Zurich Walking Routes: Old Town to West

October 29, 2026

Zurich is compact enough that its best walks need no tickets, only comfortable shoes. Three routes cover the old centre, the former industrial district and a quiet waterside path. Prices are in Swiss francs (CHF).

Old Town loop: Niederdorf to Schipfe

This loop is about 3.5 km and takes two to two and a half hours. Start at the main station, cross the Bahnhofbrücke to Central, and enter the pedestrian lanes of the Niederdorf. At Spiegelgasse 1 you pass the Cabaret Voltaire, birthplace of Dada in 1916, which is closed on Mondays. Continue past the Grossmünster, then cross the Münsterbrücke to the Fraumünster and St. Peter, whose clock face is among the largest in Europe at 8.7 m across. Climb to the Lindenhof for the view, and finish down the steps to the artisan workshops of Schipfe, Zurich’s oldest riverside quarter.

Zürich-West

Take tram 4 to Schiffbau or the S-Bahn to Hardbrücke for a walk of about 3 km through former shipbuilding yards. Im Viadukt is a row of brick railway arches from 1894 now holding shops and a food hall. The Freitag flagship at Geroldstrasse 17 is a tower of stacked freight containers, open Monday to Friday and Saturday but closed on Sundays. Frau Gerolds Garten is a seasonal container bar with a winter break, so check its dates. The Prime Tower is 126 m tall, with the Clouds bar and restaurant on the 35th floor.

Schanzengraben path

This flat, quiet stretch of about 1.5 km follows the old moat of the city’s star-shaped fortifications from the station area to the lake near Bauschänzli. Allow 45 minutes. It passes the Alter Botanischer Garten with its palm house. The water is not for swimming.

Uetliberg Planetenweg

A ridge path of about two hours links Uetliberg to Felsenegg along a scale model of the solar system. The S10 train to Uetliberg does not run between Zürich HB and Selnau until 13 December 2026, so walk 12 minutes to Selnau or take tram 3 or 14 to Stauffacher. The S4 back from Adliswil is affected as well, and the cable car at Felsenegg is not covered by the Zürich Card.

Tips

Sunday shops are closed across the city, apart from those in the main station. For a guided experience, a search for Zurich walking tours lists options, and Zurich Tourism publishes route information at zuerich.com . Rail and tram updates are at zvv.ch .