Pile dwellings and Turicum

People already lived on Lake Zurich more than 6000 years ago. From about 5000 to 1000 BC they built pile dwellings. These are houses on wooden posts, called piles, on the shores of lakes and rivers. This protected people from floods and animals. Remains of these houses still lie in the water today. They are part of the UNESCO World Heritage.

Later the Romans came. They called the place where the lake flows out Turicum. The name Zurich came from this. Among other things, the Romans brought bathing culture and their language. They built public baths (thermae). Remains of a Roman bath can be seen in Zurich's old town in the Thermengasse. Other Roman names belong to other places: Vitudurum is Winterthur, Vindonissa is Windisch, Aquae Helveticae is Baden.

Memory aid: TuRIcum, ZüRIch, ZuRIgo: the Italian name Zurigo still recalls Turicum.