Winterthur

In the late 19th and early 20th century, local companies such as Rieter and Sulzer turned the formally quiet little town into a booming industrial city with an incredible wealth and ever-growing workforce. Diesel engines built in Winterthur powered large ships on all seven seas, while Winterthur-built textile appliances were in service worldwide.
Starting in the 1970s and 80s, blue collar jobs started to be outsourced to countries with lower wages and unemployment rose in Winterthur. Factories were standing still and entire neighborhoods turned into "ghost towns".
However, the IT and Telco boom as well as smart decisions by the local authorities have helped to redevelop those areas into new economy and urban lifestyle areas with many offices, restaurants, schools and even a go-kart racing track.
Winterthur has also positioned itself as a cultural city with many different museums, among them the Oskar Reinhart Museum am Römerholz exhibitioning modern art, the Technorama science center and the Fotostiftung Schweiz showing Swiss and European photography.

By train

There are direct trains to - from Zurich, Zurich Airport, Berne, Geneva, St. Gallen, Schaffhausen, Basel and Munich. Winterthur is only 20 minutes away from Zurich or 15 minutes from the Zurich Airport.

Timetables

• Swiss Federal Railway for national and international trains.
• Public transportation company of the Canton Zurich (local buses, boats on the lake of Zurich, trains)

By car

Use the highway from Zurich, St.Gallen, Kreuzlingen or Schaffhausen.

Public Transport

On Public Transport in the canton of Zurich is useful information on getting around and what to do in the canton of Zurich. Use the Swiss Federal Railway Site for Public transport and its fares in Switzerland.

Local car rentals

• There is Mietauto AG in Töss, take Bus 5 to the station "Schwimmbad". The car rental is on the other side of the bridge.
• Künzli Autovermietung AG at the railway station in Oberwinterthur
• Hertz is right in the city centre at the Kasernengarage.
• Miet-Transporter in Winterthur Hegi next by the MediaMarkt Shop (Hintermühlenstrasse 4, 8409 Winterthur)

There are 17 museums in Winterthur.
Here you can find more.

• Technorama - Swiss Science CentreA good place to spend a rainy day with kids. Lots of hands-on experiments. It offers an experimental environment to improve visitors' knowledge about natural phenomena in a self-directed way. There are over 500 exhibits respectively "experiment stations" and wide-ranging "laboratory facilities". Technorama claims to be "one of the largest – and on account of its quality and its exemplary informal educational function – most renowned science centres in the world".

• The Oskar Reinhart CollectionComprises around 200 works by European artists spanning the period from late Gothic to the threshold of modern art, with particular emphasis on 19th century French painting.

• Castle KyburgA castle first mentioned in 1024 now showing how people lived there around said epoch.

• Lake ZurichBoat trips on this nearby lake are enjoyable.

• CityStrollEnglish speaking tour through Winterthur including two bar stops.

• If you like football, go visit a home game of FC Winterthur at Schützenwiese, they have a nice stadium with still hand-operated result display.

The most famous school of Winterthur is the ZHAW - Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften, which offers mostly technical courses. They also offer some limited language courses. Contact them on their website, if you're interested in studying in Winterthur.

Budget

Try the Migros Restaurant (nice Wintergarden) at the Neuwiesencenter or the Coop Restaurant in the Manor Shopping Center on the 2nd floor. Both are self-service and close to the railway station.
For Take-Away food, you can also go for Migros (same place as Restaurant) and have some salad or noodles, usually around Fr. 6. They have a small coffee there, in which you're welcome to enjoy the food. They also offer Pizza, Sandwiches and other Food, like the famous Swiss "Wähe" (pie) with all kinds of taste, from sweet over salty to spicy. Give it a try, if you like some Swiss food, and not international fast-food.
McDonalds, on the other side of the bus station right at the train station, offers you the usual food you're used to everywhere. Keep in mind that a menu costs you somewhere between Fr. 11 to 14, so a visit in Migros Restaurant is usually cheaper.
Different kebab take-away places, giving you a large variety of mostly Turkish specialities. For a regular "Döner Kebap", you will pay somewhere between Fr. 7 and 8. If you like hot sandwiches, consider Papaya and Sandwiches Kandil, where you get a big, hand crafted one with your chosen ingredients for Fr. 10.

Mid-range

In the ancient part of the city, there are several good restaurants: Trübli, Rössli, Akazie, National, Strauss (all with international kitchen). Swiss specialities are available in Walliser Kanne (Fondue, Raclette) and Sonne (Roesti).

• Restaurant Tandoor

  address: Schützenstrasse 43
  Best Indian food at very affordable price. Don't forget to order Tandoori chicken.

Splurge

Schloss Wülflingen, Taggenberg

• plan b

  phone: +41 522032800
  address: Zuercherstrasse 7, 8400 Winterthur
  Stylish bar close to the mainstation.

• Fahrenheit

  phone: +41 52 202 20 00
  address: Steinberggasse 65, 8400 Winterthur
  Modern bar. Best cocktails in town. Try their whisky sour! Food at lunchtime, good vegetarian meals. Very good tea. Come early at weekends.

• Archbar

Budget

• Depot 195

  phone: +41 52 203 13 63
  address: Lagerplatz 4
  Hostel with both dorm and rooms.

Mid-range

• Hotel Ibis (From central station take bus Nr. 1 Töss-bound till "Loki")

• Park Hotel

  address: Stadthausstrasse 4
  The four star hotel enjoys a unique location in the heart of the idyllic city park, only a few steps away from Winterthur's charming old town. Also bookable online on www.SwissQualityHotels.com

Splurge

• Stadtbibliothek am Kirchplatz (City Library), Obere Kirchgasse 6. Some PC's with free access to the Internet. Lots of magazines and newspapers.

• Rhine FallsEurope's largest waterfall. Take train S33 (Winterthur-Schaffhausen), it takes about 30 minutes. From Easter to end of October get off the train at 'Schloss Laufen' otherwise leave the train at 'Neuhausen'.