Spring Zurich
City Trip Ideas

In Zurich, city life and idyllic nature are very close together. Picnics, chatting, reading, walking and relaxing. Around 70 parks and green spaces are available in Zurich. These include fragrant botanical gardens, Chinese gardens, baroque parks and stately historical parks. All open to the public. Rieterpark is Zurich's largest and most impressive park. The lakeside promenade is a popular promenade along the quays on the lower basin of Lake Zurich. The Riviera on the upper part of Lake Zurich, the rose city of Rapperswil, awaits with southern charm. Over 20,000 roses bloom here from May to October in the rose gardens near the Capuchin monastery and on the "Schanz". On the Uetliberg and Zürichberg mountains, above Lake Walen or by the impressive Rhine Falls, you will find garden terraces with restaurants and marvellous views.

Zurich offers a diverse selection of museums. From the important modern art collection at the Kunsthaus Zürich to contemporary masterpieces at the Löwenbräu-Areal and non-European art at the Museum Rietberg. The Musée Visionnaire is dedicated to Art Brut and the Museum Haus Konstruktiv exhibits important works of constructive-concrete and conceptual art. The Le Corbusier Pavilion is situated in a beautiful location on Lake Zurich. A total work of art and architectural jewel. In the Photobastei, visitors can actively engage with photography, and just a few steps from Zurich's main railway station, visitors to the WOW Museum can immerse themselves in a world full of optical illusions and illusions. All museums can be found here.

The trendy and creative neighbourhoods are an absolute must. In Wiedikon you will find cosy cafés, boutiques and vintage shops. District 4 around Langstrasse is home to a variety of restaurants and a never-sleeping nightlife with bars such as "Olé" and Club Zukunft. Where machines once clattered, Zurich-West's Kreis 5 district is now home to nightclubs, cultural institutions and design shops. The Prime Tower, Freitag Tower and the Viadukt as a trendy shopping and cultural centre are the trump cards here. Gourmets can find the best products and specialities at the numerous weekly markets in and around Zurich. The historic pulse of the city beats to the left and right of the Limmat in Zurich's Old Town. Guild houses, churches, squares steeped in history and hidden corners nestle together here.

Saechsilueuete, or Sechselaeuten, is a centuries-old tradition at the start of spring in Zurich. In addition to historically costumed guild members, bands, horses, flowers, flags and the "Boeoegg" characterise the image of the city on 17 April. The Boeoegg is even the main character these days: it is burnt at the Grossmuenster church at six o'clock on the dot. And the faster its firework-filled head explodes, the more beautiful the summer will be. At least that's what they say in Zurich. On Sunday, up to 3000 costumed children accompany the "Boeoegg" to Sechseläutenplatz. From 3 pm on Sechselaeuten Monday, thousands of guild members march in a colourful and musical procession in their respective costumes, accompanied by their guild orchestras, riders and guild floats through the old town to Sechseläutenplatz. At 6 pm, the Böögg is burnt on Sechselaeutenplatz.

The lakeside promenade is the most popular promenade on Lake Zurich. Inline skaters, bathers, jewellery sellers and street artists meet in the quayside facilities for a colourful rendezvous. The viewing terrace at Buerkliplatz forms the centre of the lakeside promenade. Here you have a wonderful view of the other quays - Mythenquai, General-Guisan-Quai, Utoquai and Seefeldquai. At the end of Seefeldquai is the Chinese Garden Zurich, a gift from Zurich's twin city Kunming. A 3-kilometre running route leads along Zurich's lake basin past many sights with views over Lake Zurich and the Alps. A relaxing boat trip on Lake Zurich allows you to get to know the city and its surroundings from a different perspective. The Lake Zurich Navigation Company offers numerous round trips and adventure cruises.

The famous Swiss mountains are only a stone's throw away from Zurich. That's why hiking near Zurich is no problem either: many hiking routes can be reached by public transport in less than 90 minutes from Zurich main station. The Planet Trail (2h-6km-31min from Zurich main station) takes you from Zurich's local mountain Uetliberg to Felsenegg. The Rigi Panorama Trail (2h-7km-37min from Zurich main station) leads from Arth-Goldau station on the Rigi railway to Rigi, Scheidegg. Two bikes, one mountain and adrenalin: Passionate bikers will find leisurely bike tours through the most beautiful landscapes around Lake Zurich, short trails on Zurich's local mountains or pure thrills on challenging high-altitude tours for experienced mountain bikers.