This hill is located in the the oldest part of Zurich (near Schipfe). It was once a Celtic…read moresettlement and then it became a Roman fort. The stone wall of the fort is what you see today. There's more history there that is still being uncovered. Some items found around the Lindenhof date back to the 1st century BC. Today, it's a large park with incredible views of Zurich and the Limmat River. We saw groups of people playing boules in the grassy area on a Sunday, as well as people playing chess. There's a fountain in the middle of the square that pays homage to Hedwig's women who wore battle gear to defend the city during the seige of Zurich in 1292. It's worth seeking out as it can be quite peaceful up there even though it's a tourist hot spot. The walk up the somewhat steep pathway and steps to get there from the city center is worth it. I've read that there is an elevator for those with mobility issues, but I didn't see one. There are benches as well as places to sit along the wall. It's shady and breezy up there. A great place to relax and enjoy the view.

This was a part of a self guided walking tour recommended by our hotel; we only had one night in…read moreZurich and wanted to see what we could without overdoing it. We stayed at a hotel on the other side of the river and walked across a lovely bridge to get here. You start at the bottom of the hill where there is a one lane road. While there are cars (or were, when we visited), mostly there are pedestrians and bicyclists. The lane is full of little shops and restaurants all vying for your attention and money. Eventually you come to a wide and tall (long) staircase going up. At the top is what is considered Lindenhof Hill, a quaint park with gorgeous views across the river and towards Lake Zurich. There is a fountain and old pumping station, as well as some Roman artifacts. It's a nice park to just sit and take in the views, or play a game of giant chess/checkers. The streets are all narrow in this area, but once you leave the hill, you need to find Thermengasse. It is a covered pedestrian walkway with grating for a walkway. Underneath the grating is an exposed archeological dig of a Roman heating system. There is signage throughout the passageway telling you all about it. As night began to fall, we made our way around the area, just taking everything all in. We ended up by the Fraumuenster church and walked across the Muenster bridge towards the Niederdorf area. If we had had more time, we would have explored the area more, but we were happy with the highlights we did see. It was a nice little introduction to the city. 78/2025

Floating downstream, walking back up, floating downstream, walking back up, floating downstream…read more.. and going for a Cervelat and and Apfelwein. Pretty awesome way to spend a summer afternoon, if you ask me. The swimming stretch is quick-flowing, often lifeguarded, and has several ladders; during nice days, expect to deal with people hanging out on the ladders, trying to decide if they want a dip or not. It's totally fair game to bypass them and jump in. (And if that's your style, there's a rope swing on the opposite shore). The playground has both water and dry sections for the 2-to-8 crowd; the climbing structures are all pretty small, so more adventurous kids may be happier swimming. The buildings in the center of the island have an outdoor restaurant, plus bathrooms and warm showers. In the middle of the island, there's a run-of-the-river hydro plant --- good if you like crashing water. More impressive falls are on the south-east corner. One thing to know ahead of time: The western third of the island is a de facto nude area, predominantly male and frequently gay. Everyone's pretty mellow, but it does make for a marked transition just past the powerplant.

This little island in the Limmat River in Zurich sits near the more residential northern suburbs…read more There are walking bridges onto the island with walk and bike trails on either side of the river. People sunbathe and swim, and also smoke. A lot. Which seemed surprising given the healthy outdoor nature of the place. The water was quite cool, having just warmed up from winter temperatures. The current is very strong and at the end of the swim area is a life guard to be sure you are out to the steps before getting stuck in the hydro-electric facility! I am not a swimmer, so I just tested out the water on the steps. Some people just float the stretch from entry steps to exit steps but a few strong swimmers try to beat the current going the opposite way. Few can. My husband is an extremely strong swimmer and he could hardly keep even against the current. It's sort of like swimming in place in an exercise pool, but with great scenery all around. Perfect for a break on a hot afternoon.

Been to this park twice for Meetup events. It's nestled in a very private area surrounded by…read morebuildings that if you don't pay attention, you might miss it. The park has just about everything to make children of all ages happy. There's a wading pool, a solid wooden jungle gym playground, slides, swings, a covered sandpit, benches under the trees, a sizable lawn for the adults to sunbathe, and even a short green hill on the side. An onsite Züri WC completes the setup. I plan to visit this park with my daughter a few more times before the weather gets cold again...

There are two places near Burkliplatz that one can have a nice BBQ/picnic on a warm day: (1) China…read moreWiese [in front of the Chinagarten] near Bellevue or at (2) Arborteum near Enge. China Wiese is a much bigger stretch of land and gets more sunshine than the other side at the Arborteum. So if you are looking for sun, come here; but if looking for shade, go to the other side (Arborteum). It is also more geared to a mixed crowd, from families, couples, friends, groups, etc. On the weekends you can also catch the excitement of watching tight rope walkers practice their gig. Watch, or even partake! Good balancing required. For those who want to show off their booty and immerse in a "fun to be young" bikini frisbee/volleyball/football crowd, they should head to the Arborteum, to see, and to be seen. You can also BBQ/picnic there, but the land area is smaller, and is shadier/cooler.

I stumbled upon Stadtgärtnerei while exploring the neighborhood in late autumn. The greenhouses are…read morereally lovely. I especially like visiting Bosi the Toucan in the Palmenhaus! There are other birds, as well as fish and turtles.

Rechberggarten is a hidden oasis…read more I was walking around University of Zurich (UZH) and accidentally walked through the nicely motif gates and I walked in to a nice garden. Nice and peaceful. The "gardeners" here are friendly and all smile. If you walked up the stairs, you will have a nice view and you can also exit through the upper gate.

A delightful, mellow garden behind the Rechberg, the large mansion named after the family that used…read moreto own it. There's usually music drifting out of one of the neighboring practice rooms, and from the higher levels of the garden you get a good view of Üetliberg. The benches are unusually angular for such a baroque setting; sturdy enough, just odd. The upper gates (usually, but not always, open) exit out to UZH, which can make this a scenic alternative to walking on Kantonschulstrasse.