As the days are getting bigger and brighter the wish to be outdoors comes in. There are so many spots you can visit and hang out in Zürich. One of my most favorite spots in Zürich is by the lake side and ie. Zürichhorn. This place is close to Belluve and by a light stroll on the side of the lake Promenade you can reach here in 15-20 minutes.
So basically you will walk by the lake of Zürich on the right side and in the front the view of the Alps. You will also see many people hanging out the whole stretch of the area. As you will start approaching the Zürichhorn you will start to notice big beautiful trees and then finally you will see big garden grounds too called as the Blatterwiese (Blatt means leaves in German and wiese means green areas) You cannot miss passing the Chinese Gardens to the left just before approaching Zürichhorn.
History of this area
The history of this place goes back to the 13th Century, when a part of the Monastery was also built here but it was soon moved back in the safe areas within the old fortifications of the city. Then by the middle of the 19th century this place had a silk dying plant which too was demolished by the beginning of the 20th Century.
Two Swiss national horticulture exhibitions also took place here. and then slowly plans of making this place into a recreational area came into the picture. Slowly this area which was partly a delta was reclaimed, a playground was made, rest room facilities were also added. Now its one of the most visited spots in the city.
"Heureka" Sculpture by Jean Tinguely
Now right here, there is an interesting piece of an Art piece made by the Swiss Sculpture Artist Jean Tinguely. Jean Tinguely was famous for his Kinetic works of Art. His artwork piece "Heureka" which he made for the national exhibition in Lausanne in 1964 was brought to Zürich in 1967 and since then its at the Zürichhorn. The art piece is a working machine which is made by different parts of old machines. It is an allegory of the industrial times we are living in and it shows us the consumeristic society through this. Although its working, it has no use and how in today's times the things which are working can be useless and ultimately ends up in absurdity. I absolutely love this piece and if I think of this Artist who was thinking ahead of times. Back in the 60`s consumerism was not that high, but he could see the future where we are going. It runs in the summer months (May till October), four times at day.
Venue for the biggest Open air Cinema in Switzerland
Since 1989 there is the biggest Open air Cinema in Switzerland here at the Zürichhorn. It runs from mid July to mid August. You can enjoy a movie on a big screen between the stars and if its a full Moon day then you are in for a super good treat!
There are two good restaurants in this area, Fischstube and Lakeside. You can have a lovely meal or a drink here while enjoying the view of the lakes and the Alps. You can also try local fish at these restaurants.
You could also take the little boat from the Landesmuseum/National Museum all the way on the Limmat till Wollishofen. These little boats run in the summer months from may till October. Its like taking the old means of transportation.
There are also free grills available here, which you can use till 23.00 Huge gardens gives ample space to play games, get the sun, read a book, or just chill. You can often see people playing badminton and Frisbee. The lake shore is a bit rocky but you can definitely go for a little swim as well.
So how a great time exploring this side of the lake.