Zurich West and Im Viadukt

Zurich West, the district around the Escher-Wyss-Platz in Kreis 5, is where to see the creative side of a city better known for banks and chocolate. Until the late twentieth century it was Zurich's industrial heart, where ships were built, engines assembled and beer brewed, and when the factories closed, artists, designers, restaurateurs and clubs moved into the halls, followed by offices and housing. The result is a lively, walkable quarter of converted industrial buildings and bold new architecture, and it rewards an afternoon and evening. The best place to start is Im Viadukt, a long stretch of stone railway arches carrying the line out of the main station, whose vaults have been turned into small shops, design boutiques, cafes and the Markthalle, an indoor food market with local cheese, bread, meat and produce and a restaurant; a path on top of the viaduct gives a green walk above the street. Near the Hardbruecke station stands the Freitag flagship store, a tower of stacked, rusty shipping containers built by the Zurich brand that makes bags from used truck tarpaulins; you can climb to the top for a view of the tracks and the city. Opposite rises the Prime Tower, 126 metres high and Switzerland's tallest building when it opened, with the Clouds restaurant and bar near the top. The Schiffbau, the former shipbuilding hall of the Escher Wyss company, now houses a stage of the Schauspielhaus Zurich, a restaurant and a jazz club, and the Lichthalle Maag hosts concerts and events. The Loewenbraeu-Areal, a former brewery, holds contemporary art spaces including the Kunsthalle Zurich and the Migros Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Toni-Areal, a huge former dairy, is home to the Zurich University of the Arts and the Museum fuer Gestaltung. In summer, Frau Gerolds Garten, a city garden built of containers by the tracks, is the hip place for a drink. In the evening, the district has some of Zurich's best bars and clubs, from the Langstrasse area to the converted halls.

How to explore: take tram 4, 13 or 17 to Escher-Wyss-Platz, or the S-Bahn to Hardbruecke. Walk the length of Im Viadukt, stopping at the Markthalle for lunch, then cross to the Freitag tower and climb it, look up at the Prime Tower, and continue to the Schiffbau and the Loewenbraeu-Areal for galleries. In the evening, have a drink at the top of the Prime Tower or in one of the bars around the Josefwiese, a neighbourhood park. The loop is about three kilometres on foot.

When to go: weekdays and Saturdays, when the shops and market are open; on Sundays most shops in Switzerland are closed, although some cafes and galleries open. Evenings from Thursday to Saturday are liveliest. In summer, outdoor spaces such as Frau Gerolds Garten and the Josefwiese come alive; in winter, the market halls, galleries and restaurants make it a good cold-weather afternoon.

Who it suits: travellers interested in design, architecture, food and contemporary culture, couples looking for a stylish evening, and repeat visitors who have seen the Old Town. Families may enjoy the Freitag tower and the Markthalle, but the area is more about shopping, food and nightlife than sights. It is ten minutes from the main station by tram, and the 25hours Hotel Langstrasse is a good base nearby.