The 117 best outdoor activities in Zurich region

The Zurich region stands for leisure, pleasure and good accessibility. Beautiful lakes, clean rivers, hilly landscapes and relaxing forests await you around the pretty cities. Among the top destinations are the two cities of Winterthur and Stadt Zürich. But also smaller towns like Rapperswil and Zug have their charm and are worth a visit. The business metropolis of Zurich is also one of the most important centers of the Swiss media, finance and creative industries. The special attraction lies above all in the generous urban leisure and entertainment facilities.

Zurich, Lake Zurich and the cities around the lake form the center of the Zurich region. The Zurich Oberland lies to the north of Lake Zurich. The former marshy plain around Lindt to the east of Lake Zurich is now largely drained. To the west you will find the canton of Zug and the Reppisch valley. The Limmattal, the Freiamt in the canton of Aargau and the Untere Reusstal also enrich the Zurich region in the west. The Aargau High Rhine Plain and Zurzach join it in the north, and to the northeast the Zurich Unterland, the Winterthur region and the Zurich Weinland also belong to it.

The city of Zurich shows a perfect combination of culture, city life and nature. The old town of Zurich is located on both sides of the Limmat River. From Centralplatz you can get to Bellevue-Platz on the lake and from here you have a beautiful view over Lake Zurich. Here you also cross the Limmat. Very worth seeing are the guild houses along the Limmatquai. You can climb one of the towers of the Grossmünster and get an even better view. You can reach Zurich's local mountain Uetliberg with the Sihltal-Zürich-Uetliberg-Bahn (SZU) from the main station.

Winterthur offers a medieval old town and the largest continuous pedestrian zone in Europe. Old magnificent mansions, the town hall passageway and the Fischermädchenbrunnen fountain are popular sights. In addition, 17 museums alone show that Winterthur is rightly considered a city of culture. An above-average number of the museums are sophisticated art collections, some of which originate from private estates. Every year at the end of September Winterthur hosts the "Open Doors". During the festival, artists from the city open their studios to visitors interested in art.

Zug is located on the Zugerberg and Lake Zug. "Chriesiblüscht" is the name given to the cherry blossoms that are characteristic of the region around Zug. Visitors are particularly impressed every evening by an unusually beautiful sunset on Lake Zug. Diverse activity possibilities range from hiking to biking and scootering to paragliding. In winter the Zugerberg is good for sledging and cross-country skiing. Customs such as the ringing of the "Chriesigloggä", which is the starting signal for the cherry harvest every year, are actively cultivated.

Baden is a town known both as a spa town and as a cultural town. The 47 degree hot thermal water, in which even the Romans bathed, bubbles up from 18 springs here. Baden has a rich cultural scene. International cultural festivals are regularly held in the city.