Goldcoast (Switzerland)

The so-called Swiss Goldcoast (Ger. Goldküste) is the name given to the lower right shore of the Lake of Zürich. This prosperous region lies on the north-eastern shore of the lake and thus benefits from the evening sun. The Goldcoast is noted for its low tax rate and high property prices. The sunny south-western slopes of the Pfannenstiel mountain are given over to wine growing. The opposite left shore, however, is derisively dubbed ‘the Sniffle Coast’ (Swiss German dialect ‘Pfnüselküste’) because its topography and north-easterly aspect mean that it lies in the shadow of its own mountains – a state of affairs which often occurs in the early winter evenings and in contrast to the Goldcoast, which remains bathed in sunshine.