#317 - Zurich's Adler Hotel

2 Nights at The Adler

In November (2023) Don and I spent 2 nights at the Adler Hotel.

The cobblestone surrounding the hotel, is a reminder that we were staying right in the middle of Old Town Zurich.

No Cars

The lack of cars is another indication.

Being in a car-free area, also meant that our Uber (from the train station) couldn't deliver us to the door. Totally worth a little walk with luggage!

Public House since 1455

The Adler doesn't look that old, but the history goes back hundreds of years. Initially it was a residence, in the 11th century. Before it was a hotel it was a Public House. That sounds mighty proper, if you don't realize Pub is short for Public!

I read that by 1504, The Adler had developed a close link between the nobility and government. I guess that means important gentlemen were doing some drinking' at the pub! I also read that painted glass windows were installed. Not for decoration. The painted windows kept outsiders from viewing the conduct within!

Surprises on the Building

I didn't spot any painted glass when approaching the building, but I was pleasantly surprised as I got closer and my weary eyes began to focus. 

From a distance the pale colors looked like a blemish... or smudged repairs, on the building. Suddenly my eyes took in all the spires and towers of Old Town Zurich!
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Surprises on  Balconies

To the left of the wall mural, there was a line-up of balconies.

I believe only 4 of the 52 rooms have balconies. We weren't those lucky guests who had a balcony, decorated wth lights and wrapped packages. I mostly wanted the balcony, with the special blue decoration!

A Cow Named Heidi

In 1998 a delightful blue cow was added to the lower balcony. Her name is Heidi, which delights me! Heidi is the name of our daughter. 

Some might not be honored to share a name with a cow. But cows are sort of a symbol of peace & harmony, in Switzerland. And our daughter (with the Swiss name) has Swiss roots on her dad's side. Plus, her maternal grandmother (called "Moo" by many) had a fondness for cows. It all fits! 

Below Heidi

Heidi (and the front of the hotel) faced a little square. The hotel's Suisse Chuchi Restaurant, had quite a few cafe tables set up for dining. The "Fondue Parlor" (as it's called) opened in 1952. It was the first of its kind, when it opened in Old Town, over 7 decades ago.

Our Texas blood was too thin for Swiss temps in November, even with wool blankets!

Around the Corner

Just around the corner we found another Heidi surprise, on the building.

This Heidi wasn't out of reach, so I could do a little pose. I gave the sweet cow face a tickle on the chin, before moving a bit further down the side street to the hotel entrance.  

Nothing Grand

The entrance to The Adler wasn't exactly grand, which was fine. But I was disappointed when I couldn't find the "stand up dog bar" (that I'd read about) on the exterior of the building. Where is that fancy doggy fountain that honors all dogs, pets and strays?  

Once inside the little lobby, we checked in with a very business-like staff member. She let me know that the 4 (slot-like) holes I'd seen near the door, were the remains of the dog fountain. It was ruined and removed after a storm.

Stair Adventures

We had an elevator to reach our room, but we mostly used the decorated stairs, off the lobby. 

The granite stairway certainly didn't give me any hints about the hotel's earliest years. I'm guessing this staircase was added with the hotel's reconstruction, in the 1950s.

Enjoying the Climb

I love a little stair-climbing drama, when staying in a hotel. Creaky or spiraling, grand or hidden. These stairs weren't unusual, but they offered some entertainment.

A window on the first landing offered a view of the street below. 

More Views

The rest of the climb gave me glimpses of Old Town Zurich. But these were illustrated views! 

Besides wall murals, there was framed artwork on the walls to admire.

My photo sort of tricks the eye. You can see the sitting area below, but is it  painted or real?

Imaginary Courtyard

When booking online, I studied website photos. The "Courtyard" images seemed a little whimsical and confusing. 

In person, it was easy to see how 3 walls were painted to create an inside courtyard. 

The cafe chairs allowed me to actually put myself right into the scene. But sadly,  I couldn't put the white kitty in my lap!

As we climbed the stairs, the building views changed. A little further up, Don could talk to imaginary people in the windows across the courtyard. He could have... but he didn't. That's the kind of thing I do.

Artist, Heinz Blum

As we rose higher, (towards the skylight) we could look across at the rooftops and spires. All of this was created by artist, Heinz Blum in 1997. 

Mr. Blum wasn't the first artist to paint the walls of the Adler Hotel.

Self Portrait of Rudolf Koller

Rudolf Koller was the first. He scribbled and painted images on the hotel walls, when he was just a tot. Rudolf's father was the innkeeper. The hotel (which housed mostly cattle dealers) was the young boy's home. 

Koller didn't scribble like most kids. He was an observant and creative child who studied all the cows and horses that stayed in the hotel's stables. As a very young boy, he painted what he observed, on slates and cupboard doors and walls. He is now considered the best Swiss painter of animals and landscape.
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Lounge Area
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​Many of Koller's paintings are on display, on the walls of the hotel. 

This comfortable sitting area had many. I should have counted all the cows! ​

The Gotthard Post

Out of all Koller's paintings, this one with its action packed scene, is the most famous.

It's the only Koller  painting in the hotel that is a copy. The original from 1873, is in the Zurich Museum of Art. I want it to be my favorite, but I worry too much for the calf, who might soon be trampled!

Surrounded by Cows

From Heidi on the balcony to all of Koller's cows inside, I felt like we were staying in a cow themed hotel... in the classiest way.

Oh how my mom would have loved this place!

We teased my mom because she loved cows so much. She definitely passed down her cow appreciation, to all of her calves!

We loved buying cow gifts for Moo! There are fun stories behind...

... Elsie the Cow and the antique print titled, "The Jersey Mother".

