Leaving my Zürich hotel room on a beautiful sunny Saturday morning I'm faced with a classic question that faces all air-travelling shoppers - just how heavy is the luggage allowance again? Luckily for me, a well-seasoned Zürich shopper, I travel light, knowing that my suitcase is likely to be bulging on the return trip. So I head off to the charming old Niederdorf district, with its narrow, winding cobbled streets filled with an intriguing mixture of boutiques, shops and cafes. It's good to get going here early, as many shops in this area will be shut by 4pm on Saturday, although shops in the nearby RailCity stay open until 8pm.
I first head to the Rindermarkt, set off the main street, the Niederdorfstrasse, and into Foxx gallery to browse its fun collection of pop art, and then wander into the charming Züriblume, which is set in the impressive cellars of a 700-year old tower. This atmospheric, family-run furniture shop is filled with beautifully refurbished old pharmacy cabinets, children's toys and Biedermeier-style chairs. But a chair isn't going to cut it at check-in, so I drop into the fashion boutique Thema Selection, which is set in an old butcher's shop. I then take a stroll down Predigergasse, a street filled with boutiques selling everything from hats to collectible comics, all set among pretty houses, bikes and flowers.
The Niederdorf area covers both sides of Zürich's Limmat river. The boutiques in its streets around the Bahnhofstrasse, Zürich's most famous shopping street, are more geared towards shoppers drawn here by the big-name brands. Here, the likes of Tom Ford and Gucci sit alongside Swiss boutiques such as Les Trois Pommes and Swiss department store Globus, which cater for the luxurious lifestyle of many locals. Just at the end of Bahnhofstrasse is the chaotic Bürkliplatz flea market, held on Saturdays, which is a fun contrast to its well-heeled neighbour. I wander around enjoying the atmosphere and pick up some genuine Prada ... at a bargain price.
But hungry for something more edgy I jump on tram 13 to district 5, which is home to some real local shopping secrets. I first pop into the Gloss, which carries all the latest street-fashion brands. It's then easy to find Freitag as its nearby store is a tower built from old shipping containers. Come 5pm my last stop is just next door at Bogen 33, a treasure trove of 20th century designer furniture, where I'm offered coffee as I try on some weird sunglasses and ponder whether their cool letter lights will fit into hand luggage.
