Visit ETH Zürich

Before becoming one of the most influential experimental physicists of the 20th century, Otto Stern was part of the academic community at ETH Zurich.
In 1913, Stern followed Albert Einstein to Zurich and became a Privatdozent in Physical Chemistry at ETH Zurich. During this formative period, he worked as Einstein’s scientific assistant and engaged with some of the most important scientific questions of the emerging quantum era.
Stern later became a pioneer of experimental atomic physics. His research led to the development of the molecular beam method, a breakthrough technique that transformed the study of atoms and molecules. In 1943, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for his contributions to the molecular ray method and for discovering the magnetic moment of the proton.
Today, ETH Zurich recognizes Otto Stern among its Nobel Prize laureates, reflecting the lasting impact of his scientific achievements and his connection to the institution.

The new ETH Zurich To Go brochure is the ideal companion for anyone wishing to explore ETH Zurich independently. Designed as a compact and informative guide, it offers a curated introduction to the university’s campuses, history, architecture, and scientific achievements.

Inside, readers will find fascinating facts and background information, recommendations for must-see locations, and a practical orientation map covering both the Zentrum and Hönggerberg campuses. Whether you are a prospective student, a visitor, or simply interested in learning more about one of the world’s leading universities, the brochure provides a clear and engaging way to discover ETH Zurich.

Flora Ruchat-Roncati maintained a lifelong relationship with ETH Zurich: first as an architecture student, and later as one of its most influential academic voices. After completing her studies there, she returned to ETH and, in 1985, became the first woman appointed full professor of architecture in the institution’s history.
During her tenure (1985–2002), she played a decisive role in redefining architectural education at ETH. Her teaching and research emphasized infrastructure, landscape, and large-scale territorial thinking areas that were not traditionally central in architectural discourse at the time. She co-led important design studios, including work on the Gotthard region, encouraging students to approach architecture as a synthesis of engineering, geography, and cultural context.
Ruchat-Roncati also contributed to broadening the intellectual and social framework of the school. She supported interdisciplinary collaboration and helped open space for discussions around the role of women in architecture - an important cultural shift within ETH Zurich. Through her academic leadership, she influenced generations of architects and helped position ETH Zurich as a place where architecture engages critically with both environment and society.
Her legacy at ETH Zurich remains not only institutional but pedagogical: a model of rigorous, context-driven design thinking that continues to resonate in the school today.

Explore ETH Zurich with three self-guided audio tours, accessible directly in your browser. No app required. Each tour lasts 60–90 minutes and is available in German and English.

“Albert Einstein and ETH” takes you through the main building, tracing the footsteps of Einstein and offering insight into his time at the university.
“The Feminine Side of Science” explores the Hönggerberg campus, highlighting the role of women in ETH’s 160-year history and sharing perspectives from female students and professors.
“Nutrition at its roots” introduces current research in agricultural and nutritional sciences, from plant genetics to global food systems.

All tours are designed with accessibility in mind, including audio guidance, subtitles, and wheelchair-friendly routes. Please check building opening hours and bring headphones.

Voiceover AI generated

Paul Feyerabend (1924–1994) was an Austrian philosopher of science who taught at ETH Zurich and became one of the most provocative voices in 20th-century thought.
He is best known for his idea that there is no single scientific method. In his famous phrase “anything goes,” Feyerabend argued that progress in science often comes from breaking rules rather than following them. For him, creativity, diversity of ideas, and even contradiction were essential to discovery.
During his time at ETH Zurich, he influenced generations of students to think critically about science not as a fixed system, but as a dynamic and human process shaped by culture, politics, and imagination.
His work remains controversial, but also highly relevant today, especially in discussions about knowledge, authority, and intellectual freedom.

The iconic dome of the Main Building of ETH Zürich was not part of the original 1864 design by Gottfried Semper. It was added around 1919/20 during a major expansion led by Swiss architect Gustav Gull, who served as Professor of Architecture at ETH from 1895 to 1929.
Born in Zurich in 1858, Gull became one of the most influential representatives of Historicism in Switzerland. His architectural language drew strongly on Italian Renaissance and Baroque traditions, combining monumentality, axial symmetry and rich decorative programs with urban presence. During the extension of the ETH Main Building between 1914 and 1925, Gull replaced the originally planned flat hipped roof over the central tract with a representative rotunda and dome. This intervention transformed the building’s silhouette and established the dome as a visible symbol of the institution’s growing scientific ambition and self-confidence in the early twentieth century.
Beyond ETH, Gull shaped Zurich’s cityscape with major public buildings, including the Schweizerisches Landesmuseum near the main station and the Stadthaus Zürich. His work reflects a period in which architecture was understood not merely as construction, but as a civic and cultural statement.

Voiceover: AI generated