Niederdorf — universally shortened to "Dörfli" by locals — is the warren of narrow medieval streets on the right (east) bank of the Limmat, between the Hauptbahnhof and Bellevueplatz. It is pedestrianised, lively at all hours, and the social heart of the old town. Most of Zurich's bars, late-night kebab shops, small theatres, and tourist restaurants are here.
The main spine — Niederdorfstrasse — is busy and unmistakably touristic, but the side alleys (Spiegelgasse, Schlüsselgasse, Rindermarkt) are quieter and full of small bookshops, independent design stores, and old guild houses. Lenin lived at Spiegelgasse 14 from 1916 until he left for Russia in 1917; the building is marked with a plaque. The James Joyce Pub, the original Café Odeon (where Joyce, Lenin and Mussolini all drank), and the Cabaret Voltaire of the Dadaists are all within a few minutes' walk.