It was nice to have the sitting area to lounge a bit and take in some of the art.

Bahnhof Room?
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I just have to share a photo of the pristine and boring hall to our room. Where were the old beams and creaky floors? Maybe higher floors revealed more historic features. ?

There was a nifty little plaque outside our door, though. I like rooms that have a name along with a number. What/who was Bahnhof?

Comfy Room at the Inn

Our room wasn't huge, but there was a very traditional and cozy feel to the Bahnhof Room.

The textured wall with wood beams made me curious. Old? It looked like our bed was tucked up beneath a wall of icy snow.

We were a little amused by the separate comforters. It sort of looked like we each had our own pillowy bed-pad. Don called his "my postage stamp comforter". Mine was comfy and worked just fine... but I'm not 6'2".

Pillow Surprises

I spotted goodies on the pillows right away. A cute little card with the traditional Swiss Paper Cut design. Lots of cows in the black & white design. 

We each had a little Bischof Berger "cookie" as well. I do love a sweet surprise. And yes, there was a cow featured on the decorated wrap!

​The Window

​There was only one window, but it had a nice view of the courtyard.

The window opened and would have been pleasant on a warm evening. 

​Here's  photo of the courtyard from below. A few cafes opened up to the shady area.

In summer, we could have enjoyed some good people-watching, from our window.

Bathroom

There's not much to say about the bathroom. It was small and perfectly clean.

But I still appreciate having hotel bathrooms, when in Europe. My first memories of hotels in Europe, were all about sharing with strangers... down the hall. Terrifying, to 11-year-old-Beth!

Treats in the Room

We only had 2 nights at the Adler, so we mostly dined out. However, our 2 little chairs and the windowsill made a nice breakfast spot, one morning. Coffee and sweets from Ass-Bar! Yep, the name's on the cup.

I wasn't sure what that meant, but learned later that "Ass-Bar" shops serve day-old and discounted pastries. Hmm? They tasted just fine... since I didn't know that.

In the evening, we enjoyed a little Swiss Pinot Noir, on the windowsill! Nice!

Desk and Map

The narrow desk area was packed with helpful stuff. Tea kettle, phone, charging area and a TV, above the discreet fridge.

Above a modern wooden light strip, was a map of Zurich. That was actually pretty handy, since we did a lot of wandering.

Not Just Decoration

​Each guest room displayed a printed map, created by the hotel's mural painter, Heinz Blum. 

Our map had 2 circles. A statue was circled on ours. The word Bahnhof was circled below the print. 

Bahnhof!!

So that's why our room was named Bahnhof! Each of the 52 guest rooms had its own wall mural that coordinated with the area circled on the map.

For 2 nights, I slept right beside the painted arch and statue. Sadly with all our wanderings, we never came upon this Bahnhof scene in person.

​Wanderings in Old Zurich 

Below is a slideshow of the lovely little area surrounding our hotel.

Besides the quaint buildings, I loved the old water fountains, that offer clean drinking water.  And the window shopping was delightful!

Limmat River

We had one full day for exploring and it was sunny! Just a short walk from our hotel, took us to Limit River. We wandered along the bank, towards Lake Zurich.

We warmed up inside a couple times, with a lunch stop at Baur au Lac Hotel and a coffee break, inside the Connelli Circus tent! 

Adler's Swiss Chuchi

After a beautiful day exploring Zurich, Don and I enjoyed our last meal at the hotel.

Temps were in the thirties and the cafe tables were empty.

We made reservations for 8:00 and headed for the street entrance, which had no line for a change. Notice more Heinz Blum artwork!

The multi-leveled cafe was warm and full of happy diners. Smells of cheese filled the cozy space.  Luckily I like the smell of cheese. 

I loved our  placemat, with more Swiss paper cut art AND a fondue fork!

The cafe was filled with Christmas decorations. The knotty pine walls displayed lots of traditional Swiss goodies. A cuckoo clock right above me!

Nutmeg and paprika holders reminded me that I was in Switzerland.

Our menu reminded me of some of the books I had as a child. I half expected the red words printed on the linen cover, to read, "Heidi".

Our waiter in his red checked shirt was very busy. He took our orders and rushed off, without much chat.

Don's order of Pork Curry, came with banana and pineapple. 

I ordered the traditional fondue with 4 cheeses, white wine, cherry liquor and garlic. It arrived with 2 fondue forks  luckily. I needed help!

The red fondue pot sat on the burner, keeping the cheese bubbly hot. When I could eat no more, I turned off the burner.

Suddenly our waiter arrived and let us know we left the best part in the pot.  He took a fork and skillfully scraped the hardened mass off the bottom!

It was indeed delicious, but so rich and I was so full.

We finished up and headed outside to wander the street a bit, on our last night in Zurich.

Before heading back to the hotel entrance, my eyes were drawn to the spotlighted metal design on our hotel's corner. One last surprise! I hadn't noticed it before. 

Morning Surprise

We had to head off for the airport in the early morning. What a sweet treat to look out and see snow.

The big wet flakes reminded me of how lucky we were that our one full day for exploring, had been bright and sunny!

What's Notable?

Our Swiss hotel didn't look like a chalet. It had no view of mountains. The incredible history of the building was hidden behind modern renovations. The staff was more polite and proper, when I would have preferred warm and friendly. But, I loved our stay! I'll always have fond memories of this chocolate milk colored hotel!

The charm of the area was beyond what I could have hoped for. The fondue experience will always be a part of what I remember. And despite the no nonsense feel of the renovated building, it was filled with little surprises that delighted me. Koller's cows and Blum's courtyard murals! Our room was comfy and sweet. I hope to return!
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