Brilliant hues of red and yellow blur past me as I pedal my bike along the meandering River Limmat. It’s autumn here in Zürich, and the tall trees lining the gravel path have donned the rich colors of the season. I pass a woman in a buttoned sweater who is sitting in the grass, reading a novel. Then a man in a business suit zooms past on a scooter, a smile on his face as he heads to destinations unknown.

Further down, the gurgle of the river is drowned out by a group of children playing along the river bank. They call to each other in the German dialect that is found here in Zürich, but I struggle to understand their words. Even though I speak German, the Swiss have dozens of dialects and each one is different.

Such distinctive dialects reflect years of isolation. For centuries, the regions of this alpine land were separated from each other — and the world. Although Zürich’s roots go back to 15 BC when the Romans erected a customs station on Lindenhof, one of the town hills, it wasn’t until 1848 that the cantons of Switzerland united in confederation. Even today, there is still a friendly, competitive spirit between the 26 cantons.

Tidy is a word that describes this city in general. Colorful window boxes adorn the brick apartment buildings, while further out in the suburbs, many homes have small gardens out back, with nary a weed or plant out of place. The streets have the usual traffic — after all, with 365,000 residents and almost a million people in the surrounds, Zürich is the country’s biggest city — but there is no honking, and cars stop politely for pedestrians in the crosswalks.

Yet Zürich has grown past Heidi-land clichés into a world-class, international destination. A rich influx of immigration has changed the city face. Locals of all skin tones fill the streets, reflecting rich heritages that stem from all over the world.

Zürich enjoys a beautiful location on the edge of Lake Zürich, with green Alps rising nearby. The River Limmat winds through town, dividing the city in half. Colorful window boxes adorn the brick apartment buildings, while farther out in the suburbs, many homes have small gardens out back, with nary a weed or plant out of place.

With 365,000 residents and almost a million people in the surrounds, Zürich is the country’s biggest city. Although the city’s roots go back to 15 BC, it wasn’t until 1848 that the cantons of Switzerland united in confederation. Today, Zürich is a world-class, international destination. A rich influx of immigration has changed the city’s face. It’s not uncommon to find Chinese or Lebanese cuisine for offer next to a Swiss restaurant selling traditional schnitzel and rösti (hash brown potato cakes).

The River Limmat winds its way through the Old Town; Lake Zürich and the Central Swiss Alps are in the distance.

Once known as a banking and business center, the city has slowly reinvented itself. Evidence of this renaissance is best viewed in Züri West (West Zürich). The once-abandoned structures of this former manufacturing area have been transformed into fashionable restaurants, shops and apartments.

I park my bike at the Schiffbau, a former boat-manufacturing facility that is now one of the hottest spots in town. It’s still early morning, and I wander past La Salle Restaurant, where they are laying fresh white linens on the tables. I peer into Moods, a tiny jazz bar, and into the windows of a theater. From there, I pedal over to the former Löwenbrau brewery plant, which now houses five art galleries and three museums.

Zipping around Zürich by bicycle is enjoyable, and it’s a good idea, since parking spaces are hard to come by. There are numerous bike lanes along the wide, clean streets. For a refundable deposit of CHF 20 (about US$ 16), visitors can obtain a bike for free at the bike station behind the Hauptbahnhof (main train station).

The best city transportation value is the Zürich Card, which gives access to all forms of public transport (bus, trams and ferries), as well as free entrance to 43 museums. The card costs CHF 15 (US$ 12) for 24 hours and CHF 30 (US$ 24) for 72 hours. I’ve also bought Eurail’s Swiss Pass, which allows me to go anywhere in Switzerland during a 7-day time period.