Where to stay in Zurich: the best neighbourhoods and hotels

West of the River Limmat, the old town climbs to the Lindenhof, a quiet, lime-shaded terrace with the best view in the centre. Below it are the Fraumünster, with its Chagall windows, St Peter’s enormous clock face and a web of lanes full of chocolatiers and watchmakers. One block over, Bahnhofstrasse runs dead straight from the station to the lake, lined with the kind of shops that do not display prices.

The hotels are as polished as you would expect. One sits right on the riverbank, two minutes from Bahnhofstrasse, with views over the Limmat and the old town roofs. Another is stitched together from nine medieval houses, with seven centuries of history in its walls. A third, in the heart of the city, has some of Zurich's largest suites. It's the classic choice, and priced like one.

Cross the river and the old town loosens its tie. Niederdorf, known locally as the Dörfli, is a pedestrian warren of old guild houses, bookshops, bars and restaurants beneath the twin towers of the Grossmünster. It's where visitors and locals alike end up in the evening, usually with something melted and cheesy in front of them.

Hotels here are small, independent and good value by Zurich standards. There's a boutique hotel five minutes' walk from both the lake and Bahnhofstrasse, another a short stroll from the Lindenhof, and a personally run place where tradition meets a modern touch. Theatres, galleries and the Kunsthaus art museum are close by. Rooms can be compact; the location makes up for it.

Zurich's main station is the best-connected spot in the country. The airport is a ten-minute train ride away, and Lucerne, Bern and the mountains are all within easy reach, which makes this the obvious base if Zurich is the start of a bigger Swiss trip.

It's also far more pleasant than most station districts. Bahnhofstrasse begins right outside, and the Swiss National Museum, a mock castle full of treasures, is next door. Hotels include a century-old institution directly across from the station, a traditional first-class hotel on Bahnhofstrasse, and a newer set of rooms and suites five minutes' walk from the museum.

Where the Limmat flows out of Lake Zurich, the city opens up. Swans patrol the quays, steamers set off for the far shore, and in summer half the population is in the water at one of the wooden bathing pavilions. The Opera House stands at Bellevue, and beyond it leafy Seefeld stretches along the eastern shore, full of good restaurants.

The hotels are among the finest in the city. One, still family-run after seven generations, sits in its own park with views of the lake and the Alps. Others include a glamorous lakefront five-star, a small luxury hotel a short walk from the Opera and the promenade, and a stylish four-star in the heart of Seefeld. In warm weather, there is nowhere better.

Zurich West is the city's former industrial quarter, and it has been busy reinventing itself. Shipbuilding halls now house theatres and restaurants, railway arches hold boutiques and food stalls, and contemporary museums and clubs have moved in alongside global companies. Closer to the station, Langstrasse is the nightlife strip, a little gritty, very lively.

Hotels here are younger and more playful. Two design hotels, one beside the main station on Langstrasse itself and one deeper into the district, are full of colour and local art. There's also a four-star with a pool, a gym and a hidden courtyard terrace, 15 minutes from both the airport and downtown. Trams reach the old town in about ten minutes.

The wooded hills that frame Zurich are where the city goes to breathe. The Zürichberg, on the eastern side, is its most desirable address, home to grand villas, the zoo and forest paths that start where the tram lines end.

The hotels up here are destinations in themselves. The most famous is a turreted grand hotel with a huge spa, a golf course and tennis courts. A quieter four-star nearby has views over the city, the lake and the mountains, a short tram ride from the centre. And on the opposite hillside, a flamboyant newcomer with a rooftop nightclub and an outdoor pool is doing its best to liven things up.

Zurich Airport is unusually close to town, around ten minutes by train from the main station, so staying here is no hardship. The Circle, a striking new complex beside the terminals, has shops, restaurants and a smart hotel of its own.

Other options cluster in Kloten and Glattbrugg, a couple of kilometres away, with shuttles and tram links: reliable four-stars with spas, saunas and conference rooms, many of them a few minutes from the terminal. Choose the airport for a dawn flight or a ski-trip stopover. Otherwise, the city is the better bet.

Winterthur is Zurich's low-key neighbour: a former industrial town with a large, car-free old town and a clutch of art museums that would be the envy of cities ten times its size. Trains reach central Zurich in about 19 minutes and the airport in 15.

Hotels are fewer but noticeably kinder on the wallet. There's a boutique hotel in the pedestrian old town, a modern one right at the railway station two minutes from the shops, and a four-star with spa treatments beside the park. It works well for travellers who like their evenings quiet.