Switzerland’s
clean lakes and rivers offer many places to swim in safety and comfort. You can
go to a Badi or lakeside bathing place with changing facilities, cafes and
children’s play areas, or just find a good spot to dip in. See also our feature
on Strandbads around the Zurichsee.
Here
are a few suggestions:
Rüschlikon Strandbad on the
Zurichsee has free admission, grass and gravel areas, a café, steps into the
water and other family-friendly features. Also popular with teenagers. Close to
the 165 bus route. Suggested by Ewelina. http://www.badi-info.ch/zh/rueschlikon-seebadi.html
Tiefenbrunnen on the
right bank of the Zurisee is easily reached by tram or train and has a very
large grassy sunbathing space as well as diving boards, children’s pools and barbecue
sites. Small entrance charge. http://www.badi-info.ch/Tiefenbrunnen.html
Turlersee near
Hausen-am-Albis is a beautiful location with large picnic area, safe bathing,
floats and rafts, and walking around the small lake. http://www.tuerlersee.ch/strandbad.php
Unteraegeri near Zug
has a park, cafe and picnic area and you can swim from the rocks. http://www.campingunteraegeri.ch/en/infrastructure/bathing_site/
In
Zug visit the Strandbad in the old
town close to the main square, Gemeindeplatz. Free entry. http://sospo.myswitzerland.com/details/?id=27&lang=en
Luzern lido is a
short bus or boat ride from the station with fresh-water pools and lake
bathing. Small entrance charge.http://lido-luzern.ch/english.php
The
lakes around the Zurichsee such as Greifensee,
Pfäffikersee, Wägitalersee and Sihlsee are very pleasant places to swim or
take a dip.
Rhine river bathing is
popular with many. You can bathe from Stein am Rhein, Diessenhofen and other
towns along the stretch from the Bodensee to Schaffhausen. Check your exit
point downstream before you jump in.
Boat trips on the lakes
and rivers
With
a halbtax-abo, boat trips on the lakes are no more expensive than the regular
public transport and are often covered by other tickets.
On
the Zurichsee at Bürkliplatz, take
short, middle or long round trips or a one-way trip to lakeside towns www.zsg.ch
Excursions on the Vierwaldstättersee (Lake Lucerne) from Luzern, Brunnen and Fluellen www.lakelucerne.ch
Boat
trips on the Rhine from Kreuzlingen
to Schaffhausen. www.euregiokarte.com
Picnic places
Always
popular in summer, you can take a picnic virtually anywhere in Switzerland. As
well as the above parks and gardens, here are a few more favourite spots:
Unteraegeri (ZG) near Zug
is my favourite spot, surrounded by mountains. From Sihlbrugg roundabout,
follow signs to Aegeri and then on to Unteraegeri. Drive through the village,
then park in the signed parking place on the left. The lake contains water
lilies and a fountain, there’s a children’s playground, benches and grass,
barbecues sites and plenty of spots to put down your picnic rug. You can also
buy an ice cream or get a drink in the café and play minigolf. There are also
boat trips on the lake. http://www.aegerisee.ch/en/navpage-AegeriErlebnisSommerZT.html
Belvoir Park, Zurich.
The bottom entrance to the restaurant and park is open to anyone wishing to
sketch, sit in the sun or take a packed lunch. Park at Mythenquai and cross the
road, or take the 165 bus. It’s very peaceful. The iris season is especially
beautiful.
Park im Grüene, Rüschlikon. Near the Thalwil exit of the A3 Chur motorway, ample parking. Stroll around the park, borrow a deckchair, admire the view over the Zurisee and get out your picnic on the grass or one of the benches. Children’s pool and donkey rides in summer. If it rains, try the Migros café. http://www.parkimgruene.ch/front_content.php?idcat=3059
Zurichhorn. The grassy area beside the lake in front of the China Garden near Zurichhorn is a pleasant place to sit and enjoy an icecream.
Be your own tour guide!
No
need to pay for an expensive guided tour; you can take a tour of the main
sights in any major Swiss city with the help of a good guide book and a street
map. The following towns are worth a visit: click on the links for extra
information from our members:
In
coming entries, discover these cities: links to towns are on the right:
Luzern
Bern – you can also visit the Swiss Parliament on a guided tour
Basel Altstadt
St. Gallen cathedral area
Schaffhausen
Chur
Bellinzona
Murten
Konstanz
plus Zurich
Konstanz
plus Zurich
Plus
why not explore on your own these lovely towns and cities:
Geneva
- see http://www.geneva.info/
Fribourg
– on the French/German language border
Appenzell
– an old-fashioned town
Lugano
– gateway to three lakes
Locarno
– on Lago Maggiore
And
more…
Compiled
by Julia Newton, 2 September 2011, updated April 2016
With
contributions from Amy Eber, Colin Hawker, Ewelina Pace, Gill Rüttimann, Helga
Meyer-Piening, Lindsey Carver, Paola Cavallari, Sue Poolman, Trudi MacDonald,Valerie Quiblier.
