Dinner in a winegrower’s hut

Restaurant Buech (above) is a cosy rustic treasure hidden among shady beech trees. During the summer you can enjoy a wonderful view while sitting in the shade of the grapevines or, for an intimate dinner, book one of the private winegrower huts.

Open-air cinema

The oldest open-air cinema in Switzerland, Salt Cinema (above) is at the beautiful Zurichhorn, a river delta on the eastern shore of Lake Zurich. This year, it has teamed up with the Zurich Film Festival to present films that have not made their way into mainstream Swiss cinemas.

Boutique shopping

Built in 1894 in Zurich-West, Viaduct Arches (above) has been turned into a shopping paradise under 36 arches. The urban meeting place invites you to stroll, shop, eat and drink, and the colourful mix of delicatessens, studio galleries, sport and fashion boutiques are well worth a browse. At its heart is the Market Hall, where local farmers and food vendors offer their wares.

History and a picnic

A visit to Rietberg Museum and Park (above) is a nice way to spend a free day. The only art museum of non-European cultures in Switzerland, its treasures include sculptures from Africa, Buddhist art from Asia and cult objects from the South Seas and Ancient America. You can grab a filled picnic basket from the museum cafe and enjoy lunch in the park. 

Quirky neighbourhoods

Zurich’s creative sector is booming, and nowhere is this more evident than in the trendy districts of Zurich-West and Aussersihl. Galleries, restaurants, bars and clubs are opening all the time, while textile and furniture designers, jewellery makers, architects and graphic designers have studios and shops here. The closer you get to Langstrasse the more colourful it becomes: the multicultural street is home to people from more than 110 countries.

Architectural highlights

Schipfe (above) is one of the city’s oldest quarters. The name originates from the nautical term schupfen (push) used by fishermen to describe pushing boats to and from the riverbank. During the Middle Ages, Schipfe was the transfer point for essential merchandise, and from the 16th century became headquarters of the silk industry and the location of bathhouses and boat building. Even today, Schipfe is still an artisan area: it’s great for picking up Swiss handicrafts or taking a stroll along the Limmat River.

Planning a trip to Zurich? BA has made some changes to its hand baggage allowance. Please see ba.com for full details