Free Guided Tours on World Tourism Day

We will meet by the Seebad Enge bathing facility and then jog together through the Arboretum and past the Zurich Aviary and Bird Sanctuary almost as far as Bürkliplatz. But only almost! A short detour to the left will take us a few hundred meters down pretty Schanzengraben. Shortly afterwards, we’ll cross the canal and run back to Bürkliplatz. From here, we’ll head to Bellevue, taking in the stunning view over Lake Zurich, then continue on across Sechseläutenplatz and past the Opera House to the Utoquai lakeside path. This will be our final stretch: past the Utoquai bathing facilities to Blatterwiese, where the Pavillon Le Corbusier and the Chinese Garden await.

Here, we’ll catch the tram at Tiefenbrunnen station before heading to Bellevue, where we’ll enjoy a well-deserved coffee at ViCAFE.

On this walking tour, guests will discover the most charming side of Zurich: from Römerhof, the tour will take participants on a relaxed train ride on the Dolderbahn railway up to the Sonnenberg viewpoint, where a breathtaking panorama of the city awaits. The route carries on through Hottingen, where Larissa will give guests an insight into the development of the district, which has been transformed from a rural scattered settlement to an urban neighborhood. Afterwards, we’ll immerse ourselves in the exotic world of the Villa Patumbah park – a hidden gem in the heart of Zurich. Finally, the tour will lead guests to the idyllic neighborhood farm Wynegg, where nature and city life harmoniously coexist. The team responsible for managing the farm will show us around, and at the end of the tour there will be an opportunity to sample products from the farm.   

On this walking tour, guests will discover the most charming side of Zurich: from Römerhof, the tour will take participants on a relaxed train ride on the Dolderbahn railway up to the Sonnenberg viewpoint, where a breathtaking panorama of the city awaits. The route carries on through Hottingen, where Larissa will give guests an insight into the development of the district, which has been transformed from a rural scattered settlement to an urban neighborhood. Afterwards, we’ll immerse ourselves in the exotic world of the Villa Patumbah park – a hidden gem in the heart of Zurich. Finally, the tour will lead guests to the idyllic neighborhood farm Wynegg, where nature and city life harmoniously coexist. The team responsible for managing the farm will show us around, and at the end of the tour there will be an opportunity to sample products from the farm.   

Follow in the footsteps of one of the most influential Swiss people in history: Alfred Escher. First, the model of the city on Neumarkt will show us what Zurich was like around 1800. Escher was born just a few steps away on Hirschengraben and went on to change Zurich and Switzerland forever. On the Polyterasse in front of the Federal Institute of Technology, we will learn how he shaped the future of education to ensure that his country stayed on the pulse of modernity. The main station, and the monument in front of it, reveal his unparalleled commitment to the railways while also shining a light on the dark side of his success. At Paradeplatz, we delve into the history of the founding of the Schweizerische Kreditanstalt (SKA), while at the quays we’ll discover how much was set in motion in Escher’s time. The foundation of the pension institution (now Swiss Life) can also be attributed to his vision. At Villa Belvoir, his retreat overlooking the lake, we will discover the private side of a man who gave his lifeblood for the Gotthard Pass and almost destroyed himself in the process. This tour is a journey through Zurich and through the life of a man who shaped Switzerland and Zurich like no other.