and Albis chain, as seen from the «zur Katz» ramparts (as of today the "old" Botanical Garden)
Zürich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zürich. It is located in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zürich. As of January 2023 the municipality had 443,037 inhabitants, the urban area 1.315 million (2009), and the Zürich metropolitan area 1.83 million (2011). Zürich is a hub for railways, roads, and air traffic. Both Zurich Airport and Zürich's main railway station are the largest and busiest in the country.
Image: 1 zurich panorama grossmunster limmat river 2012
Image: Zürich Switzerland Opera Zurich 01
Image: Prime Tower Night Zürich Zurich
Image: ETH Zürich im Abendlicht
