Zurich welcomes us with a crisp two degrees Celsius, which rises to a maximum of just five degrees during our stay, and there are constant rain and snow showers. Extensive cycle tours? Difficult in such conditions, of course! A new plan is needed. We study the "must-sees" in Zurich and check the weather radar at the same time. We hadn't expected this situation. But it quickly becomes clear that Zurich has a broad base. The city allows us to make simple and uncomplicated changes. When the weather is good, we are out and about on our bikes; when the weather is bad, we enjoy art and culture indoors. Of course, our main focus is on cycling. And Zurich seems to be a top address in this respect: The city is hosting the Road World Cycling Championships for the fourth time (21-29 September). But how well is it geared towards the "normal" cyclist? We want to find out. And off we go.
Right at the centre of the cycling master plan
It quickly becomes clear that there is still a lot to do. But Zurich is working on it. The city has had a master plan to promote cycling since 2012. The first measures have already been implemented. Residents and tourists can explore the city by bike at favourable conditions or even free of charge. The "Züri Velo" bike sharing scheme and other hire systems are available to residents. Visitors also have easy and uncomplicated access to bicycles with and without electric drive. The "Züri rollt" station is located directly on Europaplatz, next to the main railway station. After presenting ID and paying a deposit of 20 Swiss francs, you can start pedalling straight away. If you have a "Zürich Card", which allows you to use public transport and visit many museums free of charge, all you need to do is pay an additional five Swiss francs per day and it becomes a "Zürich Card Bike". After installing the PubliBike app, tourists can use 150 bike stations located throughout the city. And we discover even more facilities in the city that make life easier for cyclists, such as the green columns at many junctions. These are pumping stations. Bicycle tyres get the desired pressure quickly and easily at these stations. In order to avoid having to cycle on busy motorways, additional cycle lanes have been designated.
In the centre itself, there are clearly visible cycle path markings on most of the roads. But caution is advised. The yellow stripes alone do not provide the desired distance between cars and bikes. They are also extremely narrow. Another risk factor is the tram tracks that run through the centre. Mutual consideration is therefore paramount.
Art, culture and enjoyment on the cycle tour
In Switzerland's cultural capital, it is extremely easy for us to discover exciting museums and sights everywhere. For example, the striking Grossmünster, a church in the Old Town, impresses us just by looking at it from the outside. But we are also amazed by the interior of the Kunsthaus, which houses the largest art collections in the country. The "Merzbacher" collection stands out. In the Pixelwald, an audio-video installation by artist Pipilotti Rist, we immerse ourselves for a moment in a parallel universe. We get back on our bikes for an excursion into the world of chocolate. We want to go to the Lindt Museum just outside the city centre, in Kilchberg. Most of the route runs alongside Lake Zurich. Before we switch to the road for the last few kilometres, we cross the Cassiopeia Bridge, which closes the gap between Wollishofen harbour and the Rote Fabrik cultural centre. The 284 metre long footbridge has been used as a land connection to make the lake shore almost completely accessible to all residents and tourists. The construction leads 100 metres into the lake and offers a view of the magnificent Alpine panorama.
We reach the imposing new building, which houses the large Lindt World and the Chocolate Museum. The experience starts with an interactive tour that takes us past the world's largest chocolate fountain and a test lane for new chocolate creations. Of course, you can also enjoy a nibble. Every chocolate lover's heart will automatically beat faster at this place. However, when we look out of the door, our mood immediately changes again - a bad weather front is approaching. We therefore decide to go on a boat for the return journey. There are always boat landing stages on Lake Zurich. You can get on and off the round trips individually. We have folding bikes with us. Due to their small and compact dimensions, taking them with you is no problem. However, not the entire fleet has the necessary size and storage space to transport bicycles. For this reason, the shipping company reserves the right to refuse to take bikes on board in the event of capacity bottlenecks and generally on smaller boats.
City, country, river
Zurich certainly offers art and pleasure. The city passed the test with flying colours. But what about relaxation and sporting activities? How extensive is the range of cycle routes for the city centre and the surrounding area? If you go to the Zürich Tourism website, you will quickly find what you are looking for in the "Zürich Rides" section. Whether for gravel bikes, racing bikes or for an excursion with the whole family - the choice of routes is huge. We decide in favour of the "Stadt-Land-Fluss" tour, which can also be found under this name in the Zurich Komoot Collection. Two small adjustments and a change of direction are quickly made, and off we go. The great thing about Zurich is that no matter where you start by bike in the city centre, you can be out in nature in just over thirty minutes.
We start at the National Museum, which is located right next to the main railway station. The path leads us along the Sihl, where we soon reach the Sihlfeld cemetery. For the people of Zurich, this is a park with a high recreational value. We then pass some allotment garden estates and reach the outskirts of the city. The path leads us to an organic farm on higher ground. Once we reach the top, we have completed the first eleven of the 21-kilometre route. Half time! Here we have a fantastic view of the valley - the perfect place for a coffee break.
On the way back, we cross the small town of Schlieren and just a few minutes later we are at the Limmat. We cycle back along the river past idyllic bathing spots, including the "Au-Höngg" river pool. However, we do take a detour. The specially incorporated route change takes us to the "industrial quarter". There are two very good reasons for this. The first is to visit the flagship store of the cult bag brand "Freitag". Almost every cyclist is familiar with this name. The crazy thing is that the shop in Zurich was constructed from shipping containers. Climbing the containers inside leads to a viewing platform with a fantastic 360-degree panoramic view: And from there you can also see the second of the two reasons for our detour: "Frau Gerolds Gartenlokal", an institution in Zurich. This is located right next to the "Freitag" shop and is ideal for a second short break. After this stopover, we continue along Viaduktstrasse with its many exciting shops before returning to our starting point at the National Museum.
