Niederdorf

Niederdorf is Zürich's right-bank old-town quarter: a tight medieval lane network of half-timbered houses, cobblestone alleys, and a concentration of traditional Zürcher Beizen, coffeehouses, and intimate performance venues. For centuries it served as the commercial and social center for guild craftsmen, innkeepers, and merchants on the eastern side of the Limmat. By the 20th century, Niederdorfstrasse had become the city's main artery for nightlife, lined with cabaret venues and basement theaters that still operate today. During the day the quarter rewards slow exploration through secondhand bookshops and vintage boutiques; after dark the gaslit alley atmosphere offers a deliberate counterpoint to the polished retail of Bahnhofstrasse.

Pedestrianized quarter east of the Limmat with cafés, antiquarian bookshops and pâtisseries.