It is a major manufacturing and commercial center. Zurich lies on Lake Zurich, along the Limmat River. Switzerland Zurich has many architectural treasures. Bahnhofstrasse, a famous avenue, is flanked by stone palaces built in the 1800's that house Swiss banks, insurance companies, luxury stores, and fancy hotels. Zurich's schools include the Swiss Institute of Technology and the University of Zurich, the largest university in Switzerland.
Products made in Zurich include machine tools, paper, radios, and textiles.
The city is one of the world's financial centers and a hub of the international gold trade. According to archaeological evidence, a prehistoric settlement existed near Zurich, on the lake. The Romans built a fort at Zurich, possibly in the late A.D. 100's. In 1351, Zurich united with other Swiss areas in a political alliance called the Swiss Confederation, which became modern Switzerland. New textile manufacturing and machine industries contributed to Zurich's growth in the 1800's.