Conclusion: The tour we did is suitable for everyone and does not require a high level of fitness. The route easily combines urban space with nature. It can be ridden by any type of bike, even on the unsurfaced paths along the Limmat.
Cycle tunnel soon to be open
Zurich convinces us. Museums and historic buildings, green retreats, a great café culture, but also the idyllic river baths invite you to a city trip. The variety of cycle routes for every bike and fitness level rounds off the offer. A lot is also happening this year with the masterplan to promote cycling. One of the larger projects is the expansion and opening of the cycle tunnel under the main railway station in summer 2024, which will connect the city's districts even more quickly and safely in future. Anyone who wants to combine their visit to Zurich with the experience of a special event will have the opportunity to do so from 21 September at the World Cycling and Para-Cycling Road World Championships. Is that a plan?
Information and tips for the Zurich city trip by bike
Arrival
Railway: It takes just under ten hours to reach Zurich from Berlin on the ICE.
aeroplane: Zurich Airport is served by direct Eurowings flights from Berlin and Cologne/Bonn. A direct train connection takes you from the airport to the city centre in 20 minutes.
Accommodation
Numerous accommodation tips can be found at www.zuerich.com/de/besuchen/ uebernachten-in-zuerich
Camping: Fischer's Fritz, See strasse 559, 8038 Zurich.
Idyllic campsite right on the lakeshore. The pitch is relatively small, so it is essential to book in advance. www.fischers-fritz.ch
GPS data for the city bike tour in Zurich
You can find the GPX track for the cycle tour in Zurich on the DK tour portal:
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Tour tip Zurich: total length: 21 km, total metres in altitude: 80
Worth seeing
Red Factory: A former factory site that is now used as a cultural centre. In addition to lots of street art, there is also a bicycle repair shop and a café/restaurant with a view of the lake. Various cultural events as well as theatre and dance performances take place on the site. https://rotefabrik.ch
House Hiltl: Considered the oldest vegetarian restaurant in the world. Named after its founder Ambrosius Hiltl, the restaurant has been treating vegetarians and non-vegetarians to meat-free specialities from all over the world since 1898. Sihlstrasse 28, 8001 Zurich. https://hiltl.ch/standorte/uebersicht/haus-hiltl
Lindt Museum: In addition to the world's largest Lindt chocolate shop, the museum offers an interactive, multimedia exhibition on the history of chocolate and its production. Audio guides are provided free of charge. Of course, a free chocolate tasting is also offered. An excursion destination not only for chocolate lovers.
Schokoladenplatz 1, 8802 Kilchberg. Admission: adults CHF 17 / children CHF 10. Tickets are best purchased online. www.lindt-home-of-chocolate.com/de
Kunsthaus Zurich: The largest art museum in Switzerland. It houses one of the most important art collections in Switzerland: Picasso, Monet, van Gogh and Munch are just the most famous artists whose works are exhibited here. The Kunsthaus is so extensive that it is not possible to see everything in one day. Tip: Admission to the museum is free on Wednesdays! Heimplatz 1/5, 8001 Zurich. www.kunsthaus.ch
Bike service in Zurich
Free bike hire: For a deposit of 20 Swiss francs, you can hire all kinds of bikes for free right next to the main railway station. These include cargo bikes and children's bikes. Velostation Europaplatz, Europaallee 7, 8004 Zurich. Daily 08.00-21.30. www.zuerich.com/de/besuchen/ sport/zueri-rollt
Bicycle pumping stations: Municipal bicycle pumping stations (hand pumps). The pumps can be used free of charge if you run out of air.
www.stadt-zuerich.ch/geodaten/ download/bike pumping stations
Bike hire: Publibike rents out organic bikes and e-bikes at 130 stations throughout the city of Zurich. An organic bike costs CHF 3.50 per journey for the first 30 minutes and CHF 0.10 for each additional minute. The maximum hire period is 24 hours and costs CHF 24. www.publibike.ch/de/home
Zürich Bike Card: In addition to free travel on all public transport (2nd class on trams, buses, trains, boats and cable cars) in the city of Zurich and the surrounding area, the "normal" Zürich Card offers numerous other discounts at museums, clubs and more.
With the Zürich Card Bike, Publibikes can also be hired free of charge. Costs: 24 hours CHF 34 / 72 hours CHF 65. www.zuerich. com/en/ zuerichcard
MYBIKE tips
Cycling World Championships 2024 (21-29 September): The UCI Road Cycling World Championships will be held in and around Zurich for the fourth time. For the first time, the 2024 Paracycling Road World Championships will be an "integral part" of the World Championships. https://zurich2024.com
Drinking fountain: Fresh, first-class drinking water is always available in Zurich - thanks to the more than 1,200 fountains that can be found every few metres in the city. This makes the Swiss metropolis one of the cities with the most fountains in the world!
Cycle tour organiser
Organised bike tours in Zurich and the surrounding area can be found at Baja Bikes.
www.bajabikes.eu/de/ fahrradtour-zuerich www.zuerich.com/de visit/ e-bike-tours-in-zuerich
Travel guide, maps, info
The portal of the city of Zurich provides a wealth of information for a successful stay. www.zuerich.com/de www.zurichrides.ch
