Winterthur

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For other uses, see Winterthur (disambiguation).

Coordinates: 47°30′N, 8°45′E

Winterthur
Country Switzerland Coat of Arms of Winterthur
Canton Zurich
District Winterthur
47°30′N, 8°45′E
Population 99,412  (2008)
  - Density 1,463 /km² (3,790 /sq.mi.)
Area 67.93 km² (26.2 sq mi)
Elevation 439 m (1,440 ft)
  - Highest 687 m - Hulmen
  - Lowest 393 m - Kläranlage Hard
Postal code 8400
Mayor (list) Ernst Wohlwend (as of 2008) SPS/PSS
Localities Stadt (city), Mattenbach, Oberwinterthur, Seen, Töss, Veltheim and Wülflingen
Surrounded by
(view map)		 Brütten, Dinhard, Elsau, Hettlingen, Illnau-Effretikon, Kyburg, Lindau, Neftenbach, Oberembrach, Pfungen, Rickenbach, Schlatt, Seuzach, Wiesendangen, Zell
Twin towns Hall in Tirol (Austria), La Chaux-de-Fonds (Switzerland), Pilsen (Czech Republic), Yverdon-les-Bains (Switzerland)
Website www.stadt-winterthur.ch

Winterthur (pronounced: Ger. /vɪn:tər,tur/, Eng. /,tʊər/) is a city in the canton of Zurich in northern Switzerland. It has an estimated population of ca. 100'000 and is the sixth largest and one of the fastest growing cities in Switzerland. In the local dialect and by its inhabitants, it is usually abbreviated to Winti. Today Winterthur is a service and high tech industry centre, but many people make use of its proximity to Zurich, which is only 18 minutes by train.

Winterthur is connected to Germany and Italy by direct trains and enjoys excellent links to Zurich Airport. It is also a regional transportation hub: the A1 motorway from Geneva through to St. Margrethen connects in Winterthur with the A4 motorway heading north toward Schaffhausen and the A7 motorway heading close to the Swiss-German border at Kreuzlingen. There are also roads leading to other places such as Turbenthal. The Station of Winterthur is one of the highest frequent Stations of Switzerland. FC Winterthur is the local football side.

Contents

[edit] History

During Roman times the city was known as Vitudurum. The counts of Kyburg founded the city in 1175. The charter included extensive privileges for the town. In 1264 the Habsburg family inherited Winterthur. They sold it to the city of Zurich in 1467.

[edit] Geography

[edit] Topography

Winterthur is located at 47°30′00″N, 8°45′00″E at an elevation of 439 meters (1,440 ft). The city is located in a basin south and east of the Töss river. The Eulach, a little river, flows in the middle by the city, because of this the town is called "Eulach-City". Zurich lies about twenty miles southwest of Winterthur.

[edit] Demographics

As of December 2005 the population of Winterthur is 92,963.

[edit] Economy

Economically, Winterthur was one of the homes of Switzerland's rail industry and an industrial centre. The rail industry and other heavy industry have largely disappeared. Amongst the most significant companies was Sulzer Brothers, today's Sulzer Ltd., Sulzer AG, commonly abbreviated to Sulzer. Textile production declined even earlier on. Also the Rieter company come from Winterthur.

Winterthur
Winterthur

Switzerland's largest bank, and one of the world's large banks, Union Bank of Switzerland (UBS), since 1998 UBS AG, was also founded in Winterthur.

Among other commercial organizations, Winterthur was home to Switzerland's largest insurance business "Winterthur Insurance". Until 2006, the company was the largest in Switzerland and was in Europe's top 10. On January 1, 2007 the Winterthur company was officially acquired by the French AXA group and is now known as AXA Winterthur.

[edit] Education

The town is renowned for its institute of higher education Technikum, which is the largest school of technology in Switzerland. The institute has recently teamed up with schools from Zurich and is now known as Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften (ZHAW).

[edit] Culture

The city hall Stadthaus, in which the concerts of the Musikkollegium take place, was built by Gottfried Semper.

Musikfestwochen, in late August and early September, sees Winterthur’s Old Town taken over for live music of all kinds, in the street and bars as well as in concert venues. Its chamber orchestra, Orchester Musikkollegium Winterthur, which also plays at the Zurich Opera is exceptional.

The city church of Winterthur, a local landmark
The city church of Winterthur, a local landmark

The church of St. Laurenz in the city centre dates from 1264, the town hall was built in 1781, the assembly hall in 1865.

In 1989, Winterthur received the Wakker Prize for the development and preservation of its architectural heritage.

[edit] Tourism

Winterthur is not known as a classic tourist hotspot, as other destinations in Switzerland. As a result Winterthur does not offer a wide range of hotels to choose from.

Nevertheless Winterthur is mentioned in most tourist guides for its numerous museums, many of which offer world class art. The most famous are:

  1. Oskar Reinhart Collections - Am Römerholz
  2. Oskar Reinhart Collections - Am Stadtgarten
  3. Kunstmuseum Winterthur
  4. Villa Flora
  5. Fotomuseum Winterthur
  6. Technorama
Winterthur
Winterthur

[edit] Gastronomy

Winterthur's gastronomical scene has evolved significantly over the past 10 years. Following the trend of the locals to dine out more frequently and the rising desire for exotic food, Winterthur offers a wide range of restaurant types. Although the classic cool restaurant type, very popular in other destination, has not yet caught on, some restaurants as the “National”, the vegetarian “Tibits” or Switzerland’s first “Wagamama”, try to fill the void.

A very distinctive venue is the “Club zur Geduld”, unfortunately for tourists, a members only restaurant/bar modeled after the classic English gentlemen clubs, located in the heart of the old town. Just a few steps away you will find another Winterthur classic, the wine club “Meinweinkeller”, which invites everybody to wine and dine on Thursdays in a beautiful 17th century townhouse.
On the outskirts of the city you will find arguably the best restaurant, “Taggenberg”, offering modern cuisine. Not far from it is the 16th century “Schloss Wülflingen” which is currently being renovated.

[edit] External links

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Municipalities in the district of Winterthur, Switzerland
Coat of Arms of the Canton of Zürich
Canton of Zürich | Districts of Canton Zürich | Municipalities of the canton of Zurich