Zurich offers plenty of activities during all seasons, and summer is no exception – going from the open-air bathing facilities to the day trips.
Let’s discover more in detail!
What to do in Zurich in summer
1. Chilling in the public pools and baths
First and foremost, Zurich is the perfect place to cool off during summer, as it houses many pools and bathing facilities on the River Limmat or Lake Zurich, such as:
- Frauenbad Stadthausquai and Männerbad Schanzengraben: respectively, an open-air bathing facility for women to swim as they enjoy the view of the Grossmünster, and a men-only outdoor bath to relax on its planks over the water;
- Strandbad Tiefenbrunnen: an outdoor facility on the right shore of Lake Zurich, which offers a beautiful view of the Alps, a wide choice of gastronomy and sports;
- Freibad Heuried: a popular public bath, part of a sports center, which includes the Vrenelisgärtli self-service restaurant;
- Seebad Utoquai: located on the lakeside promenade, which comprises two small pools, sun terraces, sauna, free reading material, and a Mediterranean restaurant.
2. Trying the water sports
In addition, you should know that Lake Zurich and the city’s two rivers are home to a huge range of water sports’ activities, going from wake-surfing to water skiing, canoe or kayak. So, we suggest you try:
- The Stand-Up Paddle City Tour: to explore the lake basin and the Schanzengraben as the SUP instructors provide you also with information on the city’s history;
- Urbansurf Zurich: a wonderful surfing facility that brings a little of Hawaii in the city center and offers delicious drinks, food, live music or events.
3. Enjoying the boat trips
What’s more, the boat trip is another typical Zurich’s summer activity – such as:
- The River Limmat Cruises: which will take you from the National Museum up the River Limmat to Lake Zurich, with motorized boats that have glass roofs to marvel at the beautiful views of the Old Town and the lake;
- The Round Trips on Lake Zurich: including the short tours to Thalwil and Erlenbach and the long ones to Richterswil or Rapperswil. The latter is the Riviera on the upper half of the lake and offers stunning views of the lakeside surroundings;
- The Ufenau Island: a small monastery island and nature reserve on the upper part of Lake Zurich, which houses medieval churches and a welcoming restaurant.
4. Tasting an ice cream on the lakeshore
Then, what’s better than tasting a delicious ice cream as you walk around the city? To do so, just stop by:
- Gelati am See: a charming mobile ice cream parlor right on the lake, which offers a great variety of flavors;
- Gelateria di Berna: the exquisite Italian ice cream at Brupbacherplatz, in Zurich’s Kreis 3 district, with a huge range of healthy and tasty flavors;
- Vegelateria: the first Zurich’s vegan and organic gelateria in the Langstrasse quarter.
5. Joining an outdoor bar or terrace
After sunset, many bathing facilities are turned into bars that offer concerts, events, or movie screenings, as well as delicious cocktails and food.
For this reason, we suggest you pop over to:
- Frau Gerolds Garten: at the foot of the Prime Tower, a friendly meeting place where you can discover the stores, garden community, and exciting events;
- Bauschänzli Biergarten: Zurich’s own miniature island, which offers a welcoming beer garden, the local cuisine, and the view of the Old Town, lake and Alps;
- Binz & Kunz: an urban oasis in the heart of the Binz quarter, where people meet to enjoy a cool drink, barbecue food, or pasta dishes;
- Pumpstation: an open-air venue that features small tables and long wooden benches, serving grilled meat, corn on the cob, and baked potatoes;
- Primitivo: an outdoor container bar on the River Limmat, where you can taste delicious cool drinks, fresh beer, and snacks.
