Main Railway Station and Alfred Escher Monument

Why is it significant?

Step out onto the spacious Bahnhofplatz and look up at the imposing neo-Renaissance sandstone facade of Zurich's Main Railway Station.

Key Facts

Open the walk

Step out onto the spacious Bahnhofplatz and look up at the imposing neo-Renaissance sandstone facade of Zurich's Main Railway Station. Before you, rising on a massive polished granite plinth, stands the bronze monument to Alfred Escher, the indisputable founding father of modern industrial Switzerland. Designed in 1871 by renowned architect Jakob Friedrich Wanner, this grand terminal stood as the triumphant symbol of Zurich's rise to national financial leadership.

Examine the allegorical figures flanking Escher's plinth: they represent the pioneering Gotthard Railway, the federal education system, and the Swiss Credit Bank. Escher recognized earlier than anyone that landlocked Switzerland would be completely bypassed by European commerce without rail transit through the high Alps. He drove the tunneling of the Saint Gotthard pass while simultaneously founding ETH Zurich to train homegrown engineers.

The station's soaring main concourse is among the largest unsupported railway halls in Europe, hosting art exhibitions, festive markets, and civic celebrations. Hovering high beneath the glass barrel ceiling floats the colorful Guardian Angel sculpture by French-Swiss artist Niki de Saint Phalle, blessing travelers with open golden wings. The beautifully preserved facades and historic stonework continue to captivate architecture enthusiasts and everyday wanderers alike. A careful stroll through these evocative lanes reveals how masterfully the city of Zurich has protected its rich urban heritage across centuries.

Accommodating almost half a million passengers and more than two thousand train arrivals daily, this is one of the busiest rail terminals on earth. Below the tracks, modern subterranean shopping arcades link the train platforms to the Limmat riverbank. Generations of proud local residents have shaped this remarkable landmark, passing its timeless stories down to present-day travelers. Throughout the surrounding neighborhoods, visitors can clearly sense the harmonious blend of historic tradition and cosmopolitan energy.

Exit the north portals of the station concourse and step directly before the fairytale spires of the Swiss National Museum.