Zurich is situated in the very heart of Europe and at the foot of the Swiss Alps, and is the ideal base from which to explore Swit zerland . Zurich unites creative city life and idyllic scenery within the smallest of areas. Water is omnipresent in Zurich. Lake Zurich, around which the city is built, and the River Limmat, which winds its way past Old Town buildings and through up-and-coming urban quarters, lend it a refreshing Mediterranean ambiance.